Nickelback leads Juno nominations
TORONTO (CP) - In a year when Canadian musicians were hyped around the world for their cutting-edge sound, the Junos played it safe on Wednesday, nominating perennial favourites like Nickelback and Diana Krall.
The Alberta rockers are up for a leading six Junos, including album of the year for All the Right Reasons and single of the year for Photograph.
Juno darling Diana Krall and boyish crooner Michael Buble tied with five nominations apiece; both are up for artist of the year, fan's choice and album of the year.
Krall's seasonal effort, Christmas Songs, and Buble's standards-filled It's Time will compete against the Nickelback CD as well as 219 Days by Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter and Under the Lights by Idol runner-up Rex Goudie.
Wednesday's nominations bring Krall's career Juno nomination total to 16. She's won six times.
Buble's nods come as no surprise. It's Time was the country's top-selling CD by a Canadian artist in 2005, according to Neilsen Soundscan
Other multiple nominees include rock icon Neil Young, Porter, and Hedley, fronted by another Idol runner-up - Jacob Hoggard.
And, in an echo of the recent Grammy Awards, where U2 and Green Day scored success over two years for one album, several Canadian artists made the Juno cut for work that was lauded last year.
Feist won best new artist and best alternative album at the 2005 awards, but is back competing for single of the year with her track Inside and Out.
As well, Arcade Fire lost last year in the alternative album category for Funeral but is up this year for songwriter and video awards - for material from the same record.
The repeat nominations are possible because the eligibility window spans Sept. 1, 2004 to Nov. 16, 2005. The acts squeaked through because either a song, album or video was released during that period.
Nickelback's nominations come despite middling reviews for All the Right Reasons.
Still, the album sold exceptionally well, giving the band a No. 1 debut in Canada and the U.S.
Canada had not had a homegrown rock band debut on the Billboard chart since Bachman-Turner Overdrive did so in 1974.
The band is currently on a cross-Canada sold-out tour.
International album of the year nods went to 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Gwen Stefani and Kelly Clarkson. The category is determined by sales figures.
Bands like Wolf Parade, Cuff the Duke and Matthew Barber - who received raves from the international music press - were notably absent from the nomination list.
Some other buzz bands, including New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene, Hot Hot Heat and Metric were relegated to the alternative album category despite mainstream appeal.
The nominees are selected based on a combination of sales and votes from the 2,000-plus members of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
The Junos will be handed out in Halifax on April 2. Coldplay, Nickelback, Bedouin Soundclash and Broken Social Scene are scheduled to perform.
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Here is the complete list of 2006 Juno nominations:
Fan Choice: Celine Dion; Diana Krall; Michael Buble; Nickelback; Simple Plan.
Single of the year: When the Night Feels My Song, Bedouin Soundclash; Inside and Out, Feist; Man I Used To Be, k-os; Home, Michael Buble; Photograph, Nickelback.
International album of the year: The Massacre, 50 Cent; Monkey Business, Black Eyed Peas; X&Y, Coldplay; Love.Angel.Music.Baby, Gwen Stefani; Breakaway, Kelly Clarkson.
Album of the year: Christmas Songs, Diana Krall; 219 Days, Kalan Porter; It's Time, Michael Buble; All The Right Reasons, Nickelback; Under The Lights, Rex Goudie.
Artist of the year: Boom Desjardins; Diana Krall; Kalan Porter; Michael Buble; Rex Goudie.
Group of the year: Barenaked Ladies; Blue Rodeo; Nickelback; Our Lady Peace; Theory Of A Deadman.
Instrumental album of the year: Sentimental Strings, Bobby Creed & His Orchestra a.k.a. Roberto Occhipinti; Belladonna, Daniel Lanois; Christmas Serenity, George Carlaw a.k.a. Yuri Sazonoff; Rainy Days and Mondays, Nancy Walker; Balance, Tomas Hamilton aka Charles T. Cozens.
Pop album of the year: Boom Desjardins, Boom Desjardins; Jann Arden, Jann Arden; 219 Days, Kalan Porter; It's Time, Michael Buble; These Old Charms, Theresa Sokyrka.
Rock album of the year: Hedley, Hedley; Jonas, Jonas; All The Right Reasons, Nickelback; Healthy In Paranoid Times, Our Lady Peace; Gasoline, Theory Of A Deadman.
New artist of the year: Daniel Powter; Divine Brown; Jonas; Martha Wainwright; Skye Sweetnam.
New group of the year: Bedouin Soundclash; Boys Night Out; Hedley; Pocket Dwellers; Silverstein.
