Hometown Acts Get 28 Nominations for Sixth Annual WCMAs

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Manitoba music will have a strong presence in Edmonton this fall when the trophies are handed out at the 2008 Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA). Hometown artists and industry professionals account for 28 nominations in 20 different categories, 19 of which are artistic awards. The artistic trophies will be handed out at a gala event on October 19 in Edmonton.

This year’s nominations include four nods for rock poets The Weakerthans; for Outstanding Rock Recording, Outstanding Independent Album Award, Songwriter(s) of the Year, and Video of the Year. The quartet and its latest critically-acclaimed release, Reunion Tour, is also one of the 10 short listed bands for this year’s prestigious Polaris Music Prize. Also up for the Outstanding Independent Album Award is blues rock act The Perpetrators and their album, Tow Truck. The trio is also up for Outstanding Blues Recording, which they won in 2006. Americana duo Twilight Hotel has picked up a nod for its sophomore release Highway Prayer, for Outstanding Roots Recording ~ Duo/Group and for Video of the Year.

Last year’s Outstanding Christian Recording winner, rapper Fresh I.E., is again up for the same trophy, this year for Lockjaw. Singer/songwriter Steve Bell is nominated for the same award for his recording with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Also nominated this year are indie popsters The Liptonians for Outstanding Pop Recording, singer/songwriter Cara Luft for Outstanding Roots Recording ~ Solo, legendary children’s performer Fred Penner for Outstanding Children’s Recording, country chanteuse Tracy Bone for Outstanding Aboriginal Recording, jazz artist Greg Lowe for Outstanding Jazz Recording, composer Vincent Ho for Outstanding Classical Composition, and world music duo Compadres – featuring James Keelaghan – for Outstanding Roots Recording ~ Duo/Group. Francophone acts Kraink and Coulée are both up for Outstanding Francophone Recording.

Industry professionals from Manitoba are also a force at this year’s Industry Awards, to be held at a brunch on October 18. Local talent buyers, managers, producers, and venues are up for nine awards. Nominees include two nods for Gilles Paquin and one for his company Paquin Entertainment, and nominations for the West End Cultural Centre and its artistic director Dominic Lloyd, CBG Artist Development’s Chris Burke-Gaffney, engineer Shawn Pierce, and producers Brandon Friesen and Jack Shapira.

The awards gala is the pinnacle event of the sixth annual Western Canadian Music Week - held October 16 to 19, 2008 in Edmonton - which also features a conference and three-day music festival including over 100 showcasing acts. The WCMAs present an incredible opportunity for emerging and established artists to be a part of the western Canadian music community. Participating artists and other music professionals have the chance to meet key industry stakeholders creating the opportunity for a new wave of exciting industry developments from record deals to international tours.

2008 WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC AWARDS MANITOBA NOMINEES

Artistic Awards

OUTSTANDING ABORIGINAL RECORDING
Tracy Bone – No Lies

OUTSTANDING BLUES RECORDING
The Perpetrators – Tow Truck

OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S RECORDING
Fred Penner – Where In The World

OUTSTANDING CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL RECORDING
Fresh I.E. – LockJaw
Steve Bell – The Symphony Sessions

OUTSTANDING CLASSICAL COMPOSITION
Vincent Ho – String Quartet No. 1

OUTSTANDING FRANCOPHONE RECORDING
Coulée – La belle tremblière
Kraink – Après la grande guerre

OUTSTANDING JAZZ RECORDING
Greg Lowe – Guitar and Bass Sessions

OUTSTANDING POP RECORDING
The Liptonians – The Liptonians

OUTSTANDING ROCK RECORDING
The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour

OUTSTANDING ROOTS RECORDING ~ DUO/GROUP
Compadres – Buddy, Where You Been?
Twilight Hotel – Highway Prayer

OUTSTANDING ROOTS RECORDING ~ SOLO
Cara Luft – The Light Fantastic

OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT ALBUM AWARD
The Perpetrators – Tow Truck
The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour

SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR
The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“Civil Twilight” – The Weakerthans
“Viva la Vinyl” – Twilight Hotel

Industry Awards

AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Paquin Entertainment

ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Shawn Pierce

LIVE MUSIC VENUE OF THE YEAR
West End Cultural Centre

MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Chris Burke-Gaffney
Gilles Paquin

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Brandon Friesen
Jack Shapira

TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR
Dominic Lloyd, West End Cultural Centre
Gilles Paquin, Paquin Entertainment

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