Swollen Members top Western Cdn. Music nods
REGINA (CP) — Swollen Members topped the list of nominees for the first annual Western Canadian Music Awards with four nods, including one for entertainer of the year.
The Vancouver hip-hop crew also picked up nominations for best rap/hip-hop recording, best independent album and best video for their song Breathe.
The British Columbia group The Be Good Tanyas also did well. Their rustic mix of old-time country, blues and folk netted the all-girl trio three nominations: outstanding independent album, outstanding roots recording and best video for their song It’s Not Happening.
The Members will be up against pop-rocker Bif Naked, Spirit of the West front-man John Mann, rock heavyweight Nickelback and the Watchmen for best entertainer honours.
The awards, formerly known as the Prairie Music Awards, will be held Sept. 25-28 in Regina. They celebrate the best in pop music from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and — for the first time — British Columbia and the Yukon.
The awards will feature days of workshops on everything from writing songs to getting started in the industry. All genres of pop music, from hip-hop to jazz to country, will be featured.
Buffy Sainte-Marie, whose songwriting credits include an Academy Award for her movie theme song Up Where We Belong, will deliver the keynote address.
Sainte-Marie is originally from the Piapot reserve in Saskatchewan.
Participants from Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States will attend. About 60 bands are slated to perform over three nights.
Calgary is slated to host the awards in 2004 and Vancouver in 2005.
Categories