Manitoba Acts Net 11 Juno Nods

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Manitoba artists and industry have 11 chances to bring home statues at the 2009 JUNO Awards in Vancouver this March. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced nominees early on February 3, naming several homegrown acts as well as a few expats in the process, making this one of the strongest showings for Manitoba music in recent Juno history.

Three Manitoba bands are strong contenders for the top prize in the Roots & Traditional Album of the Year (Group) category this year, solidifying Manitoba’s reputation in the roots genre. This year’s contenders include soulful roots music outfit Chic Gamine for its self-titled debut, genre-defying roots act The Duhks for Fast Paced World, and Americana duo Twilight Hotel for Highway Prayer. Manitoba roots acts have dominated the Junos in recent years, picking up awards in the Roots & Traditional Album of the Year (Group) three times in the last four years. Nathan won the award last year while The Duhks and The Wailin’ Jennys won in 2006 and 2005, respectively.

"We're absolutely thrilled and honored to be nominated for a 2009 Juno Award alongside some of Manitoba Music's finest," says Chic Gamine's Andrina Turenne. "This nomination comes two days short of our one and a half year anniversary as a band, so you can imagine our excitement as we heard the news this morning. We'd like to congratulate fellow Winnipeggers The Duhks, and Twilight Hotel, as well as all the other nominees."

Hometown talent is also leading in the Aboriginal Album of the Year category, landing three nominations this year. Nominees include country chanteuse Tracy Bone and her Western Canadian Music Award-winning debut, No Lies, on Winnipeg-based Aboriginal music label, Arbor Records. Also nominated is fellow Arbor act, hip-hop outfit Team Rezofficial and its release The World (And Everything In It), and blues man Billy Joe Green for his latest release, First Law of the Land, on local label StrongFront Records.

Fresh from September’s sweep the Canadian Country Music Awards, country rocker trio Doc Walker is up for Country Recording of the Year for Beautiful Life. Composer T. Patrick Carrabré is nominated for Classical Composition of the Year for his work, From the Dark Reaches. Sid Rabinovitch and his Songs of Songs is also nominates in that category. Paquin Entertainment’s Gilles Paquin, with Joan Prowse, is up for Music DVD of the Year for Buffy Sainte-Marie’s A MultiMedia Life. Winnipeg blues legend Big Dave McLean and his release, Acoustic Blues – Got ‘Em From The Bottom, is up for Blues Album of the Year.

Former Winnipegger DJ Brace is up for Instrumental Album of the Year for Nostomania, released by Winnipeg-based electronic label Balanced Records. Brandon-born violinist James Ehnes is up for Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber Ensemble for his album, Homages. Expat Christian rock band Starfield is nominated for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for its latest release, I Will Go.

Winners will be declared at the JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards on March 28, and the 2009 JUNO Awards broadcast on CTV on March 29 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, BC.

For a complete list of 2009 JUNO Awards nominees, go to www.junoawards.ca.

2009 JUNO Awards – Manitoba Nominees

ABORIGINAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Billy Joe Green - First Law Of The Land
Tracy Bone - No Lies
Team Rezofficial - The World (And Everything In It)

COUNTRY RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Doc Walker - Beautiful Life

CLASSICAL COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR
T. Patrick Carrabré - From The Dark Reaches
Sid Rabinovitch - Songs of Songs

ROOTS & TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (GROUP)
Chic Gamine -Chic Gamine
The Duhks - Fast Paced World
Twilight Hotel - Highway Prayer

BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Big Dave McLean - Acoustic Blues – Got ‘Em From The Bottom

MUSIC DVD OF THE YEAR
Gilles Paquin, Joan Prowse - A MultiMedia Life (Buffy Sainte-Marie)

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