Busy Weekend Lands Seven Awards for Manitoba Acts
It was a busy weekend for Manitoba artists, who picked up seven trophies at two separate awards galas in eastern Canada. Six acts won awards at the 2007 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards in Toronto while one hometown act picked up an award at the third annual Canadian Folk Music Awards in Gatineau.
The CAMAs, now in their ninth year, are held in conjunction with the Canadian Aboriginal Festival, which ran November 30 - December 2, 2007 in Toronto. The awards were handed out at the Rogers Centre on November 30. Fiddler Darren Lavallee, whose album Backroads Fiddlin was released by Manitoba label Sunshine Records, picked up Best Fiddle Album; a category dominated by three Manitoba acts. Singer/songwriter Little Hawk, a.k.a. the Blue Bombers’ Troy Westwood, won Best Folk Album for his latest on Manitoba label Arbor Records, Home and Native Land. Another Arbor release, No Lies, won country singer/songwriter Tracy Bone the Best Female Artist award. Bluesman Slidin’ Clyde Roulette and his band won Best Blues Album for Let’s Take a Ride. Hip-hop outfit Da Skelpa Squad nabbed the Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album for A New Beginning. CIMN Network and Chronic Creative won for Best Album Design for Ryan D’Aoust’s York Boats & Legends.
Over in Gatineau, trophies were handed out on December 1 at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Juno-winning nuCeltic quintet The Duhks landed Best Album (Contemporary). The Duhks were also on hand to perform at the celebrations.
The CAMAs and CFMAs bring to a close another strong year of awards and nominations for Manitoba artists and industry professionals. In 2007, Manitoba landed 129 nominations and 27 wins, including trophies from the Western Canadian Music Awards, Covenant Awards, and the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards.