Strong Ottawa showing in this year’s JUNO nominations

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]

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Peter Robb began his connection with the arts community in Ottawa in the mid-1980s when he was the administrator and public relations director of the Great Canadian Theatre Company. After a long career in journalism with the Ottawa Citizen where he served in a number of different posts he returned to the arts when he became the Citizen's arts editor.