Artists & Industry from Manitoba Earn Western Canadian Music Awards Nominations

Strong Showings in Songwriter, Francophone, Producer, and Industry Categories
 

The music community in Manitoba is in the spotlight at this year’s Western Canadian Music Awards. Artists and music companies are up for 37 awards in 26 categories that recognize those making a significant impact in Western Canada’s music scene and beyond. 

This year's nominees from Manitoba span genres and sectors with strong showings in categories for Songwriter(s) of the Year, Francophone Artist of the Year, Producer of the Year, and as well as nominees in all six industry categories.

William Prince has three nods including Recording of the Year for Stand in the Joy, Songwriter(s) of the Year for “When You Miss Someone”, and Roots Artist of the Year. 

Leith Ross has earned a nomination for BreakOut Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year for “We'll Never Have Sex”.

Begonia is up for two awards this year, including Pop Artist of the Year and Songwriter(s) of the Year for Alexa Dirks and Matt Peters for “Butterfly” off her latest release, Powder Blue.

Boogey the Beat is nominated for Electronic & Dance Artist of the Year and Producer of the Year.

Ontario transplant Whitehorse is up for Recording of the Year and Country Artist of the Year.

Four artists from Manitoba are vying for Francophone Artist of the year: Andrina Turenne, Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds, Jocelyne Baribeau, and Sala. A double nominee, Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds is also up for R&B Artist of the Year.

Several other categories also have two Manitoba artists up for nominations, including El Leon & The Strangers and Onna Lou for Global Artist of the Year, Jocelyn Gould and Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra for Jazz Artist of the Year, Karl Stobbe and Megumi Masaki for Classical Artist / Ensemble of the Year, and Michael Linton (for Mariel Buckley’s “Neon Blue”) and Ryan Steel (for Begonia’s “Married by Elvis”) for Video Director of the Year.

Other nominees include deadmen (Producer of the Year), Dill the Giant (Rap & Hip Hop Artist of the Year), KEN mode (Metal & Hard Music Artist of the Year), and The Bros. Landreth (Roots Artist of the Year).

Music companies and entrepreneurs have made a strong showing in the industry categories, which include several double nominations. The nominees are Birthday Cake Media (Impact in Artist Development and Impact in Music Marketing), Cam Loeppky (Audio Engineering Award), Good + Plenty Arts Collective (Community Excellence Award), Paquin Artists Agency (Impact in Artist Development and Impact in Live Music), Roberta Landreth (Excellence in Visual Design), and the West End Cultural Centre (Impact in Live Music and Impact in Music Marketing).

Now in its 21st year, the Western Canadian Music Awards celebrate exciting industry and artistic talent coming out of Western Canada. Voting is now open to all members of the music industry associations from the west, including Manitoba Music, SaskMusic, Alberta Music, MusicBC, Music NWT, and Music Yukon, and runs until July 18.

The winners of the 2023 Western Canadian Music Awards and Industry Awards will be announced this fall in Kelowna during BreakOut West, which continues to develop, support and honour the best of Western Canadian music, with its annual conference and music discovery showcase festival, October 11-15, 2023.

2023 WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC AWARDS ARTISTIC NOMINEES

BreakOut Artist of the Year 
Boslen – BC
Katie Tupper – SK
Leith Ross – MB
Mariel Buckley – AB
MAUVEY – BC

Children’s Artist of the Year
Beppie – AB
Ginalina – BC
Ira Pettle – BC
Mom Bop – BC
Will et Seeka – BC  

Classical Artist / Ensemble of the Year 
Karl Stobbe – MB
Krisztina Szabó – BC
Mark Takeshi McGregor – BC
Megumi Masaki – MB
musica intima – BC  

Classical Composer of the Year                     
Christopher Tyler Nickel – Oboe d’amore Quintet, IV. Con fuoco – BC
Jessica McMann – The Bear and the Wild Rose, Home, Muskwas Mountain Home – AB
Katerina Gimon – Borealis, Roots Beneath – BC
T Patrick Carrabré – Transformation, Orpheus 1 – BC
Vincent Ho – Sandman's Castle, R1ddler – AB

Country Artist of the Year                 
Gord Bamford – AB
Hunter Brothers – SK
JoJo Mason – BC
Nice Horse – AB
Whitehorse – MB                     

Electronic & Dance Artist of the Year           
Boogey The Beat – MB
Khanvict – BC
Modern Biology – BC
RUMPUS – SK
The Librarian – BC                    

