For the last couple of years I’ve been enjoying adding several award show nominations and winner rundowns to the context of our narratives and in a quest to keep bringing you some interesting stuff here on “The Chronicles” I’ve added the Canadian Juno Awards to the mix. These nominations were recently revealed by the folks over at the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and they celebrate artists from Canada. I felt that this inclusion would be a fun change of pace and let us reach even more people than before. Let’s take a look at the nominations.

JUNO Fan Choice Award:
Avril Lavigne (BMG*ADA)
Alessia Cara (Universal)
Bulow (Universal)
Elijah Woods, Jamie Fine (Big Machine/Universal)
Killy (Secret Sound Club, Independent)
Loud Luxury (Armada Music B.V. Sony NAV XO Universal)
Shawn Mendes (Universal)
The Weeknd (Universal)
Tory Lanez (Interscope, Universal)

Single of the Year:
“In My Blood” Shawn Mendes (Universal)
“Growing Pains” Alessia Cara (Universal)
“Not A Love Song” Bulow (Universal)
“Body” Loud Luxury” (Armada Music B.V. Sony)
“Pray For Me” The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar (Top Dawg Ent Universal)

International Album of the Year:
Beerbongs & Bentleys Post Malone (Universal)
Camila Camila Cabello (Sony)
Invasion of Privacy Cardi B (Atlantic Warner)
Red Pill Blues Maroon 5 (Universal)
Astroworld Travis Scott (Sony)

Album of the Year:
Shawn Mendes Shawn Mendes (Universal)
My Dear Melancholy, The Weeknd (Universal)
Darlene, Hubert Lenoir (Simone Select)
These Are the Days Jann Arden, (Universal)
Outsider Three Days Grace (RCA Sony)

Artist of the Year:
Shawn Mendes (Universal)
Alessia Cara (Universa)
Michael Bublee (Warner)
The Weeknd (Universal)
Tory Lanez (Interscope Universal)

Group of the Year:
Arkells (Universal)
Chromeo (Last Gang Entertainment One)
Metric (Metric Music Universal)
The Sheepdogs (Warner)
Three Days Grace (RCA Sony)

Breakthrough Artist of the Year:
Bulow (Universal)
Grandson (Warner)
Johnny Orlando (Universal)
Killy (Secret Sound Club Independent)
Meghan Patrick (Warner)

Breakthrough Group of the Year:
The Washboard Union (Warner)
88Glam (XO Universal)
Dizzy (Royal Mountain Universal)
Elijah Woods, Jamie Fine (Big Machine/Universal)
Loud Luxury (Armada Music B.V. Sony)

Songwriter of the Year:
Shawn Mendes, “Lost In Japan”
Afie Jurvanen, “No Wrong,” “Way With Words,” “Any Place”
Donovan Woods, “Our Friend Bobby,” “Truck Full of Money,” “Next Year”
Frank Dukes, “Be Careful”
Jessie Reyez, “Promises”

Country Album of the Year:
We Were That Song Brett Kissel (Warner)
A Small Town Christmas Jess Moskaluke (MDM Universal)
Country Music Made Me Do It Meghan Patrick (Warner)
Feels Like That The Reklaws (Universal)
New Tattoo Tim Hicks (Open Road Universal)

Adult Alternative Album of the Year:
Earthtones Bahamas (Universal)
More Or Less Dan Mangan (Arts & Crafts Universal)
Gabrielle Shonk Gabrielle Shonk (Universal)
Blood Rhye (Last Gang, eOne)
Queens Of The Breakers The Barr Brothers (Secret City Cadence)

Alternative Album of the Year:
Baby Teeth Dizzy Royal (Mountain Universal)
Ken Destroyer (Merge F.A.B./Merge)
Dose Your Dreams Fucked Up (Arts & Crafts Universal)
TPC Tokyo Police Club (Dine Alone Universal)
In A Poem Unlimited U.S. Girls (Royal Mountain Universal)

