Manitoba Acts and Industry Land 35 Western Canadian Music Award Nominations

When the envelopes are opened at the Western Canadian Music Awards this fall, Manitoba artists and industry will have 35 chances to hear their names called. The annual awards gala heads to Kelowna on October 24, when winners in 28 artistic and industry categories will be announced. Manitoba accounts for 34 nominations in 22 different categories, 20 of which are artistic awards. For first time in its eight-year history, the WCMAs will be broadcast nationally on CBC Television and Radio Canada.

Rock poets The Weakerthans lead with three nominations, including artistic nods for Rock Recording of the Year and Songwriters of the Year for their live effort, Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre. Acclaimed singer/songwriter trio The Wailin’ Jennys landed two nods for its own live recording, Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House, including Roots Duo/Group Recording of the Year.

Local acts dominate the Rap/Hip Hop and Francophone categories, with three nominations in each. Last year’s winner Grand Analog, and first-time nominees Magnum K.I. and The Lytics are up for Rap/Hip Hop Recording of the Year. Children’s acts Madame Diva and LuLu et le Matou, and Manitoba-born, Montreal-based singer/songwriter Geneviève Toupin have nods for Francophone Recording of the Year.

Homegrown country favourite Doc Walker, also up for Songwriter of the Year, is vying to keep the Country Recording of the Year hardware for yet another year while singer/songwriter Del Barber and pianist Will Bonness try to pick up a Roots Solo Recording of the Year Award and Jazz Recording of the Year, respectively, for their debut releases.

Rock band Eagle & Hawk is no doubt hoping to follow up last year’s win for Aboriginal Recording of the Year, facing competition from fellow-Manitoba rock act, Lost Priority. Past winner Fresh I.E. is up against Amanda Falk for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Recording of the Year. Other artistic nominees from Manitoba include Quinzy for Pop Recording of Year, Maiko Watson for Urban Recording of the Year, Casimiro Nhussi for World Recording of the Year, and Sid Robinovitch for Classical Recording of the Year.

Industry professionals from Manitoba are also a force at this year’s Industry Awards, to be held at a brunch on October 23. Manitoba may get a reputation for having the best looking albums after snagging five out of six nods for Best Album Design of the Year, including releases by The Weakerthans, The Wailin’ Jennys, Patrick Keenan, Oh My Darling, and Del Barber. Last year’s Industry Builder winner Gilles Paquin and his company Paquin Entertainment Group are once again up for Manager of the Year and Agency of the Year.

Other industry nominees include Weakerthans guitarist/manager Stephen Carroll for Manager of the Year, West End Cultural Centre for Venue of the Year, Mike Petkau for Engineer of the Year, Paradise Alley Productions’ Dale Penner for Producer of the Year, Winnipeg Folk Festival’s Chris Frayer for Talent Buyer of the Year, Aboriginal music label Arbor Records for Independent Recording Label of the Year, and Low Budget Productions for Multi Media for its television series, Live at the West End.

The awards gala is the pinnacle event of the newly renamed BreakOut West -- held October 21 to 24, 2010 in Kelowna. Formerly known as Western Canadian Music Week, the eighth annual event features a conference and three-day music festival with 50 showcasing acts in addition to the two awards shows. 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.

For a complete list of 2010 WCMA nominees, please visit www.breakoutwest.ca.

2010 WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC AWARDS – MANITOBA NOMINEES

Artistic Nominees

ABORIGINAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Eagle & Hawk – The Great Unknown
Lost Priority – All That We Are

CLASSICAL COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR
Sid Robinovitch – Adieu Babylon

CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Amanda Falk – In Between the Now & Then
Fresh I.E. – Inside

COUNTRY RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Doc Walker – Go

FRANCOPHONE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Geneviève Toupin – Geneviève Toupin
LuLu et le Matou – Le dragon Gaston
Madame Diva – Madame Diva

JAZZ RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Will Bonness – Subtle Fire

POP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Quinzy – Self-Defense

RAP/HIP HOP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Grand Analog – Metropolis Is Burning
Magnum K.I. – Magnum K.I.
The Lytics – The Lytics

ROCK RECORDING OF THE YEAR
The Weakerthans – Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre

ROOTS DUO/GROUP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
The Wailin' Jennys – Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House

ROOTS SOLO RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Del Barber – Where the City Ends

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
The Weakerthans (John K. Samson and The Weakerthans)
Doc Walker (Chris Thorsteinson, Dave Wasyliw, and Murray Pulver)

URBAN RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Maiko  Watson – Sweet Vibration

WORLD RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Casimiro Nhussi – Makonde

Industry Nominees

AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Paquin Entertainment
   
BEST ALBUM DESIGN OF THE YEAR
Brooke Nelson – Where the City Ends (Del Barber)
Craig Medwyduk (Guppy Design ) – In The Lonesome Hours (Oh My Darling)
Michael Carroll and Greg Smith – Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre (The Weakerthans)
Michelle Zieske – Washed Out Roads (Patrick Keenan)
Ron Sawchuk – Live At The Mauch Chunk Opera House (The Wailin' Jennys)

ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Mike Petkau

INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR
Arbor Records

LIVE MUSIC VENUE OF THE YEAR
West End Cultural Centre

MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Gilles Paquin
Stephen Carroll

MULTI MEDIA
“Live At The West End” video by Low Budget Productions

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Dale Penner

TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR
Chris Frayer