Francophone Artist of the Year                  
Andrina Turenne – MB
Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds – MB
Jocelyne Baribeau – MB
Sala – MB
Sympa César – AB                      

Global Artist of the Year
Cristian de la Luna – AB
El Leon & The Strangers – MB
Gisela Romero – AB
Onna Lou – MB
Ruby Singh – BC             

Indigenous Artist of the Year
Blue Moon Marquee – BC
Celeigh Cardinal – AB
Jayli Wolf – BC
PIQSIQ – BC
Snotty Nose Rez Kids – BC       

Instrumental Artist of the Year                     
Adam Dobres – BC
Elise Boeur & Adam Iredale-Gray – BC
Glen Gillis – SK
Hello Moth – AB
Jasmine Jazz – BC  

Jazz Artist of the Year           
Chris Andrew – AB
Jocelyn Gould – MB
Melody Diachun – BC
Up and Over Trio – AB
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra – MB               

Metal & Hard Music Artist of the Year                     
Gnarwhal – NT
Grimelda – SK
KEN mode – MB
New Jacobin Club – SK
Osyron – AB    

Pop Artist of the Year           
Begonia – MB
Josh Ramsay – BC
Kaeley Jade – AB
Louise Burns – BC
MAUVEY – BC                 

Producer of the Year             
Boogey The Beat – MB
deadmen – MB
Jill Barber, Erik P. H. Nielsen – BC
Kevvy – BC
Louise Burns – BC            

R&B Artist of the Year
Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds – MB
Katie Tupper – SK
Kuba Oms – BC
Major Funk – YT
ZENON – AB  

Rap & Hip Hop Artist of the Year                   
Arlo Maverick – AB
Boslen – BC
Cartel Madras – AB
Dill the Giant – MB
Snotty Nose Rez Kids – BC             

Recording of the Year
Dear Rouge – BC
MAUVEY – BC
Snotty Nose Rez Kids – BC
Whitehorse – MB
William Prince – MB                       

Rock Artist of the Year
Dan Mangan – BC
Hotel Mira – BC
Kris Anders – BC
The Royal Foundry – AB
The Zolas – BC                       

Roots Artist of the Year             
Jake Vaadeland – SK
Jill Barber – BC
Mariel Buckley – AB
The Bros. Landreth – MB
William Prince – MB                

Songwriter(s) of the Year 
Alexa Dirks and Matt Peters – Begonia, "Butterfly" – MB
Leith Ross – "We'll Never Have Sex" – MB
Ryan Dyck – Skinny Dyck, "TV Blue" – AB
William Prince – "When You Miss Someone" – MB
Young D, Yung Trybez – Snotty Nose Rez Kids, "Hot Planet" – BC

Spiritual Artist of the Year       
Andrea Menard – BC
Cikwes – AB
Dee Daniels – BC
Stirling John – AB
Two Late To The Party – AB                        

Video Director of the Year
Jayli Wolf – "Holding On" – BC
Lester Lyons-Hookham – Dan Mangan, "Fire Escape" – BC
Mayumi Yoshida – "Different Than Before" – BC
Michael Linton – Mariel Buckley, "Neon Blue" – MB
Ryan Steel – Begonia, "Married by Elvis" – MB

2023 WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC AWARDS INDUSTRY NOMINEES

Audio Engineering Award         
Andy Schichter – BC
Cam Loeppky – MB
Eric Cinnamon – AB
Johnny Gasparic – AB
Sheldon Zaharko – BC                        

Community Excellence Award     
Advance Music Canada – BC 
Folk On The Rocks – NT
Good + Plenty Arts Collective – MB
Hitmakerz – NV
National Music Centre – AB                       

Excellence in Visual Design 
Feisty Creative – BC
Lyle Bell – AB
MAUVEY and Bree Laryea – BC
Roberta Landreth – MB
Sonny Assu – BC                     

Impact in Artist Development           
Birthday Cake Media – MB
Chris Wynters – AB
Paquin Artists Agency – MB
Tiny Kingdom – BC
UWIDO – BC    

Impact in Live Music 
Folk On The Rocks – NT
JazzYYC – AB
National Music Centre – AB
Paquin Artists Agency – MB
West End Cultural Centre – MB                

Impact in Music Marketing               
All Good Promotion & Marketing – AB
Birthday Cake Media – MB
Chronograph Records – AB
National Music Centre – AB
West End Cultural Centre – MB