Posted On: May 3, 2016
BreakOut West Announces 2016 Western Canadian Music and Industry Award Nominees
May 3, 2016, Regina, SK: The Western Canadian Music Alliance is excited to reveal the nominees for the 2016 Western Canadian Music Awards, announced this morning at a press conference at Casino Regina. Member voting for the awards begins officially at 12:00pm MDT today, and sales for the 2016 Western Canadian Music Awards launch now!
** Purchase Awards Show Tickets at http://www.ticketbreak.com/casinoreginamoosejaw **
Leading the diverse group of artists and industry represented are Aidan Knight, and the duo of Nadia Gaudet & Jason Burnstick, with three nominations each in this year's newly revised category list. Knight's recent music video also gets a nod in the Video Director category. Brett Kissel, Corb Lund, David Morin, George Canyon, Le Destin du Jazz-Club!, Library Voices, We Are The City, William Prince and Yukon Blonde have also drawn solid recognition with two nominations each in the artistic categories, with Kissel's recording also nominated for an Industry Award in Audio Engineering. In the industry categories, producer Russell Broom, and venue The West End Cultural Centre make double appearances. This year's nominee list also shows major growth for the western Canadian music industry, as many names are appearing for the first time in 2016, showing the vibrancy of these rising talents. For a full list of categories and all 2016 nominees, visit www.breakoutwest.ca.
Changing things up from the norm, the 14th annual Western Canadian Music Awards Show will be hosted on Thursday, October 13th at Casino Regina, kicking off BreakOut West 2016 in a new format with a concert-style show, focused more on music than speeches. Venue sponsors SaskGaming / Casino Regina help usher in this updated event, while out of town attendees of BreakOut West will be welcomed by the Double Tree by Hilton, the official host hotel. SaskMusic, Creative Saskatchewan, Tourism Saskatchewan, City of Regina, Tourism Regina, and the Regina Hotel Association have all taken part in bringing the annual festival, conference and Western Canadian Music Awards back to Saskatchewan's capital, which last hosted the event in 2012. The first Western Canadian Music Awards was also hosted in Regina in 2003.
"We're pleased to play a role in bringing the fun and excitement of BreakOut West to Regina as the venue sponsor of the 2016 Western Canadian Music Awards," Minister Responsible for SaskGaming Nancy Heppner says. "We're looking forward to hosting the industry and artists in our world-class Show Lounge in October. I offer my congratulations to all the nominees and wish them good luck!"
Music Industry Association member voting opens today May 3 at 12:00pm MDT and runs through May 17. All members of the 6 partner Music Industry Associations (Manitoba Music, SaskMusic, Alberta Music, MusicBC, MusicYukon, or MusicNWT) are encouraged to vote for their favorite nominee in each category. Link and password for voting will be arriving in all member email boxes today. Winners are determined through a combination of member votes and a juried process.
2016 Western Canadian Music Awards Nominees:
Aboriginal Artist of the Year
David Morin (BC)
Digawolf (NT)
Don Amero (MB)
Nadia Gaudet & Jason Burnstick (MB)
William Prince (MB)
Blues Artist of the Year
David Gogo (BC)
David Vest (BC)
Debra Power (AB)
Harpdog Brown & The Travelin' Blues Show (BC)
Romi Mayes (MB)
BreakOut Artist of the Year
Aidan Knight (BC)
Brett Kissel (AB)
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald (AB)
The Bros. Landreth (MB)
We Are The City (BC)
Children's Artist of the Year, presented by SaskTel
Bobs & LoLo (BC)
Hilary Grist (BC)
Nadia Gaudet & Jason Burnstick (MB)
Raffi (BC)
The Kerplunks (BC)
Classical Artist/Ensemble of the Year, presented by Canadian Music Centre
Couloir (AB)
Turning Point Ensemble and musica intima (BC)
Paolo Bortolussi (BC)
Roger Admiral (AB)
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (MB)
Classical Composition of the Year
Songs from the Rainshadow's Edge - Benton Roark (BC)
Along the King's Road - Jason Cullimore (SK)
Birds of Paradise Lost - John Oliver (BC)
15 for Piano - Howard Bashaw (AB)
Of Heart and Tide - Sid Robinovitch (MB)
