There is a strong Ottawa contingent among the nominees for the 2018 JUNO Awards.
Back for another kick at the JUNO can is A Tribe Called Red nominated as group of the year. Joining ATCR are: Ottawa-born, Montreal resident Leif Vollenbeck, up for Alternative Album of the Year for Twin Solitude; Kellylee Evans for her album Come On; uOttawa professor and pianist David Jalbert is up for his classical album Stravinsky & Prokofiev: Transcriptions pour piano.
Three Ottawa singers are nominated in the category Classical Album of the Year (Vocal or Choral): Bass-baritone Philippe Sly with John Charles Britton for Schubert Sessions: Lieder with Guitar; countertenor Daniel Taylor with The Trinity Choir for the CD The Tree of Life and bass-baritone Gerald Finley with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra for In the Stream of Life: Songs by Sibelius.
There are more names. The rapper Belly has picked a nomination for his song Mumble Rap; Keshia Chanté is up for R&B/Soul Recording for Unbound 01; Bruce Cockburn caught a nod for his latest album, the first in many years, Bone on Bone; MonkeyJunk is back in the hunt for Blues Album of the Year for Time to Roll; METZ is up for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year and Kobo Town is in the world music category with Where the Galleon Sank.
Two classical commissions by the National Arts Centre have also been nominated for classical composition of the year: Andrew Staniland’s Phi, Caelestis was written for the Alberta Ballet as part of the NAC’s Encount3rs series of new ballets and B.C. composer Jocelyn Morlock’s piece My Name is Amanda Todd was part of NACO’s Life Reflected series of new music.
Perennial art-rock favourite Arcade Fire, a trio of rising star singer-songwriters – Jessie Reyez, Ruth B and Daniel Caesar – as well as the late Gord Downie are among the top nominees this year.
Here are the nominees.
Juno Fan Choice Award:
Jessie Reyez
Shawn Hook
Shawn Mendes
The Weeknd
Theory of a Dead Man
Walk Off the Earth
Justin Bieber
Hedley
Arkells
Alessia Cara
Single of the Year:
Shawn Mendes – “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back”
The Weeknd – “I Feel It Coming” (ft. Daft Punk)
Alessia Cara – “How Far I’ll Go”
Arkells – “Knocking at the Door”
Arcade Fire – “Everything Now”
International Album of the Year:
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
Post Malone – Stoney
Taylor Swift – Reputation
Bruno Mars – 24K Magic
Ed Sheeran – ÷
Album of the Year:
Johnny Reid – Revival
Michael Bublé – Nobody But Me
Ruth B – Safe Haven
Shania Twain – NOW
Arcade Fire – Everything Now
Artist of the Year:
Ruth B
Shania Twain
Gord Downie
Daniel Caesar
Lights
Group of the Year:
A Tribe Called Red
Arcade Fire
Alvvays
Broken Social Scene
Hedley
Breakthrough Artist of the Year:
Jessie Reyez
NAV
Virginia to Vegas
Allan Rayman
Charlotte Cardin
Breakthrough Group of the Year:
James Barker Band
The Beaches
The Dead South
The Franklin Electric
The Jerry Cans
Songwriter of the Year:
Rose Cousins
Scott Helman
Amelia Curran
Gord Downie & Kevin Drew
Charlotte Cardin
Country Album of the Year:
James Barker Band – Game On
Jess Moskaluke – Past the Past
Tim Hicks – Shake These Walls
Dean Brody – Beautiful Freakshow
High Valley – Dear Life
Adult Alternative Album of the Year:
Leif Vollebekk – Twin Solitude
Terra Lightfoot – New Mistakes
Timber Timbre – Sincerely, Future Pollution
Whitehorse – Panther in the Dollhouse
Gord Downie – Introduce Yerself
Alternative Album of the Year:
Land of Talk – Life After Youth
Tanya Tagaq – Retribution
Arcade Fire – Everything Now
Weaves – Wide Open
Alvvays – Antisocialites
Pop Album of the Year:
Lights – Skin & Earth
Ria Mae – My Love
Ruth B – Safe Haven
Scott Helman – Hôtel de Ville
Hedley – Cageless
Rock Album of the Year:
Nickelback – Feed the Machine
The Glorious Sons – Young Beauties and Fools
Theory of a Dead Man – Wake Up Call
Big Wreck – Grace Street
Death From Above – Outrage! Is Now
Vocal Jazz Album of the Year:
Kellylee Evans – Come On
Matt Dusk – Old School Yule!
