Artists From Manitoba Land Nominations for The 2024 JUNO Awards

Posted on February 6, 2024

Clockwise from top left: Begonia, Jocelyn Gould, KEN mode, Zoon, William Prince, Leith Ross

Artists Earn Honours in Songwriter of the Year, Adult Alternative, Alternative, Metal/Hard Music, and more

Artists from Manitoba are strong contenders for top honours in 10 categories at the 2024 JUNO Awards. The nominees for the 53rd annual awards were announced by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) on February 6.

Internationally renowned singer/songwriter William Prince is a double nominee this year with nods for the prestigious Songwriter of the Year and for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year for his latest release, Stand in the Joy (Six Shooter Records). These are Prince’s fourth and fifth career nominations. He won for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year in 2017.

Pop powerhouse Begonia has earned her second JUNO Award nomination, following up her Polaris Music Prize shortlist spot, with a nod for Adult Alternative Album of the Year for Powder Blue (Birthday Cake). Begonia was nominated in this category in 2021.

Ottawa-born, Manitoba-based songwriter, singer, and artist Leith Ross is up for their first JUNO with a nomination for Alternative Album of the Year for their full-length debut, To Learn (Republic/UMG).

Alternative metal outfit KEN mode has earned its fifth career nomination for Metal/hard Music Album of the Year for their latest release, Void (Artoffact). They previously won in 2012.

Guitarist and composer Jocelyn Gould has picked up her second JUNO nomination this year for Jazz Album of the Year: Solo for Sonic Bouquet (Independent), following up her 2021 win in this category.

Shoegaze band Zoon from Hamilton, featuring Daniel Monkman, is up for Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year for the Polaris long-listed Bekka Ma'iingan (Paper Bag Records). Monkman was up for Alternative Album of the Year in 2023 as part of duo OMBIIGIZI.

Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's Composer-In-Residence and Co-Curator of the WSO's Winnipeg New Music Festival, has been nominated for Instrumental Recording of the Year for Calibrating Friction (New Amsterdam*Naxos)/

Brandon-born violinist James Ehnes has added to his impressive record with two nominations this year for Classical Album of the Year (solo artist) for Nielsen: Violin Concerto, Symphony No. 4, and Classical Album of the Year (small ensemble) for Mythes with Andrew Armstrong. This brings Ehnes’ nominations to 31 and 11 wins.

Winnipeg-based music company Birthday Cake Media is well-represented this year with nods for Begonia (label and management) and Leith Ross (management)

Winners will be announced at the 2024 JUNO Awards on March 24 from the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. For a complete list of nominees, go to junoawards.ca.