Orillia singer/songwriter Bella Frances recently made a triumphant return to the Orillia Regional Arts and Heritage Awards.
Held at Nomad Studios on Nov. 27, Frances won the Emerging Artist Award.
"I was really happy about it. I was nominated last year and didn't win. It was fine. I was happy to be acknowledged. But this year, it made me feel like I have support from my community, which I really appreciate," said Frances, 21.
"What made me the most happy about winning that award, was the chance to say thank you to the community that raised me and supported me and taken me from performing at markets and busking to being on TV and releasing my first EP this year. I'm really grateful," she said.
Frances grew up influenced by the Mariposa Folk Festival.
"I have never missed a Mariposa Folk Festival in my entire life," she said. "It was really cool to see Gordon Lightfoot. I grew up with that acoustic, rootsy thing. When I was 12, I discovered country music."
She got her start performing her own songs at the Orillia Farmers' Market and the Orillia Fairgrounds Farmers' Market.
A graduate of Orillia Secondary School (OSS), she co-wrote a play and played Gabriella Montez in OSS's production of High School Musical when she was 16.
Her first official role in a musical was the Urine Town production at Mariposa Arts Theatre and she was nominated for an Association of Community Theatres — Central Ontario (ACT-CO) Award.
But when COVID hit, Frances returned to her first love of writing music and decided to pursue a career as a professional musician. She's been racking up the milestones every since.
Frances received a grant from the Ontario Arts Council and used that to create and release her first EP called She'll Cross Oceans. The EP has four tracks and it's produced by Rob Szabo, a Juno Award winner and a Grammy nominee.
"He did an amazing job," Frances said.
Last year, she released her first single, titled Magic, independently and also created a music video with videographer and director Oscar Csekey.
"It was a great collaboration," she said.
Frances also released an original Christmas song, Hope you're Here for Christmas, in 2023.
"I played my first ticketed concert this spring in Toronto and I headlined Kawartha Farmfest," she said.
July's Farmfest was a fundraiser for the Orillia Youth Centre (OYC). She followed that up with another concert at Nomad Studios for the OYC in September.
"The last few years have been a whirlwind just getting my career off the ground, which I love. it's so much fun," she said.
Another milestone is her first TV taping on CMC-TV Talent, a Canadian show that hosts emerging artists. It will air in February.
Frances doesn't get stage fright.
"It's my happy place. It's where I love to be the most. Honestly, I feel more comfortable on stage than I do off stage. I like being in the spotlight."
Last year, she was invited to perform a Song for a Winter's Night at Lightfoot Night at Picnic Tapas and Wine, which Mariposa Folk Festival organizers attended.
After that, Frances was invited to play at Mariposa Folk Festival last year on the open stage.
And she has been an official artist in the Roots North Music Festival in Orillia for the last two years.
What's coming up for Frances is in invitation to perform at Pearson International Airport before the end of December.
She has more shows and projects on the horizon.
"I'm working on new demos now with Nixon Boyd, a musician, producer and label ex who is in the band Hollerado," she said. "I'm doing whatever I can to place myself more firmly in the music industry," she said.
Her long-term goal is record and release a full album.
"That's a huge goal for me," she said.
"Being an independent artist, you have to keep it all rolling. It's daunting but I love a good challenge and it's satisfying," she said.
Frances's music is available on all streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music.
For more information, follow Frances on Instagram or TikTok (@bybellafrances), or visit bella-music.ca or her YouTube page (@bellafrances13). You can also email her at [email protected].
