Manitoba Acts Get Juno Nods

Posted on

Four hometown artists have been nominated for the 2007 JUNO Awards, The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced on February 6, making this another strong year for the Manitoba music industry. The 36th Annual Juno Awards will take place on April 2nd in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and will be broadcast nationwide live on CTV.

Internationally-acclaimed Celtic fusion quintet The Duhks is up for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group) for Migrations, its second release on U.S. label Sugar Hill Records. The Duhks brought home a Juno in this category last year. The Duhks also have a nod from the Grammy Awards - which take place on February 11 - for Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Another past winner of the Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group) is also up for the trophy again this year, showing once again that Manitoba roots go deep. Folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys and its sophomore release Firecracker on B.C.’s Jericho Beach Music has received a career-second, after picking up a Juno in 2005 for its debut 40 Days. Firecracker’s Toronto-based producer David Travers-Smith is up for Recording Engineer of the Year for his work specifically on “Prairie Town” and “Devil’s Paintbrush Road.”

Country rock act Doc Walker is up for Country Recording of the Year for its latest self-titled effort. Doc Walker’s album Everyone Aboard was nominated for the same category in 2004.

Christian rock outfit Starfield is up for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for its latest release, Beauty in the Broken. The band picked up a nomination in 2003 for Tumbling After.

Two Manitoba-based record labels are home to nominees this year. Aboriginal music label Arbor Records released Susan Aglukark’s latest effort Blood Red Earth, which is up for Aboriginal Recording of the Year. Singpost Music released Pollyanna’s Attic by Carolyn Arends, which is nominated for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year.

Proving that Manitoba’s a good breeding ground for talent, this is also a good year for ex-pats Chantal Kreviazuk, James Ehnes, and Loreena McKennitt. The three music stars count four major nominations between them, including Single of the Year and Pop Album of the Year for Kreviazuk, Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble) for Ehnes. Neil Young has been nominated for Adult Alternative Album of the Year.

For a complete list of nominees and winners for the 2007 JUNO Awards, please visit www.junoawards.ca.

 

Read more news