Pop Album of the Year:
Shawn Mendes Shawn Mendes (Universal)
Damaged Bulow (Universal)
Head Over Heels Chromeo (Last Gang eOne)
Darlene Hubert Lenoir (Simone Select)
Intuition Tyler Shaw (Sony)

Rock Album of the Year:
Rally Cry Arkells (Arkells Universal)
True Rockers Monster Truck (Dine Alone Universal)
Changing Colours The Sheepdogs (Warner)
Civilianaires The Trews (Cadence Universal)
Outsider Three Days Grace (RCA Sony)

Vocal Jazz Album of the Year:
Laila Biali Laila Biali (Chronograph Fontana North/Universal)
Sun Songs Jodi Proznick ft. Laila Biali (Cellar Live MVD)
Love Is Here To Stay Diana Krall, Tony Bennett (Universal)
Solstice/equinox Diana Panton (Independent Independent)
Holly Holly Cole (Universal)

Jazz Album of the Year: Solo:
Old Soul Robi Botos (A440 Universal)
Sandstorm Alexis Baro (G-THREE Independent)
So Here We Are Alison Young (Triplet Independent/The Orchard)
In the Moment Larnell Lewis (Independent)
Beloved of the Sky Renee Rosnes (Smoke Sessions Sony)

Jazz Album of the Year: Group:
The Seasons of Being Andy Milne & Dapp Theory (Sunnyside AMPED/AEC/eOne)
Wander Wonder Allison Au Quartet (Independent)
Atwood Suites Andrew Rathbun Large Ensemble (Origin City Hall/The Orchard)
Live at U of T Liebman/Murley Quartet (Independent)
Path of Totality Quinsin Nachoff’s Flux (WhirlwindProper Music/Red Eye)

Instrumental Album of the Year:
China Cloud Gordon Grdina (Madic Independent/Universal)
Group Manoeuvre Aerialists (Fiddlehead Independent)
Johnny Goldtooth and The Chevy Casanovas Kevin Breit (Stony Plain Warner)
Live from the Art Farm The Fretless (Independent)
The Space Between Us Toninato/ Thiessen (Ambiances Magnetiques Independent)

Francophone Album of the Year:
Une anne?e record Loud (Joy Ride Universal)
en cas de tempe?te, ce jardin sera ferme? Cœur de pirate (Dare To Care Select/Believe)
Darlene Hubert Lenoir (Simone Select)
Le silence des troupeaux Philippe Brach (Spectra Select)
Desherbage Tire le coyote (Les disques de La Tribu Select)

Children’s Album of the Year:
You, Me and the Sea Splash’N Boots (Independent Fontana North/Universal)
Let’s Go Bananas Beppie (Independent)
It Takes a Village Ginalina (Independent)
Dog on the Floor Raffi (Troubadour Universal)
It’s Cool To Be Kind Sonshine and Broccoli (Independent)

Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber:
The End of Flowers: Works by Clarke & Ravel Gryphon Trio (Analekta Select/The Orchard)
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Nos. 6, 7 & 8 Andrew Wan, Charles Richard-Hamelin (Analekta Select/The Orchard)
Scarlatti: Sonatas Vol.2 Angela Hewitt (Hyperion Sony)
Ravel & Debussy: Sonates Blake Pouliot, with Hsin-I Huang (Analekta Select/The Orchard)
Schubert: Piano Sonata in B Flat Major D.960; Four Impromptus D.935 Marc-Andre? Hamelin (Hyperion Sony)

Classical Album of the Year: Large Ensemble:
Vaughan Williams Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Chandos Naxos)
New Worlds/Nouveaux Mondes Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (Analekta Select/The Orchard)
Newton Howard & Kernis: Violin Concertos; Tovey: Stream of Limelight James Ehnes, with Seattle Symphony and Detroit Symphony Orchestra (OnyxHM)
Saint-Sae?ns: Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2 and 4 Louis Lortie, with BBC Philharmonic (Chandos Naxos)
Into the Wonder Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, with Gryphon Trio (Analekta)

Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance:
Vienna: Fin de sie?cle Barbara Hannigan (Alpha Naxos)
Bernstein: A Quiet Place Choeur de l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal (Universal)
David Braid: Corona Divinae Misericordiae Elmer Iseler Singers (K52 Independent)
Echo Joyce El-Khoury (Opera Rara Warner)
Ayre: Live Miriam Khalil (Against the Grain Records Independent)

Classical Composition of the Year:
Golden Slumbers Kiss your Eyes Ana Sokolovic? (Analekta Select/The Orchard)
Granitic Bekah Simms (Centrediscs Naxos)
About Bach Cassandra Miller (Another Timbre Independent)
Katana of Choice Nicole Lizee, (Redshift Canadian Music Centre)
Arctic Symphony Vincent Ho (Centrediscs Naxos)

Rap Recording of the Year:
LoVE me NOw Tory Lanez (Interscope Universal)
88Glam Reloaded 88Glam (XO Universal)
Immigrant Belly (Roc Nation Universal)
Surrender Your Soul Killy (Secret Sound Club Independent)
Reckless NAV (XO Universal)

Dance Recording of the Year:
Body Loud Luxury (Armada Music B.V Sony)
Gotasoul Azari (Get Physical Indeependant/Zebralution)
Jackie Chan (ft. Preme & Post Malone) Dzeko & Tie?sto (Universal)
Avatar Beach Jacques Greene (Arts & Crafts Universal)
Cura Keys N Krates (Keys N Krates Dim Mak)

R&B/Soul Recording of the Year:
Being Human In Public Jessie Reyez (Universal)
Twos Anders (Independent)
Pain & Pleasure Black Atlass (XO Universal)
Stone Woman Charlotte Day Wilson (Charlotte Day Wilson eOne)
My Dear Melancholy, The Weeknd (The Weeknd XO Universal)

Reggae Recording of the Year:
Sly & Robbie meet Dubmatix – Overdubbed (Dubmatix Echo Beach*Fontana North/Universal/The Orchard)
Money Don’t Grow Pon Trees Blessed (Walshy Fire & The Expanders Independent/Zojak)
Genesis Chelsea Stewart (Baby Momma Independent)
Narrative Exco Levi (Sillywalks and Irie Vibrations Warner)
Talk Or No Talk Kafinal ft. Queen Ifrica (Sing N Act Ent Independent)

Indigenous Music Album of the Year:
Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa Jeremy Dutcher (Independent Fontana North/Universal)
The Ballad of the Runaway Girl Elisapie (Bonsound Sony)
Standing in the Light Leonard Sumner (Broken Reel Independent)
Nitisanak – Brothers and Sister Northern Cree (Canyon Outside/A-Train)
The Average Savage Snotty Nose (Rez Kids RPM Independent)

Contemporary Roots Album of the Year:
Both Ways Donovan Woods (Meant Well Fontana North/Universal Grenades Kaia Kater Acronym Universal)
In Our Time AHI (Thirty Tigers/22nd Sentry Sony)
Seeker Megan Nash (Acronym Universal)
Yarrow The Deep Dark Woods (Six Shooter Universal)

Traditional Roots Album of the Year:
Sweet Old Religion Pharis and Jason Romero (Borealis Fontana North/Universal/Free Dirt)
The Broken Heart of Everything David Francey (Independent)
Queen City Jubilee The Slocan Ramblers (SloMusic Independent)
Fifteen The Wailin’ Jennys (True North Records)
Horizons Vishten (Independent Select)

Blues Album of the Year:
Miles To Go Colin James (True North IDLA/Universal)
Checkmate Jack de Keyzer (blue star Independent)
Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues Myles Goodwyn (Linus IDLA/Universal)
Run To Me Samantha Martin, Delta Sugar (Gypsy Soul Fontana North/Universal)
The Ice Queen Sue Foley (Stony Plain Warner)

Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year:
Tired Of Basic Lovecollide (ABS Entertainment The Fuel Music)
Grateful Brian Doerksen (Doerksen Music Parasource/The Orchard)
Into the Wild Manic Drive (Independent)
The Buffalo Roadshow Tim Neufeld & The Glory Boys (Independent)
Speak Warren Dean Flandez (Studio Cloud 30 Independent)

World Music Album of the Year:
Rapadou Kreyol Wesli (WUP Select)
Zoubida Ayrad (Les Faux-Monnayeurs Select)
San Cristobal Baile Inn Boogat (Maisonnette*Outside/ Believe Digital)
Naath Emmanuel Jal and Nyaruach (Gatwitch The Orchard)
Fuerza Arara Telmary y Habana Sana (Producciones Colibri Altafonte)

Jack Richardson Producer of the Year:
Eric Ratz,” People’s Champ,” “Relentless”
David Foster and Michael Buble, “My Funny Valentine,” “Where or When”
Greg Wells, “Waving Through a Window”
Mike Wise, “Not A Love Song,” “Two Punks In Love”
Thomas D’Arcy, “I’ve Got A Hole Where My Heart Should Be”

Recording Engineer of the Year:
Shawn Everett, “Slow Burn,” “Space Cowboy”
Ben Kaplan, “Get Up,” “It’s Alright”
Jason Dufour, “Truck Full Of Money”
Robbie Lackritz, “No Wrong,” “Way With Words”
Steve Bays, “Flashes”

Album Artwork of the Year:
Mike Milosh (Art Director, Designer, Illustrator, & Photographer) Blood
Gareth Auden-Hole (Art Director), Emil Mateja (Illustrator) Left to Our Own Devices
Geordan Moore (Art Director, Designer, & Illustrator) Crossworlds
Michael DeAngelis (Art Director & Designer), Rally Cry
Simon Dupuis (Art Director, Designer, Illustrator, & Photographer) Viens Avec Moi

Video of the Year:
No Depression Ali Eisner Bahamas (Universal)
Places Andrew De Zen Alaskan Tapes (Independent)
Powerless Andrew Hines Classified (Half Life Universal)
Hang Ups Ben Knechtel Scott Helman (Warner)
Have A Nice Day Peter Huang SonReal (Black Box Universal)

Electronic Album of the Year:
Deception Bay Milk & Bone (Bonsound Sony)
Crystal Eyes Ekali (OWSLA/Atlantic Warner)
Next Season Felix Cartal (Physical Presents Fontana North/Universal)
Give It a Rest iamhill (Independent)
Certain Kind of Magic Rezz (mau5trap Kobalt)

Heavy Metal Album of the Year:
The Wake Voivod (Century Media Sony)
Algorythm Beyond Creation (Season of Mist The Orchard)
The Spark That Moves Cancer Bats (New Damage Universal)
Loved KEN Mode (New Damage Universal)
Prevail II Kobra And The Lotus (Napalm Records Sony)

Adult Contemporary Album of the Year:
Love Michael Buble (Warner)
These Are The Days Jann Arden (Universal)
Meaning To Tell Ya Molly Johnson (Universal)
Distant Danger Nuela Charles (Independent)
A Whitehorse Winter Classic Whitehorse (Six Shooter Universal)

Comedy Album:
Good Friend Bad Grammar Dave Merheje (Macaw Independent)
The Chanty Show Chanty Marostica (Independent)
Lady Jazz Debra DiGiovanni (Aspecialthing House Arrest)
Awkwarder Mayce Galoni (Comedy Dynamics Independent Chicken! Pat Thornton Independent)

*** end of rundown ***

Piercing Ken Thoughts: So there you have it my friends, the nominations for these Canadian music awards. I’ve got to admit that I don’t know all that many of them but I mostly listen to Rock and Metal these days and a number of those nominated artists are well known to me. Readers are encouraged to let us know what they think about the nominations down in the comments section. I’ll be back on this topic when they announce the winners but of course there will be a lot of other things coming down the pike on a regular basis. See you next time.

Official Website: https://junoawards.ca/