Artists & Industry from Manitoba Earn 35 Western Canadian Music Awards Nominations

Strong Showings in Recording of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Indigenous Artist of the Year, Impact in Music Marketing, and more

Manitoba’s music sector is in the spotlight at this year’s Western Canadian Music Awards. Artists and music companies are up for 35 awards in 20 categories that recognize those making a significant impact in Western Canada’s music scene and beyond. 

The 2021 Western Canadian Music Awards and Industry Awards will be announced in October 2021. BreakOut West 2022 will be held in Winnipeg February 2-6 and feature a four-day music conference, a three-night multi-genre music festival and special events. 

This year's nominees from Manitoba span genres and sectors, with a number of triple and double nominees, and strong showings in categories for Recording of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, Indigenous Artist of the Year, and Impact in Music Marketing.  

Kelly Bado and William Prince are both triple nominees this year, while double nominees include Begonia, Mise en Scene, Sebastian Gaskin, Slow Leaves, and label/publisher/artist development company Birthday Cake Media and venue the West End Cultural Centre.

Four artists from Manitoba have earned nominations for the prestigious Recording of the Year, including Begonia, Kelly Bado, The Bros. Landreth, and William Prince. 

Songwriter of the Year nominees include Grant Davidson of Slow Leaves, Mise en Scene’s Stefanie Johnson and Jodi Dunlop, and William Prince. Slow Leaves and Prince are also up for Roots Solo Artist of the Year, while Mise en Scene has picked up the Rocks Artist of the Year nomination. 

The Indigenous Artist of the Year category features three nominations for artists from Manitoba including Don Amero, Mattmac, and Sebastian Gaskin, who is also up for R&B Artist of the Year. 

Kelly Bado and Sala have picked up nominations for Francophone Artist of the Year while Bado is also up for Global Artist of the Year alongside Casimiro Nhussi.

Jazz Artist of the Year nominees include Jocelyn Gould and Will Bonness.

Recent Order of Manitoba inductee Steve Bell has been nominated for Spiritual Artist of the Year along with Jake Fretz. 

Birthday Cake Media, The Village Idiots, and  the West End Cultural Centre are all up for Impact in Music Marketing while Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club and the West End Cultural Centre have landed nominations for Impact in Live Music.

See the complete list of nominees below. 

Now in its 19th year, the Western Canadian Music Awards celebrate exciting industry and artistic talent coming out of Western Canada. Voting is now open to all members of the music industry associations from the west, including Manitoba Music, SaskMusic, Alberta Music, MusicBC, Music NWT, and Music Yukon, and runs until June 1. 

2021 Western Canadian Music Award Artistic Nominees

Blues Artist of the Year       
             
Blue Moon Marquee - BC
Debra Power - AB
Kat Danser - AB
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne - AB
Terminal Station - BC

BreakOut Artist of the Year          
   
Ariel Posen - MB
Olivia Penalva - BC
Sam Lynch - BC
Sargeant X Comrade - AB
Tate McRae - AB

Children’s Artist of the Year              

Claire Ness - YT
Garth Prince - AB
Peter Lenton - AB
Remy Rodden - YT
Seeka Sings - BC

Classical Artist or Ensemble of the Year Sponsored By Canadian Music Centre (CMC)     

Christopher Tyler Nickel - BC
Land's End Ensemble with Laura Hynes and Karl Hirzer - AB
PEP (Piano and Erhu Project) - BC
Véronique Mathieu - SK
Vetta Chamber Music - BC

Classical Composer of the Year   
                 
Edward Top - BC
Jeffrey Ryan - BC
Jocelyn Morlock - BC
Katerina Gimon - BC
T. Patrick Carrabre - BC

Country Artist of the Year                 

D'orjay The Singing Shaman - AB
Gord Bamford  - AB
Hunter Brothers - SK
Jess Moskaluke - SK
Nice Horse - AB

Electronic & Dance Artist of the Year               
       
Astrocolor - BC
Mat the Alien - BC
So Sus - BC
Takis - BC
Talltale - AB

Francophone Artist of the Year Sponsored by Association des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique  (APCM)  

Éemi - SK
Jill Barber - BC
Kelly Bado - MB
Ponteix - SK
Sala - MB

Global Artist of the Year     
             
Casimiro Nhussi - MB
Kelly Bado - MB
Notas de 4 - AB
Rubim de Toledo - AB
Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra - BC