Country Artist of the Year
Bobby Wills (AB)
Brett Kissel (AB)
George Canyon (AB)
Jess Moskaluke (SK)
Keith and Renee (MB)
Electronic/Dance Artist of the Year
Delhi 2 Dublin (BC)
DiRTY RADIO (BC)
Ghost Twin (MB)
Grey Saturn (BC)
Soulier (AB)
Francophone Artist of the Year
Arnaud Granoux (BC)
Jocelyne Baribeau (MB)
Justin Lacroix Band (MB)
Le Destin du Jazz-Club! (BC)
Nadia Gaudet & Jason Burnstick (MB)
Instrumental Artist of the Year
Daniel Koulack (MB)
Don Alder (BC)
Hutchinson Andrew Trio (AB)
Michael Kaeshammer (BC)
Pugs and Crows (BC)
Jazz Artist of the Year
Al Muirhead (AB)
Chris Gestrin & Bernie Arai (BC)
Curtis Nowosad Quintet (MB)
Jaclyn Guillou (BC)
Le Destin du Jazz-Club! (BC)
Metal/Hard Music Artist of the Year
KEN mode (MB)
Shooting Guns (SK)
Striker (AB)
Third Ion (SK)
Van Halst (AB)
Pop Artist of the Year
Bryan Finlay (AB)
Derrival (BC)
JP Hoe (MB)
Lexi Strate (AB)
We Are The City (BC)
Rap/Hip Hop Artist of the Year
Alpha Omega (BC)
Arlo Maverick (AB)
Evil Ebenezer (BC)
Snak The Ripper (BC)
SonReal (BC)
Recording of the Year, presented by Stingray Music
Aidan Knight - Each Other (BC)
Jordan Klassen - Javelin (BC)
Library Voices - Lovish (SK)
Pharis and Jason Romero - A Wanderer I'll Stay (BC)
Yukon Blonde - On Blonde (BC)
Rock Artist of the Year, presented by Radio Starmaker
Aidan Knight (BC)
Rae Spoon (BC)
The Sheepdogs (SK)
The Wet Secrets (AB)
Yukon Blonde (BC)
Roots Duo/Group of the Year, presented by Musicians' Rights Organization Canada (MROC)
Crooked Brothers (MB)
Jon and Roy (BC)
Northern Beauties (AB)
Rosie & The Riveters (SK)
Sweet Alibi (MB)
Roots Solo Artist of the Year, presented by Big Rock Brewery
Corb Lund (AB)
Frazey Ford (BC)
Matt Patershuk (AB)
Oliver Swain (BC)
William Prince (MB)
Producer of the Year
Brad Prosko / Brad Prosko Production - Poor Nameless Boy "Bravery," Chris Henderson "Craves the Chaos," (SK)
Dana "Rusty" Matyas - Federal Lights "Coeur De Lion" (MB)
Library Voices - Library Voices "Lovish" (SK)
Spencer Cheyne / OCL Studios - Maddison Krebs "Bullseye" (AB)
Colin Stewart / Hive Studios - Yukon Blonde "On Blonde" (BC)
Songwriter(s) of the Year, presented by SOCAN
Corb Lund - "S Lazy H" from Corb Lund Things That Can't Be Undone (AB)
George Canyon, Terry McBride, Brice Long - "Lifetime" from George Canyon I Got This (AB)
Kacy Anderson and Clayton Linthicum - "Brunswick Stew" from Kacy & Clayton Strange Country (SK)
Megan Nash - "Deer Head" from Megan Nash Song Harvest: Volume One (SK)
Pharis Romero - "A Wanderer I'll Stay" from Pharis & Jason Romero A Wanderer I'll Stay (BC)
Spiritual Artist of the Year
Marika (BC)
Mike R Schuster (AB)
Samanvaya Kirtan (SK)
Tim Neufeld (BC)
Yvonne St. Germaine (SK)
Urban Artist of the Year
Coco Jafro (BC)
David Morin (BC)
Ghost (BC)
Kristie McCracken (BC)
The New Groovement (BC)
World Artist of the Year
Buckman Coe (BC)
Mazacote (BC)
Tasman Jude (AB)
Locarno (BC)
Young Medicine (AB)
Video Director of the Year
Ft. Langley - Aidan Knight "All Clear" (BC)
Wade Tompkins - Arlo Maverick "More" (AB)
Stephano Barberis / The Field - Chad Brownlee "Hearts On Fire" (BC)
David Tenniswood / Scopitone Films - Jess Moskaluke "Kiss Me Quiet" (SK)
Steve Bays - Limblifter "Hotel Knife" (SK)
Visual Media Composer of the Year
Alec Harrison - 2014 FIFA World Cup Open (ESPN) (AB)
Factor Eight (SK)
Graham Epp - FM Youth (MB)
Mike Twining and Andrew Twining - Gigantique Music Boutique (BC)
Russell Broom - Sitting on the Edge of Marlene, Whatever Happened To, Makeover Wish, Canada Heritage Minutes, Alberta Primetime, A&E Biography, Celebrity Style Storie (AB)
2016 Western Canadian Music Awards Industry Nominees:
Audio Engineering Award
Bart McKay - Brett Kissel "Airwaves" (SK)
Ben Kaplan - Daniel Wesley, Faceplants, Head of the Herd, Jon Bryant, Blades of Steel (BC)
Nygel Asselin - Jon Bryant "Twenty Something" (BC)
Russell Broom - Ryan Gartner, JP Maurice & The Wisers, Trinity Bradshaw, Amber Haydey (AB)
Ryan Worsley - P'aris, Dear Rouge, The Tourist Company, Bed Of Stars, Emilie and Ogden, Basia Bulat (BC)
Community Excellence Award
Brent Oliver (AB)
Creative City Centre Inc. (SK)
Rifflandia Festival (BC)
The Broadway Theatre (SK)
The West End Cultural Centre (MB)
Excellence in Visual Design
