Artists & Industry from Manitoba Earn Western Canadian Music Awards Nominations

Strong Showing in Recording of the Year, Songwriter(s) of the Year, BreakOut Artist of the Year, Impact in Artist Development

The music community in Manitoba is in the spotlight at this year’s Western Canadian Music Awards. Artists and music companies are up for 38 awards in 11 categories that recognize those making a significant impact in Western Canada’s music scene and beyond. 

This year's nominees from Manitoba earned four out of five nominations in three major artistic categories including Recording of the Year, Songwriter(s) of the Year, BreakOut Artist of the Year, as well as the industry category for Impact in Artist Development. 

William Prince has earned four nominations including Recording of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, BreakOut Artist of the Year, and Roots Artist of the Year.

Boy Golden is a triple nominee with nods for Songwriter of the Year, Recording of the Year, and BreakOut Artist of the Year.  

Double nominees for artistic categories include Ariel Posen (Recording of the Year, Rock Artist of the Year), Begonia (Songwriters of the Year with Matt Peters and Matt Schellenberg, Recording of the Year), and FONTINE (Indigenous Artist of the Year, Roots Artist of the Year).

Rounding out the artistic nominees are Al Simmons (Children’s Artist of the Year), Apollo Suns (Instrumental Artist of the Year), Don Amero (Country Artist of the Year), Field Guide (BreakOut Artist of the Year), Fire & Smoke (Francophone Artist of the Year), KEN mode (Metal & Hard Music Artist of the Year), Kris Ulrich (Rock Artist of the Year), Lana Winterhalt (Producer of the Year), Micah! (Children’s Artist of the Year), Slow Leaves (BreakOut Artist of the Year), Super Duty Tough Work (Rap & Hip Hop Artist of the Year), and the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (Jazz Artist of the Year), while Dave and Joey Landreth share a nomination for Songwriters of the Year with Alberta-based artist Celeigh Cardinal.

Music companies and entrepreneurs have made a strong showing in the industry categories, which include several double nominations. The West End Cultural Centre is up in four categories including Community Excellence Award, Impact in Artist Development, Impact in Live Music, and Impact in Music Marketing. Double nominees include Birthday Cake Media (Impact in Artist Development, Impact in Music Marketing) and Paquin Artists Agency (Impact in Artist Development, Impact in Live Music). Good + Plenty Arts Collective is up for Community Excellence Award, Misfit Music MGMT is up for Impact in Artist Development, Roberta Landreth is up for Excellence in Visual Design, and Winnipeg-based national organization Women in Music Canada is up for Community Excellence Award.

The winners of the 2024 Western Canadian Music Awards and Industry Awards will be announced this fall in Saskatoon 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, September 25 - 29, 2024. Now in its 22nd year, BreakOut West's five-day career development conference and international industry program offers immersive content, international market deep dives, one-on-one mentor meetings, workshops and more, the conference is a landmark event for both artists and industry alike, looking to gain insight into the ever-changing musical landscape, and make invaluable connections. Featuring the best in emerging talent from across western Canada, as well as select international and Pan-Canadian acts, the 2024 music festival will highlight 50+ artists performing at multiple venues across the host city. 

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 May 26.

2024 Western Canadian Music Awards Artistic Nominees 

Blues Artist of the Year                   
Blue Moon Marquee - BC
Brandon Isaak - BC
Garret T. Willie - BC
Kinjo & Young - AB
Paul Black - BC
                       
BreakOut Artist of the Year (Sponsored By FACTOR)     
Boy Golden - MB
Field Guide - MB
Miesha and The Spanks – AB
Slow Leaves - MB
William Prince - MB
                       
Children’s Artist of the Year                      
Al Simmons - MB
Micah! - MB
Mom Bop - BC
Seeka Sings - AB       
The Zing Zangs  - BC
                       
Classical Artist or Ensemble of the Year (Sponsored By Canadian Music Centre (CMC))
Allegra Chamber Orchestra - BC
Emily Carr String Quartet - BC         
Suzie LeBlanc - BC
UltraViolet - AB
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra - BC
                       
Classical Composer of the Year                 
Dorothy Chang - Fifteen feet Closer to the Sky "All That Glitters" - BC
Emilie Cecilia LeBel - field studies "and the higher leaves of the trees seemed to shimmer in the  last of the sunlight's lingering touch of them" - AB
Farshid Samandari - Light of Lights "Light of Lights" - BC
Jeffrey Ryan - A Left Coast "Everything Already Lost" - BC
Vincent Ho - Cheng² Duo "Horizon Images" - AB
                       
Country Artist of the Year             
Corb Lund - AB
Don Amero - MB
Kalsey Kulyk - AB
Nice Horse - AB
The Prairie States - AB
                       
Electronic & Dance Artist of the Year                  
Kelland - BC
Rose Motion - BC
Ruby Singh - BC
RUMPUS - BC
Talltale - AB
                       