Indigenous Artist of the Year        
   
Don Amero - MB
Mattmac - MB
PIQSIQ - NT
Sebastian Gaskin - MB
Snotty Nose Rez Kids - BC

Instrumental Artist of the Year   
                 
Factor Eight - SK
Mohamed Assani - BC
Quin With One N - BC
Rubim de Toledo - AB
Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra - BC

Jazz Artist of the Year   
        
BPM Trio - BC
David Restivo - BC
Jocelyn Gould - MB
Michael Kaeshammer - BC
Will Bonness - MB

Metal & Hard Music Artist of the Year
                    
Black Thunder - SK
Numenorean - AB
The Basement Paintings - SK
The Moon Runners - SK
Vagina Witchcraft - MB

Pop Artist of the Year            

Begonia - MB
Olivia Penalva - BC
Sam the Astronaut - BC
Shawn Hook - BC
Tate McRae - AB

Producer of the Year              

Aidan Knight - BC
Chris Duncombe, Aaron Grain, David Roberts, Gordie Sampson, Thomas Salter, Karen Kosowski - BC
Deadmen - MB
Spencer Cheyne - AB
Steve Bays - BC

R&B Artist of the Year                       
IAMTHELIVING X Teon Gibbs - BC
Major Funk - YT
Sebastian Gaskin - MB
Slo-Fi - AB
XL The Band - BC

Rap & Hip Hop Artist of the Year                  

Boslen - BC
Junk - BC
Mouraine - SK
Sargeant X Comrade - AB
Snotty Nose Rez Kids - BC

Recording of the Year            

Begonia - MB
Kelly Bado - MB
The Bros. Landreth - MB
The Washboard Union - BC
William Prince - MB

Rock Artist of the Year Sponsored by Torque Brewing

Miesha & The Spanks - AB
Mise en Scene - MB
Scenic Route to Alaska - AB
Shred Kelly - BC
The Pack a.d. - BC

Roots Solo Artist of the Year             

Aerialists - BC
Emily Triggs - AB
Pharis and Jason Romero - BC
Slow Leaves - MB
William Prince - MB

Songwriter(s) of the Year Sponsored By The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)                         

Aidan Knight - BC
Grant Davidson - MB
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald - AB
Stefanie Johnson and Jodi Dunlop - MB
William Prince - MB

Spiritual Artist of the Year               
Allswell - BC
Caleb Delamont - AB
Jake Fretz - MB
Steve Bell - MB
Yvonne St Germaine - SK

Video Director of the Year Sponsored by Manitoba Film & Music              

Alfonso Chin - Snotty Nose Rez Kids "Screaming Indian" - BC
Dylan Hryciuk - PONTEIX "Petite Fleur" - SK
Kyriel Roberts - Pimpton "Exit The Vessel" - SK
Martin LaFrenière & Philippe Bellefeuille - William Prince "Gospel First Nation" - MB
Stephano Barberis - The Washboard Union "Country Thunder" - BC

Visual Media Composer of the Year             

Chroma Mixed Media – Naona - BC
Deanna Peters/Mutable Subject - Sound Migrations - BC
Factor Eight - Life Is But A Dream - SK
Jeffery Straker – Gravity - SK
Kevon Cronin - Hunter Hunter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – MB

2021 Western Canadian Music Award Industry Nominees

Audio Engineering Award
                
Ian Dillon - AB
Josh Gwilliam - AB
Nygel Asselin - BC
Ryan Worsley - BC
Sheldon Zaharko - BC

Community Excellence Award                      

Curbside Concerts - AB
National Music Centre - AB
Nunavut Black History Society - NV
Sakamoto Agency - BC
The Exchange - SK

Excellence in Visual Design              

Alan Ngo - AB
Ashlin Kellough - AB
Bronwin Parks - BC
Christina Cooper - AB
Roberta Landreth - MB

Impact in Artist Development                      

Birthday Cake - MB
Curbside Concerts - AB
National Music Centre - AB
Sakamoto Agency - BC
The Starlite Sessions - AB

Impact in Live Music Sponsored by Canadian Live Music Association                                 

Curbside Concerts - AB
National Music Centre - AB
The Starlite Room (Starlite Sessions) #SupportCanadianVenues - AB
Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club - MB
West End Cultural Centre - MB

Impact in Music Marketing               

Birthday Cake - MB
Curbside Concerts - AB
The Starlite Sessions - AB
The Village Idiots - MB
West End Cultural Centre – MB