Manitoba Lands 43 Nominations for Ninth Annual Western Canadian Music Awards

Manitoba is a force to be reckoned with at this year’s Western Canadian Music Awards, landing an impressive 43 nominations in 25 categories for the ninth annual celebration of music from the western provinces and territories. Once again, homegrown talent dominates the two roots categories and snaps up three spots in the pop category, as well as double nominations in the Aboriginal, Francophone, instrumental, country, independent album, songwriter, and classical categories.

 

Nominees for roots awards include Juno Award-winners The Wailin’ Jennys and Chic Gamine, and Juno nominees Ruth Moody, Del Barber, and Romi Mayes. Barber and Chic Gamine are also up for Independent Album of the year, while Mayes joins Christine Fellows for a Songwriter of the Year nod. B.C.-based Fish & Bird, which includes Manitoba banjoist Taylor Ashton, is also nominated for a roots award.

 

Manitoba also has a strong showing in this year’s pop category, with nods for Polaris Music Prize long-listers Imaginary Cities, indie favourites The Liptonians, and chart-topping Sony/Nettwerk duo Ash Koley.  

Other nominees include Don Amero and Eagle & Hawk' Vince Fontaine for Aboriginal Recording of the Year, gomie and Ridley Bent for Country Recording of the Year, KIN and Les Surveillantes for Francophone Recording of the Year, Jaylene Johnson for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Recording of the Year, Michelle Grégoire for Jazz Recording of the Year, Karrrnel & Koulack and Richard Moody for Instrumental Recording of the Year, The Happy Unfortunate for Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year, Trio Bembe for World Music Recording of the Year, Robert Turner for Classical Composition of the Year, Brent Parkin for Blues Recording of the Year, and Diana McIntosh is a double nominee in the classical categories. 

Manitoba is also well represented at this year’s Industry Awards, with 15 nominations for local industry professionals and music companies. Designer Ron Sawchuck has three nods in Best Album Design, for releases by The Wailin’ Jennys, Richard Moody, and Ruth Moody. An Industry Builder Award winner in 2009, 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 Empirical Artist Services’ Stephen Carroll (The Weakerthans, Imaginary Cities) for Manager of the Year, West End Cultural Centre for Venue of the Year, Arun Chaturvedi for Producer of the Year, Cameron Loeppky and Carlin Lemon for Engineer of the Year, Winnipeg Folk Festival’s Chris Frayer and Foundation Concerts’ Brent Oliver for Talent Buyer of the Year, Head In The Sand for Independent Record Label of the Year, Low Budget Productions’ television series Live at the West End and Christine Fellows’ performance film Reliquary/Reliquaire for Multi Media.

 

In 2011, the WCMAs make their first appearance in Whitehorse, Yukon. The annual awards gala heads to the Yukon Arts Centre on October 23, when winners in all 28 artistic categories will be announced. Industry winners will be named at a brunch on October 22 at The Westmark Hotel.

 

The awards gala is the pinnacle event of BreakOut West -- held October 20 to 23, 2011. The event features a conference and three-day music festival with 50 showcasing acts in addition to the two awards shows. BreakOut West presents 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.

 
2011 Western Canadian Music Awards – manitoba nominees

Artistic Nominees 

ABORIGINAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Don Amero – The Long Way Home
Vince Fontaine – Songs For Turtle Island 

BLUES RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Brent Parkin – Vintage Rhythm 

CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Jaylene Johnson – Happiness 

CLASSICAL COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR
Diana McIntosh – Pinnacles
Robert Turner – Suite for Harp 

CLASSICAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Diana McIntosh – Pinnacles 

COUNTRY RECORDING OF THE YEAR
gomie – You Are Here
Ridley Bent – Rabbit On My Wheel 

FRANCOPHONE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
KIN – KIN
Les Surveillantes – La racine carrée du coeur 

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Karrnnel & Koulack – Fiddle & Banjo
Richard Moody – Woodcuts 

JAZZ RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Michelle Grégoire – Diversity

POP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Ash Koley – Inventions
Imaginary Cities – Temporary Resident
The Liptonians – Let's All March Back Into the Sea

RAP/HIP HOP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
The Happy Unfortunate – No Time To Sleep 

ROOTS DUO/GROUP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Chic Gamine – City City
The Wailin' Jennys – Bright Morning Stars 

ROOTS SOLO RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Del Barber – Love Songs For The Last Twenty
Romi Mayes – Lucky Tonight
Ruth Moody – The Garden 

WORLD RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Trio Bembe – Oh My Soul 

INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Chic Gamine – City City
Del Barber – Love Songs For The Last Twenty 

SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR
Christine Fellows – “Mlle. Steno”
Romi Mayes – “Ball and Chain” 

Industry Nominees 

AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Paquin Entertainment Group 

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Arun Chaturvedi 

ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Cameron Loeppky
Carlin Lemon 

MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Gilles Paquin – Paquin Entertainment Group
Stephen Carroll – Empirical Artist Services

TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR
Chris Frayer – Winnipeg Folk Festival
Brent Oliver – Foundation Concerts

LIVE MUSIC VENUE OF THE YEAR
West End Cultural Centre 

INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL
Head In The Sand 

BEST ALBUM DESIGN
Ron Sawchuk – Bright Morning Stars (The Wailin’ Jennys)
Ron Sawchuk – The Garden (Ruth Moody)
Ron Sawchuk – Woodcuts (Richard Moody)

MULTI-MEDIA AWARD
Reliquary/Reliquaire – Performance Film (Christine Fellows)
Live at the West End – Television Show by Johnny Marlow (Low Budget Productions)

For a complete list of 2011 WCMA nominees, please visit www.breakoutwest.ca.