Manitoba's Juno Nominees Head to Toronto for 40th Annual Festivities

Four acts will be on stage to showcase Manitoba’s incredible talent when the music industry hits Toronto this weekend for the 2011 JUNO Awards. Chic Gamine, Del Barber, Little Hawk, and Eagle & Hawk -- who are all nominated for coveted Juno Awards this year -- are set to perform at the two-day JunoFest event for fans and industry big wigs, as well as attend the awards gala for a chance to hear their names called. 

Five Manitoba acts are up for hardware at the 40th annual awards celebration, which takes place on March 27 at the Air Canada Centre and will be broadcast live on CTV. This year’s Manitoba nominees are a testament to the strength and diversity of Manitoba’s roots and Aboriginal music communities. Three Juno nods went to acts in roots/traditional categories while locals took two spots in the Aboriginal category. 

Soul/folk quintet Chic Gamine, which picked up a Juno in 2009 for its self-titled debut, is once again up for Roots/Traditional Album of the Year (Group), this time for sophomore release City City. Relative newcomer Del Barber is also up for Roots/Traditional Album of the Year (Solo) for his second album, Love Songs for the Last Twenty. A nominee in 2008, singer/songwriter Little Hawk, aka Troy Westwood, is up for Aboriginal Album of the Year for his latest release, Vigilance. Unable to take part in the Juno fun due to her touring schedule with chart-topping roots trio The Wailin’ Jennys, singer/songwriter Ruth Moody’s solo effort, The Garden, is up for Roots/Traditional Album of the Year (Solo). 

Rock outfit Eagle & Hawk, which is up for Aboriginal Album of the Year for The Great Unknown, will be in Toronto for two days of showcasing and workshops as part of the Native America North project. Produced by Manitoba Music through its Aboriginal Music Program and the Canada Council for the Arts, the project supports Aboriginal artists from across Canada by providing professional development and showcasing opportunities during music industry events like the Junos. The first installment of Native American North took place at the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals annual conference in Ottawa. The Juno event, which will connect the artists to influential managers, agents, publicists, and media, also features acclaimed Canadian recording acts Leela Gilday, Digging Roots, Cris Derksen, and Christa Couture.

MANITOBA AT THE JUNOS

MARCH 24
Eagle & Hawk @ The Rivoli | 8:10pm & 11:00pm (Native America North Showcase)

MARCH 25
Chic Gamine @ El Mocambo | 11pm
Del Barber @ Dakota Tavern | 11pm

MARCH 26
Little Hawk @ The Rivoli | 9:45pm