Songwriter of the year: Arcade Fire for Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies), Neighborhood 3 (Power Out), co-writer Josh Deu, from Funeral by Arcade Fire; Joel Plaskett for Happen Now, Natural Disaster, Lying on a Beach from La De Da by Joel Plaskett; Kathleen Edwards for In State, Copied Keys, Back to Me, co-writer Colin Cripps from Back To Me by Kathleen Edwards; Neil Young for The Painter, When God Made Me, Prairie Wind from Prairie Wind by Neil Young; Ron Sexsmith for Listen, One Less Shadow, Lemonade Stand from Destination Unknown by Sexsmith & Kerr.
Country recording of the year: Waitin' On The Wonderful, Aaron Lines; Amanda Wilkinson, Amanda Wilkinson; Hey, Do You Know Me, Lisa Brokop; Life Goes On, Terri Clark; The Road Hammers, The Road Hammers.
Adult alternative album of the year: Are You Ready, Blue Rodeo; Back To Me, Kathleen Edwards; Ex-Girlfriends, Low Millions; Broken (and other rogue states), Luke Doucet; Prairie Wind, Neil Young.
Rap recording of the year: Boy-Cott-In The Industry, Classified; It's Called Life, Eternia; Fire & Glory, Kardinal Offishall; The Dusty Foot Philosopher, K'Naan; United We Fall, Sweatshop Union.
Alternative album of the year: Broken Social Scene, Broken Social Scene; Elevator, Hot Hot Heat; Live It Out, Metric; So Jealous, Tegan & Sara; Twin Cinema, The New Pornographers.
Vocal jazz album of the year: Twenty For One, Cadence; Christmas Songs, Diana Krall; Rock Swings, Paul Anka; Just You, Just Me, Ranee Lee; Sophie Milman, Sophie Milman.
Contemporary jazz album of the year: Shurum Burum Jazz Circus, David Buchbinder; Encuentro en la Habana, Hilario Duran & Perspectiva; Radio Guantanamo (Guantanamo Blues Project Vol. 1), Jane Bunnett; One Take: Volume Two, Marc Rogers, Robi Botos, Phil Dwyer, Terri Lyne Carrington; Yemaya, Roberto Occhipinti.
Traditional jazz album of the year: Mainly Mingus, Dave Young Quintet; Ask Me Later, Don Thompson Quartet; In a Sentimental Mood, Ian McDougall Quintet; Time Flies, P.J. Perry; Let Me Tell You About My Day, Phil Dwyer with Alan Jones and Rodney Whitaker.
Francophone album of the year: Le trashy saloon, Anik Jean; Hors de tout doute, France D'Amour; Pages blanches, Jim Corcoran; Garde la tete haute, Senaya; Sur le fil, Stephanie Lapointe.
Children's album of the year: A Butterfly In Time, CMSM Concert Theatre Productions; Happy All of the Time, Jake; The Fabulous Song, Michelle Campagne & Davy Gallant; Canada Needs You (Volume One), Mike Ford; Baroque Adventure: The Quest for Arundo Donax, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
Classical album of the year: solo or chamber ensemble: Magic Horn, Canadian Brass; Folklore, Denise Djokic & David Jalbert; J.S. Bach: Sonates pour violon et clavecin, Vol. 1, James Ehnes & Luc Beausejour; Albeniz: Iberia, Marc-Andre Hamelin; Awakening, St. Lawrence String Quartet.
Classical album of the year: large ensemble or soloist(s) with large ensemble accompaniment: Freitas Branco: Violin Concerto; Alexandre Da Costa Extremadura Symphony Orchestra - Jesus Amigo; J.S. Bach: Keyboard Concertos Vol. 1, Angela Hewitt - Australian Chamber Orchestra - Richard Tognetti; Brahms: Concertos pour piano et oeuvres pour piano seul, Anton Kuerti - Orchestra Metropolitain du Grand Montreal - Joseph Rescigno; Concerti Virtuosi, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra - Jeanne Lamon; Beethoven: Symphonies nos. 5 et 6, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra - Bruno Weil.
Classical album of the year: vocal or choral performance: Viardot-Garcia: Lieder Chansons Canzoni Mazurkas, Isabel Bayrakdarian - Serouj Kradjian; Hyver, Karina Gauvin/Les Boreades - Francis Colpron; Scarlatti: Stabat Mater, Emma Kirkby, Daniel Taylor - Theatre of Early Music; Schubert: Die schone Mullerin, Michael Schade & Malcolm Martineau; Schubert: Winterreise, Russell Braun, Carolyn Maule.
Classical composition of the year: Illuminations, Brian Cherney, Ovation 4; Our Finest Hour, Chan Ka Nin, Majestic Flair; String Quartet No. 1 (The Awakening), Christos Hatzis, Awakening; Illuminations, Peter Togni, The Heart Has Its Reasons; Symphony for Strings, Robert Turner, Ovation 4.