Michael Kaeshammer – No Filter
Bria Skonberg – With a Twist
Diana Krall – Turn Up the Quiet
Jazz Album of the Year (Solo):
Hilario Durán – Contumbao
Mike Downes – Root Structure
Ralph Bowen – Ralph Bowen
Brad Cheeseman – The Tide Turns
Chet Doxas – Rich in Symbols
Jazz Album of the Year (Group):
Andrew Downing’s Otterville – Otterville
Carn Davidson 9 – Murphy
David Braid, Mike Murley, Anders Morgensen & Johnny Aman – The North
Christine Jensen & Ingrid Jensen – Infinitude
Ernesto Cervini’s Turbopop – Rev
Instrumental Album of the Year:
Kristofer Maddigan – Cuphead
Oktopus – Hapax
Peregrine Falls – Peregrine Falls
Do Make Say Think Stubborn – Persisten Illusions
Five Alarm Funk – Sweat
Francophone Album of the Year:
Klȏ Pelgag – L’étoile thoracique
Pierre Lapointe – La science du coeur
Patrice Michaud – Almanach
Alex Nevsky – Nos Eldorados
Daniel Bélanger – Paloma
Children’s Album of the Year:
The Moblees – The Moblees (Songs from the Hit TV Show)
Splash’N Boots – Love, Kisses and Hugs
Big Block Singsong – Greatest Hits, Vol. 3
Bobs & LoLo – Blue Skies
Fred Penner – Hear the Music
Classical Album of the Year (Solo or Chamber Ensemble):
David Jalbert – Stravinsky & Prokofiev: Transcriptions pour piano
James Ehnes with Andrew Armstrong – Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Nos. 6 & 9 ‘Kreutzer’
Janina Fialkowska – Chopin Recital 3
Louis Lortie – Louis Lortie Plays Chopin, Vol. 5
ARC Ensemble – Chamber Works by Szymon Laks
Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble):
James Ehnes with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra – Beethoven & Schubert: Violin Concerto
Jan Lisiecki with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester – Chopin: Works for Piano & Orchestra
Johannes Moser with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande – Elgar & Tchaikovsky
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra & Nunavut Sivuniksavut Performers – The Shaman & Arctic Symphony
Arion Orchestre Baroque – Rebelles Baroques
Classical Album of the Year (Vocal or Choral):
Isabel Bayrakdarian with Coro Vox Aeterna – Mother of Light: Armenian hymns & chants in praise of Mary
Philippe Sly & John Charles Britton – Schubert Sessions: Lieder with Guitar
Barbara Hannigan with Ludwig Orchestra – Crazy Girl Crazy
Daniel Taylor with The Trinity Choir – The Tree of Life
Gerald Finley with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra – In the Stream of Life: Songs by Sibelius
Classical Composition of the Year:
Andrew Staniland – Phi, Caelestis
James Rolfe – Breathe
Jocelyn Morlock – My Name is Amanda Todd
Vincent Ho – The Shaman
Alice Ping Yee Ho – Cœur à Cœur
Rap Recording of the Year:
Maestro Fresh Wes – “Coach Fresh”
Lou Phelps – “001: Experiments”
Tory Lanez – “Shooters”
Belly – “Mumble Rap”
Clairmont The Second – “Lil Mont from the Ave”
Dance Recording of the Year:
KAPRI – “Deeper”
Nick Fiorucci – “Closer” ft. Laurell
Sultan + Shepard – “Almost Home” ft. Nadia Ali & Iro
Felix Cartal – “Get What You Give”
DVBBS – “Not Going Home” ft. Gia Koka & CMC$
R&B/Soul Recording of the Year:
Jahkoy – Foreign Water
Jessie Reyez – Kiddo
Jhyve – Human
Keshia Chanté – Unbound 01
Daniel Caesar – Freudian
Reggae Recording of the Year:
Kirk Diamond – “Greater”
