Abbotsford – Surrey-based CocoLarosa is the first artist after 10 Fraser Valley Music awards to win the Dakota Leslie Memorial Fan Vote twice, earning $620 in 2025, after also topping the fan vote in 2024. Following the announcement of this year’s results, the Leslie Family (Rikki-Lee and Patricia Saville) made a surprise additional donation of $3,000, bringing CocoLarosa’s total to $3,620 and making him the highest all-time FVMA fund recipient, surpassing Shamir Virgo’s $448.73 2025 total and previous career-high standing of $2,602.80.
This news comes just as CocoLarosa and his wife prepare to welcome their first child—a moment of beautiful symmetry with the late Kellen Saip, who won the 2018 Country Award in Mission, just one day before the birth of his daughter Finly Lyric Saip.
As an FVMA judge, Mission Folk Music Festival Artistic and Executive Director Michelle Demers Shaevitz also selected Coco Larosa as the first 2026 MFMF booking.
“Feeling very honored to be the recipient of the 2025 FVMA Dakota Leslie Memorial Fan Vote Award,” said Coco Larosa after the awards. “Huge thank you to the Leslie family for their generosity that supports emerging artists like myself, and to CIVL Radio for all the ways they help keep the local music community connected and thriving!”
CocoLarosa was one of eight live performers at the FVMA awards showcase at Jam in Jubilee, Abbotsford’s long-running downtown summer concert series, presented by the Abbotsford Arts Council. Other performers included (fmva.civl on IG for more:
- Arthur (Abbotsford) – winner, Excellence by a Youth Artist
- Alexandrah Pahl (Chilliwack) – winner, Singer-Songwriter
- YK Patel (Abbotsford)
- Ted Kim (Chilliwack) – winner, Excellence by a BIMPOC Artist
- Nathan Sobko (Abbotsford)
- Madisyn Gifford (Surrey) – winner, Excellence by a Female Artist
Headlining the event was Bawah (formerly Mauvey), whose historic 2020 fan vote win ($2,500) made him the all-time FVMA earnings leader until now. Bawah also co-curated Jam in Jubilee this year with CIVL Music Director Stephen Munga.
Singer Songwriter Winner Alexandra Pahl had this to say: “Having been forced to grow up quickly, I struggled to find artists who were singing the words I needed to hear. So songwriting became almost like a friend—one that was good at listening while I tried to make sense of the world around me.
It’s been a life-saving gift—how it can give wings to the heavy emotions and memories I’ve had to carry and set them free. I live lighter because of it. And I hope others feel that lightness in the songs I write… and eventually finish—so help me God. I’m deeply grateful for this recognition from a community that means so much to me. I’m excited to keep going, to keep growing in this craft, and share more of what I’ve been holding onto.”
2025 by the numbers:
- 40 total artist submissions – $10,170 awarded – mirroring CIVL’s FM frequency: 101.7 (Plus the Leslie family’s surprise additional $3,000) – 11 first-time winners – 7 first-time applicants earned awards – Elixir (Mission) and The Sylvia Platters (New Westminster) are now 3-time category winners – Jadhé (Coquitlam) and Annika Catharina (Deroche) both won for the second year in a row – Connor Nelson (Delta) earned his second non-consecutive Pop win – Ted Kim now ranks 10th all-time in FVMA fan vote earnings, with Argel MDR close behind at 11th
2025 Genre and Excellence Award Winners
- Jazz/Roots/Blues – Shamir Virgo (Surrey)
- Punk/Metal – The Synthetic Overlords (Abbotsford)
- Singer-Songwriter – Alexandrah Pahl (Chilliwack)
- Hip Hop – Jadhé (Coquitlam)
- Adult Alternative – Michael Ryan (Chilliwack)
- Rock – The Sylvia Platters (New Westminster)
- Experimental – Kaitie Sly (Chilliwack)
- Country – Annika Catharina (Deroche)
- R&B – Argel MDR (Surrey)
- Pop – Connor Nelson (Delta)
- Electronic – Elixir (Mission)
- Excellence by a Queer Artist – Camellia Grove (Abbotsford)
- Excellence by a Female Artist – Madisyn Gifford (Surrey)
- Excellence by an Indigenous Artist – Caravan (Abbotsford)
- Excellence by a Youth Artist – Arthur (Abbotsford)
- Excellence by a BIMPOC Artist – Ted Kim (Chilliwack)
Notable alumni:
- Etienne Siew (Coquitlam) met Premier David Eby backstage at the 2024 Mission Folk Music Festival, where he performed via an FVMA booking, captured on YouTube during a scheduled sit-down where Etienne performed a song for the premier.
- Stephen Carl O’Shea (Abbotsford/New Westminster) was part of You Say Party, winners in the FVMA’s inaugural year. The group’s final release (after their MMVA-winning album with late drummer Devon Clifford) was followed by a collaborative LP with The Sylvia Platters, Shadow Steps, pressed to vinyl by CIVL.
The 2025 Fraser Valley Music Awards continue a tradition of grassroots celebration, recognition, and community investment, administered by CIVL 101.7 / 92.3 FM, Canada’s first campus station to launch a second FM frequency. To see all past and present nominees and winners, visit fvma.civl.ca.
