2008 Junos Take Over Calgary

When Canada's biggest music celebration rolls into Calgary this weekend, the Manitobans will be ready. The Junos are here.

Three hometown acts will be taking to the stage at this year's JunoFest, a two-night festival of music, including acoustic pop duo Keith and Renee, singer/songwriters Cara Luft and Little Hawk. Little Hawk is up for Aboriginal Recording of the Year for Home and Native Land while Keith and Renee's Keith Macpherson contributed the title track to the Juno-nominated children's album This Is Daniel Cook! Here We Are. Luft herself is no stranger to the Junos, having being part of 2005 Juno-winning trio The Wailin' Jennys (Roots & Traditional Album of the Year - Group).

In addition to the acts showcasing at JunoFest, Shelley Marshall and Damon Mitchell of nominated act Nathan will be on hand for the Juno Gala Dinner and Awards on April 5, where many of this year's awards will be handed out. The roots quartet, whose album Key Principles is up for Roots & Traditional Album of The Year - Group, was nominated for the same award in 2005 for its last album, Jimson Weed. The two other Manitoba acts nominated this year are Christian singer/songwriter Amanda Falk and folk duo Compadres, which includes Winnipeg-based singer/songwriter James Keelaghan.

Violinist extraordinaire James Ehnes -- a Brandon native who currently splits his time between Bradenton, Florida and Philadelphia -- is up for two trophies this year, both for Classical Album of the Year: Large Ensemble or Soloist(s) with Large Ensemble Accompaniment. Ehnes will take part in the Classical Celebration, which will be broadcast nationally on CBC Radio 2, on April 5. Other more distant ex-pats up for awards this year include former Lynn Laker Tom Cochrane, Morden-born Loreena McKennitt, and Neil Young.

Winnipeg-based Aboriginal music label Arbor Records has snagged nominations for two of its artists for Aboriginal Recording of the Year: Derek Miller and Sandy Scofield.

Two members of Juno-winning rock outfit Eagle and Hawk -- Vince Fontaine and Jay Bodner -- will take the ice again in this year's Juno Cup, alongside members of Blue Rodeo, against some of Canada's hockey greats to raise money for MusiCan.

For more info on the 2008 JUNO Awards and the weekend's festivities, please visit www.junoawards.ca

2008 JUNO AWARDS - MANITOBA NOMINEES

ABORIGINAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Little Hawk - Home and Native Land (Ojiji Music)

CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Amanda Falk – Beautiful (Avante*CMC)

ROOTS & TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: GROUP
Compadres (James Keelaghan & Oscar Lopez) - Buddy, Where You Been? (Celtino*Fusion III)
Nathan - Key Principles (Nettwerk *SONY BMG)

CHILDREN'S ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Keith Macpherson (Daniel Cook and Friends) - This Is Daniel Cook! Here We Are (The Children’s Group*KOCH)

MANITOBANS AT THE JUNOS

Eagle and Hawk @ Juno Cup
Stampede Corral,
FRIDAY, April 4 | 7:30pm

Keith and Renee
The Palomino Club, 109-7th Ave. SW
FRIDAY, April 4 | 10pm

Cara Luft
Cantos Music Foundation, 134-11th Ave. SE
SATURDAY, April 5 | 12am

Little Hawk
Broken City, 613-11th Ave. SW
SATURDAY, April 5 | 12am