Dance recording of the year: She's Looking Good, Boza; Hot Box, Da Skunk; Spanish Fly, Hatiras & Macca feat. Shawna B.; Robopop, M1; Walkin & Talkin, Ray Charles vs DIO.
R&B/soul recording of the year: The Naughty Song, Cory Lee; Divine Brown, Divine Brown; This Is Me, Jully Black; Massari, Massari; Back For More, Shawn Desman.
Reggae recording of the year: Reggae Time, Blessed; Hot Gal feat. Rally Bop, Carl Henry; River of Healing, Jah Beng; Mind & Body, Sold, Odel; Live Up, Truths and Rights.
Aboriginal recording of the year: Rattle & Drum, Asani; Muskrat Blues and Rock & Roll, Billy Joe Green; Hometown, Burnt Project 1; Life Is..., Eagle & Hawk; Sinaa, tagaq.
Roots and traditional album of the year: solo: Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer, Corb Lund; Mantras For Madmen, Harry Manx; Songs From The Gravel Road, Ian Tyson; Love Sweet Love, Lynn Miles; Recidive, Yves Lambert.
Roots and traditional album of the year: group: Ambassador, Elliott Brood; Malins Plaisirs, Genticorum; The Hard & The Easy, Great Big Sea; Destination Unknown, Sexsmith & Kerr; The Duhks, The Duhks.
Blues album of the year: Voice + Story, Harrison Kennedy; Songs of Vice and Sorrow, Julian Fauth; Let It Loose, Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne; Villanelle, Paul Reddick; The Gas and the Clutch, The Perpetrators.
Contemporary Christian/Gospel album of the year: Amanda Falk, Amanda Falk; Livin' for Something, Janelle; In This Time, Patricia Shirley; MMHMM, Relient K; The Art of Breaking, Thousand Foot Krutch.
World music of the year: Fusion, Adham Shaikh; Humo De Tabaco, Alex Cuba Band; Djama, Alpha Yaya Diallo; Capivara, Celso Machado; Gaia, Gaia.
Producer of the year: David Foster for Home, Feeling Good from It's Time by Michael Buble; Gggarth Richardson for Gunnin, Villain from Hedley by Hedley; Jann Arden and Russell Broom for Where No One Knows Me, Willing To Fall Down from Jann Arden by Jann Arden; Neil Young for The Painter from Prairie Wind by Neil Young; Nickelback (co-producer Joey Moi) for Photograph, Animals from All the Right Reasons.
Recording engineer of the year: Adam Messinger & Dylan Bell for Dry Cleaner from Des Moines, Sittin' In the Cellar from Twenty for One by Cadence; Denis Tougas for Oleander from I Am A Mountain by Sarah Harmer, Independent Thief from Back To Me by Kathleen Edwards; Randy Staub for Angels Losing Sleep from Healthy In Paranoid Times by Our Lady Peace, Animals from All The Right Reasons by Nickelback; Russell Broom for Where No One Knows Me from Jann Arden by Jann Arden, God Bless The American Housewife from Music From and Inspired by Desperate Housewives by SHeDaisy; Vic Florencia for Everyday is a Holiday, Melancholy Melody from Wikked Lil Grrls by Esthero.
CD/DVD artwork design of the year: Seth (director/designer/illustrator) for A Story-Gram From Vinyl Cafe Inc. by Stuart McLean; Louise Upperton (director/designer), Christopher Mills, Kevin Drew, Justin Peroff (illustrators) for Broken Social Scene by Broken Social Scene; Rob Baker (director/illustrator), Garnet Armstrong (director/designer), Susan Michalek (designer), Will Ruocco (illustrator) for Hipeponymous by the Tragically Hip; Matthew Good (director), Garnet Armstrong (director/designer), Ivan Otis (photographer) for In A Coma: 1995-2005 by Matthew Good; James Mejia/Jud Haynes (director/designer/illustrator) for 2005 Album by Wintersleep.
Video of the year: Bom Bom Bom, Floria Sigismondi, Living Things; Devil's Eyes, Micah Meisner & Rich Terfry, Buck 65; Con Toda Palabra, Ralph Dfouni & Brigitte Henry, Lhasa de Sela; Neighborhood 3 (Power Out), Plates Animation, Arcade Fire; Rebellion (Lies), Chris Grismer, Arcade Fire.