Kreesha Turner & K’Coneil – “Love How You Whine”
Ammoye – “The Light”
Blessed – “Hold Up Slow Down”
Eyesus – “Neva Judge”
Indigenous Music Album of the Year:
Indian City – Here & Now
Iskwé – The Fight Within
Kelly Fraser – Sedna
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Medicine Songs
Contemporary Roots Album of the Year:
The Jerry Cans – Inuusiq
The Weather Station – The Weather Station
Amelia Curran – Watershed
Bruce Cockburn – Bone on Bone
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Medicine Songs
Traditional Roots Album of the Year:
Jayme Stone – Jayme Stone’s Folklife
The East Pointers – What We Leave Behind
The Dead South – Illusion & Doubt
Cassie and Maggie – The Willow Connection
Còig – Rove
Blues Album of the Year:
MonkeyJunk – Time to Roll
Steve Strongman – No Time Like Now
Williams, Wayne & Isaak – Big City, Back Country Blues
Big Dave McLean – Better the Devil You Know
Downchild – Something I’ve Done
Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year:
Jon Neufeld – We Are Free
Love & the Outcome – These Are the Days
Manafest – Stones
Matt Maher – Echoes
The Color – First Day of My Life
World Music Album of the Year:
Beny Esguerra and New Tradition – A New Tradition Vol. 2: Return of the KUISi
Kobo Town – Where the Galleon Sank
Autorickshaw – Meter
Battle of Santiago – La Migra
Briga – Femme
Jack Richardson Producer of the Year:
Jordan Evans & Matthew Burnett (“Get You ft. Kali Uchis”, “We Find Love” – Freudian by Daniel Caesar)
Thomas “Tawgs” Salter (“PDA” – Hôtel de Ville by Scott Helman, “Electric Love” [co-producer Mike Wise] – Utopia by Serena Ryder)
Brian Howes & Jason Van Poederooyen (“Better Days” [co-producer Jacob Hoggard] – Cageless by Hedley, “The Drugs” [co-producer Ryan Guldemond] – No Culture by Mother Mother)
Felix Cartal (“Get What You Give” – Get What You Give by Felix Cartal, “Drifting Away” – Drifting Away by Felix Cartal)
Diana Krall (“L-O-V-E”, “Night and Day” [co-producer Tommy Lipuma] – Turn Up the Quiet by Diana Krall)
Recording Engineer of the Year:
Riley Bell
Shawn Everett
Ben Kaplan
Eric Ratz
Gus van Go
Album Artwork of the Year:
The Lost Fingers – Coconut Christmas
Esmerine – Mechanics of Dominion
Daniel Caesar – Freudian
Do Make Say Think – Stubborn Persistent Illusions
Arcade Fire – Everything Now
Video of the Year:
Leonard Cohen – “Leaving the Table” (Christopher Mills)
Mother Mother – “The Drugs” (Emma Higgins)
Grimes – “Venus Fly” (Grimes)
Jessie Reyez – “Gatekeeper” (Peter Huang)
Arkells – “Knocking at the Door” (Shane Cunningham & Mark Myers)
Electronic Album of the Year:
Kid Koala – Music to Draw To: Satellite
Rezz – Mass Manipulation
Blue Hawaii – Tenderness
CRi – Someone Else
Dabin – Two Hearts
Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year:
Longhouse – II: Vanishing
METZ – Strange Peace
Striker – Striker
Anciients – Voice of the Void
Archspire – Relentless Mutation
Adult Contemporary Album of the Year:
Johnny Reid – Revival
Michael Bublé – Nobody But Me
Nuela Charles – The Grand Hustle
The Tenors – Christmas Together
Alysha Brilla – Rooted
Comedy Album of the Year:
Ivan Decker – I Wanted to Be a Dinosaur
K. Trevor Wilson – Sorry! (A Canadian Album)
Rebecca Kohler – In Living Kohler
Charlie Demers – Fatherhood
DJ Demers – [Indistinct Chatter]