Bronwin Parks / Feisty Creative - Twin Kennedy, Blake Reid, Sky Wyatt, Karen Lee Batten, Tanya Ryan (BC)
Jared Robinson - Pimpton, Scott Benson Band, LunarTheory, Sharon Gudereit, Samatha Pichard, Katie Miller, Acadence, Alexandra Barabe, Unkle Adams, Above the Crown, Awaken Aries, Highwind (SK)
Lee Froese - Sc Mira, The Noble Thiefs (BC)
Roberta Hansen - The Small Glories (MB)
Ultimate Power Duo, Casper Konefal, Jordyn Bochon, Tyler Jenkins, Scott Kowalchuk, Elaine Will, Owen Gieni, Tom Bagley, Riley Rossmo, Nathan Wahl, Donny Sparrow, Cate Francis, Ken Davis - Ultimate Power Duo (SK)
Volunteer Media (BC)
Impact in Artist Development
Amelia Artists (BC)
Invictus Entertainment Group (BC)
Paquin Artists Agency (MB)
The Feldman Agency (BC)
Tonic/Boompa Records (BC)
Impact in Live Music, presented by Music Canada Live
Adam Oppenheim - Stampede Entertainment Inc. (AB)
Commodore Ballroom (BC)
Rawk Entertainment Group (SK)
The West End Cultural Centre (MB)
Winnipeg Folk Festival (MB)
Impact in Music Marketing
Jacqueline Conway - Saskatchewan Jazz Festival (SK)
Live Nation Canada (BC)
MainStage Management (AB)
Susan Busse (SK)
Taron Cochrane Entertainment (SK)
2016 Heritage Award: John Arcand
John Arcand is a Saskatchewan-born musician who has performed, taught, promoted and preserved the traditions of Métis fiddle and dance. His unique sound, which builds on a long family tradition of fiddle and dance, is considered essential to the identity and recognition of Métis culture. During his career spanning more than 60 years, he created over 370 tunes and produced 16 recordings. In 1998, he founded the John Arcand Fiddle Fest - a major annual fiddle event in Western Canada. Arcand has received numerous awards for his work, including the Order of Canada, a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, and the Saskatchewan Arts Board Lifetime Achievement Award. John is also active as judge at fiddle contests, instructor at fiddle camps, and has a growing list of private students. He and his wife travel extensively each year promoting the Métis culture through workshops and performances in schools and communities across the country. John is an avid collector of fiddles, and a qualified Luthier whose original instruments are much sought after. He also offers repairs and can provide appraisals.
2016 Kevin Walters Industry Builder Award: Derek Bachman (posthumously)
Derek Bachman was an extremely involved and dedicated member of the Canadian music industry for nearly 20 years, and worked on several of the largest events in Saskatchewan, for Live Nation Canada and Union Events among others. He served as a director on numerous boards, and was instrumental in the success and development of SaskMusic, the Western Canadian Music Awards, Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, the 2007 JUNO Awards and the 2012 Canadian Country Music Week Host Committee. Derek was also a partner in Rawk Entertainment Inc., with his production credits on local, national and international events including JunoFest 2007/2013, Western Canadian Music Awards Festival 2007/2012, and 2013 Canadian Country Music Week. Derek was also responsible for export and professional development for Saskatchewan musicians and industry members, both nationally and internationally. Tragically Derek's life was cut short, but the foundation he built in his home province of Saskatchewan and throughout Canada thrives, building on the foundation he set in place.
About BreakOut West:
BreakOut West is an annual gathering to celebrate, develop and support the best of western Canadian music. Western Canadian artists are developing sustainable careers of national and international scope, and BreakOut West is an integral component of this development. Through the annual conference and festival, industry from around the world and western Canadian artists are given the opportunity to discover, educate, network and grow. The weekend kicks off with the Western Canadian Music Awards, showcasing the talent contained in the "left half" of Canada. For more information visit breakoutwest.ca, and use hashtag #BOW2016 when tweeting about BreakOut West and join in the conversation!
Please contact Joelle May for all press requests, interviews, event accreditation and more information.