Nickelback leads Juno noms
Theyíre not dark horses this year, not when it comes to the Junos anyway.
Alberta hard rock band Nickelback lead the pack with five nominations heading into the 2009 Juno Awards, slated for March 27-29 at Vancouverís General Motors Place.
Sam Roberts, Celine Dion and Hedley are the other leading nominees.
Nickelback are confirmed as performers for the televised ceremony on CTV on March 29, to be hosted by Russell Peters. Theyíre up for album of the year (for Dark Horse), single of the year (Gotta Be Somebody), group of the year and the Jack Richardson producer of the year award with Joey Moi (Gotta Be Somebody and Something In Your Mouth).
Roberts, a Montreal rocker, has four nominations: artist of the year, rock album of the year (Love at the End of the World) and two nominations for video of the year (Detroit í67 and Them Kids).
Dion and Hedley, along with The Lost Fingers and Feist, are up for the JUNO Fan Choice award ó the lone prize voted on by the public.
Dion, who spent most of last year on a world tour after her lengthy Las Vegas stint, is also up for top single (Taking Chances) and DVD (Live In Las Vegas ó A New Day).
Hedley, led by energetic front man Jacob Hoggard, is nominated for top album (Famous Last Words) and songwriter of the year.
Other nominees for top single include Divine Brown (Lay It On The Line), Kardinal Offishall (Dangerous) and crooner Michael Buble (Lost). The Lost Fingers (Lost In The 80ís), Simple Plan (Simple Plan) and French singer Sylvain Cossette (70ís Volume 2) are the other top-album nominees.
The artist of the year features some veterans in Bryan Adams and k.d. lang alongside Roberts, singer-songwriter Serena Ryder and City and Colour. the side project of Alexisonfireís Dallas Green, who are confirmed to perform during the televised ceremony.
Great Big Sea, Simple Plan, The Trews and Tokyo Police Club are the other contenders for group of the year. The top rock album field has a distinct Maritime component, with Nova Scotia acts Matt Mays & El Torpedo (Terminal Romance), Sloan (Parallel Play) and The Trews (No Time For Later) up against Protest The Hero (Fortress) and Roberts.
Young jazz sensation Nikki Yanofsky, Crystal Shawanda, Kreesha Turner, Jessie Farrell and Toronto-based Lights are competing for new artist of the year. Top new group nominees include Montreal ìtrip rockî band Beast, Cancer Bats, Crystal Castles, Plants And Animals and The Stills.
As for huge, non-homegrown acts, Coldplay (Viva La Vida), AC/DC (Black Ice), Guns Ní Roses (Chinese Democracy), Jack Johnson (Sleep Through The Static) and Metallica (Death Magnetic) are up for international album of the year.
Sarah McLachlan, who is also slated to perform, will receive the 2009 Allan Waters Humanitarian Award, while longtime rock band Loverboy will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
More performers will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Here are some selected 2009 Juno Award nominees:
JUNO FAN CHOICE AWARD: Celine Dion, Feist, Hedley, Nickelback, the Lost Fingers.
SINGLE OF THE YEAR: ìTaking Chances,î Celine Dion; ìLay It on the Line,î Divine Brown; ìDangerous,î Kardinal Offishall; ìLost,î Michael Buble; ìGotta Be Somebody,î Nickelback.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: ìFamous Last Words,î Hedley; ìDark Horse,î Nickelback; ìSimple Plan,î Simple Plan; ì70ís Volume 2,î Sylvain Cossette; ìLost in the 80ís,î The Lost Fingers.
ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Bryan Adams, City and Colour, k.d. lang, Sam Roberts, Serena Ryder.
GROUP OF THE YEAR: Great Big Sea, Nickelback, Simple Plan, the Trews, Tokyo Police Club.
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Crystal Shawanda, Jessie Farrell, Kreesha Turner, Lights, Nikki Yanofsky.
NEW GROUP OF THE YEAR: Beast, Cancer Bats, Crystal Castles, Plants and Animals, the Stills.
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR: Alanis Morissette, Dallas Green, Gordie Sampson, Hedley, Nathan Ferraro.
COUNTRY RECORDING OF THE YEAR: ìThankful,î Aaron Pritchett; ìDawn of a New Day,î Crystal Shawanda; ìBeautiful Life,î Doc Walker; ìWhat I Do,î George Canyon; ìChasing the Sun,î Tara Oram.
POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR: ìFlavors of Entanglement,î Alanis Morissette; ìNo Sleep at All,î Creature; ìWake Up and Say Goodbye,î David Usher; ìPassion,î Kreesha Turner; ìHoles,î the Midway State.
ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR: ìTerminal Romance,î Matt Mays & El Torpedo; ìFortress,î Protest the Hero; ìLove at the End of the World,î Sam Roberts; ìParallel Play,î Sloan; ìNo Time for Later,î the Trews.
RAP RECORDING OF THE YEAR: ìA Captured Moment in Time,î DL Incognito; ìThe Book,î D-Sisive; ìI Rap Now,î Famous; ìNot 4 Sale,î Kardinal Offishall; ìPoint Blank,î Point Blank.
WORLD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR: ìShivaboom,î Eccodek; ìThe Art of the Early Egyptian Qanun,î George Dimitri Sawa; ìAfrica to Appalachia,î Jayme Stone & Mansa Sissoko; ìContrabanda,î Lubo & Kaba Horo; ìCairo to Toronto,î Maryem & Ernie Tollar.
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