Francophone Artist of the Year (Sponsored by APCM (Association des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique))
Alexis Normand - SK
Beau Nectar -SK
Fire & Smoke - MB
Missy D - BC
Suzie LeBlanc - BC
                       
Global Artist of the Year                
Jocelyn Pettit -BC
Notas de 4 - AB
Rooky Kamiz - SK
Rubim de Toledo - AB
Rumba Calzada - BC
                       
Indigenous Artist of the Year                     
Celeigh Cardinal - AB
FONTINE - MB
Garret T. Willie - BC
Logan Staats - BC
 PIQSIQ - BC
                       
Instrumental Artist of the Year                 
Apollo Suns - MB
Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira - BC
Merrie Klazek - BC
Rubim de Toledo - AB
West of Mabou - SK
                       
Jazz Artist of the Year                    
Angela Verbrugge – BC
Aretha Tillotson - AB
Audrey Ochoa - AB
Daniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra - BC
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra - MB
                       
Metal & Hard Music Artist of the Year                
Fall of Earth - AB
FKA Rayne - BC
KEN mode - MB
LOOK ALIVE - AB
Red Cain - AB
                       
Pop Artist of the Year                     
Haley Blais - BC
Josh Sahunta - AB
Kayla Williams - AB
Kuzi Cee - AB
Michaela Slinger - BC
                       
Producer of the Year                       
Andy Schichter - Park Sound Studio - BC
Lana Winterhalt - MB
Liam Moes & Shane Stephenson - BC
Ryan Dahle - BC
Ryan Worsley - Echoplant Sound - BC
                       
R&B Artist of the Year                   
Emerald Osagie - BC
JJ Adrian - BC
NADUH - BC
Sadé Awele - BC
ZADA - BC
                       
Rap & Hip Hop Artist of the Year             
Arlo Maverick - AB
Junk & Massiah - BC
Mouraine - AB
Super Duty Tough Work - MB
Terell Safadi - BC
                       
Recording of the Year                     
Ariel Posen - MB
Begonia - MB
Boy Golden - MB
Michael Kaeshammer - BC
William Prince - MB
                       
Rock Artist of the Year                   
Ariel Posen - MB
Kris Ulrich - MB
Miesha and The Spanks - AB
Shred Kelly - BC
Whale and the Wolf - AB
                       
Roots Artist of the Year                  
Celeigh Cardinal - AB
FONTINE - MB
Jake Vaadeland - SK
The Dead South - SK
William Prince - MB
                       
Songwriter(s) of the Year (Sponsored By The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN))
Alexa Dirks, Matt Peters and Matthew Schellenberg - Begonia "Butterfly" - MB
Liam Duncan - Boy Golden "For Jimmy" - MB
Celeigh Cardinal, Dave & Joey Landreth "Light of the Moon"  - MB
Logan Staats "A Light In The Attic" - BC
William Prince - "Stand In The Joy" - MB
                       
Spiritual Artist of the Year             
Anastasya Lea - BC
Brian Doerksen - BC
Cynthia Lok - BC
Marika Siewert - BC
Stirling John - AB
                       
Video Director of the Year (Sponsored by Manitoba Film & Music)
Amy Mantyka - Beau Nectar "Two Lips" - SK
Jay Lawrance - Miesha and The Spanks "Unconditional Love In Hi-Fi" - AB
Peter Kominek - VISSIA "Doorway" - AB
Sandy Rossignol - Blue Moon Marquee "Hound Dog On a Chain" - BC
Steve Bays - The Matinee "Cut to Pieces" - BC                 

2024 Western Canadian Music Awards Industry Nominees                                 

Audio Engineering Award              
Andy Schichter - Park Sound Studio - BC
David Ziehr - Echoplant Sound - BC
Neil Cooke-Dallin - Burning Rainbow Studio - BC
Ryan Worsley - Echoplant Sound - BC
Steve Bays - Trophy Club Mgmt  - BC
                       
Community Excellence Award                   
Community Arts Mentorship Program (CAMP) - SK
Good + Plenty Arts Collective - MB
National Music Centre - AB
West End Cultural Centre - MB
Women in Music Canada - MB
                       
Excellence in Visual Design            
Bronwin Parks - Feisty Creative - BC
Keenan Gregory – Kidpixel - AB
Mark Mushet - Mark Mushet Photography - BC
Megan Kwan - Super Sensitive Studios - BC
Roberta Landreth - MB
                       
Impact in Artist Development                    
Birthday Cake Media - MB
Misfit Music MGMT - MB
National Music Centre - AB
Paquin Artists Agency - MB
West End Cultural Centre - MB
                       
Impact in Live Music (Sponsored by Canadian Live Music Association)
King Eddy - AB
Midnight Agency - BC
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
National Music Centre - AB
Phase Management Inc. - BC
West End Cultural Centre - MB