Music DVD of the year: A la station C, Mathieu Houde, Ariane Moffatt, Dominic Laurence, Paul Page, Ariane Moffatt; LIVE 8 - Toronto, Michael Watt, Rob Brooks, Various Artists; Hipeponymous, Pierre Lamoureux/Christopher Mills, Gord Downie/Allan Reid/Shawn Marino, The Tragically Hip; Live At The Montreal Jazz Festival, Pierre Seguin, Luc Chatelain, Diana Krall; Publicity Stunt, The Love Movement, K-OS.
'Casino Royale' Finally Finds Its Villain
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com)- Mads Mikkelsen would be a fantastic name for a villain in a James Bond film. Before that happens, though, the Danish actor of that name will play La Chiffre, 007's main adversary in the upcoming "Casino Royale."
According to media reports, Mikkelsen's casting, long rumored in the Danish press, was confirmed by the "Royale" filmmakers at a press conference held Wednesday (Jan. 15) in Prague, where shooting on "Casino Royale" has already begun.
In Fleming's novel, La Chiffre is a fascinating and abhorrent character, a debauched pornographer, pimp, gambler and Holocaust survivor. His unappealing physical description also makes him an odd match with Mikkelsen, whose IMDb bio notes is often listed among Denmark's most attractive men.
The 40-year-old Mikkelsen may be vaguely familiar to international audiences from his small role in "King Arthur" and a larger part in "Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself." His big break came in 1996's "Pusher."
While the casting announcement on Mikkelsen ends one endlessly speculated "Casino Royale" question, James Bond remains without a love interest. Director Martin Campbell made no effort to put a stop to the suspense about which actress will play the mysterious Vesper Lynde. The most recent buzz has centered on Eva Green ("The Dreamers") and Olivia Wilde ("The O.C.").
Stay tuned, as we like to say. They've just got to cast somebody eventually.
Jet-lagged Canadians beat Italy
It seemed all Canada needed to find its game was a scare by a motivated Italian team Wednesday morning at Palasport Olimpico arena.
Jarome Iginla scored two power-play goals to lead Canada to a 7-2 win over Italy as the team opened defence of its Olympic gold medal.
The Canadians looked sluggish and confused early as they missed passes and good scoring opportunities.
The result was only a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period on Iginla's goal. He took a perfect pass from Todd Bertuzzi and then one-timed a shot from the slot to beat Italian goaltender Jason Muzzatti at 5:33.
Italy scored the tying goal on the power-play just 43 seconds into the second period that shocked Canada and prompted the home crowd into loud chants of "Italia, Italia," after Giulio Scandella directed a shot to the Canadian net that beat goalie Martin Brodeur.
The mometum didn't last as Dany Heatley scored a power-play goal to give Canada a 2-1 lead a 1:12 later.
Heatley's goal seemed to settle the Canadians en route to five unanswered goals. Winger Todd Bertuzzi, who had two assists in the game, said his Canadian team wasn't unnerved by the Italian goal.
"Not at all, not with the amount of character we have," Bertuzzi told CBC Sports.
"We know what we have to do, we came out strong in the second period, we kept building and building, our passes got better and we started scoring goals."
Iginla's second goal with the man advantage gave Canada all the insurance it would need.
He took a nifty cross-ice pass from Joe Sakic and wristed a shot to the short side past Italian goaltender Jason Muzzatti at 6:04.
While motivated by the crowd, the Italians were undisciplined as Canada's speed produced three goals on the eight chances on the power play.
Canadian coach Pat Quinn's decision to put Iginla, Bertuzzi and captain Sakic paid off in this game as the three combined for five points.
"We all play similar roles on the power play," said Bertuzzi. "Me and Jarome are better suited for around the net and in the corner. It was pretty easy, especially [playing with] Jarome and I tried to get him the puck in the slot and worked off Joe."
Shane Doan, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Joe Thornton scored Canada's other goals, while forward John Parco tallied for Italy's second goal.
Despite Canada's immense advantage in talent and 50-20 edge in shots, Italy worked hard and Muzzatti made several key saves.
The Italians are making only their third Olympic appearance in hockey. They participated in the 1948 and 1956 Winter Games.
Italy does have some players with limited NHL experience.
Muzzatti, a former Calgary Flames first-round pick, had his only NHL shutout in 1996 when he stopped all 40 shots to lead the Hartford Whalers to a 1-0 win over a young Martin Brodeur and the hometown New Jersey Devils.
"It was a tremdous challenge for us," said Muzzatti, who gained a lot of respect from the Canadian team. "My boys worked so hard to keep it at [7-2]. There's a lot of people at home saying prayers in Toronto and I think they helped me keep it to seven."
The win gives Canada its 91st Olympic victory, the most by any coutnry.
Canada's next game is Thursday (CBC, 2 p.m. EST) against Germany.