Drake, Bieber to vie for Juno Awards

Rap sensation Drake, teen pop star Justin Bieber, indie rockers Arcade Fire and country singer Johnny Reid are among the top contenders for Canada's 40th annual Juno Awards.

Organizers announced nominees in the 40 Juno categories Tuesday morning.

Drake, who will also host this year's gala in his hometown of Toronto in March, earned a whopping six nominations.

His debut, Thank Me Later, will vie for best album and best rap recording, his track Find Your Love is a finalist for best single, and the young rapper is also up for the songwriter, Fan Choice and artist of the year titles.

His competition for the coveted latter category includes Reid, Bieber, music icon Neil Young and singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan.

Montreal band Arcade Fire was also among Tuesday's lead nominees for its latest album, The Suburbs. The band will rival Drake for best album, with additional competition from Hedley (The Show Must Go), Reid (A Place Called Love ) and Bieber (My World 2.0 ).

The ubiquitous Bieber is up for four prominent Juno honours. Along with album and artist of the year, the Stratford, Ont.-born singer is a nominee for the Fan Choice award and best pop album (My World 2.0 ). The teen sensation is also in Toronto on Tuesday to promote a forthcoming 3D documentary about his career and to offer fans a sneak peek at the production.

Reid also nabbed a quartet of nominations. His release A Place Called Love will vie for both overall album and country album, while the Scottish-born, Quebec-raised country singer is also a nominee for artist of the year and the Fan Choice honour.

"It's one of those 'pinch me' moments," Reid told CBC News after the nominations announcement, noting that after 15 years in the music business, "to have the chance to stand on a big stage, sing my songs [and] tell my stories, it's wonderful."

As a nominee, "to be part of something a lot bigger than myself, to be part of the Canadian musical fabric, it's a very humbling experience and something I'm going to try my very best to cherish," he added.

Olympics performance, Haiti single nominated

A pair of special performances and a patriotic tune make for stiff competition in the single of the year category. The Haiti charity track Wavin' Flag (a version of K'naan's hit song, sung by a pantheon of young artists), k.d. lang's stirring delivery of Hallelujah at the Vancouver Olympics and East Coast rapper Classified's Oh Canada are nominees. The forementioned Drake (Find Your Love) and rock band Hedley (Perfect) are also in contention.

American rapper Eminem's critically acclaimed comeback album, Recovery, faces off against four of the biggest acts in the U.S. for the title of best international album: pop singers Katy Perry and Ke$ha (for Teenage Dream and Animal, respectively), country group Lady Antebellum (Need You Now) and pop-country chart-topper Taylor Swift (Speak Now).

Though best known for his blues-rock music, the late Jeff Healey earned a best vocal jazz album nomination on Tuesday for the posthumously released Last Call, which showcases the late musician's lesser known devotion to traditional jazz. His competition for the Juno trophy include four young female singers: Nikki Yanofsky (Nikki), Kellylee Evans (Nina), Laila Biali (Tracing Light) and Emilie-Claire Barlow (The Beat Goes On).

"It's great to be in a category that represents a lot of real musicians. People [who] are true consummate musicians," Barlow said after Tuesday's announcement.

The latest acknowledgement marks Barlow's fourth Juno nomination.

"It's icing on the cake," she said of being a nominee.

"It's just that extra bonus that you get, that kind of recognition. I'm going to continue making records, regardless if I win [...] but it certainly gives you a boost," added the singer, who will nonetheless be on the road performing her last show of her tour on the night of the gala.

"I'll be watching on TV" like all Canadians, she laughed.

After staging the Juno Awards show in different cities for nearly a decade, organizers announced in 2010 that the gala would return to Toronto for the upcoming anniversary edition on March 27.

Arcade Fire, Hedley, Down with Webster and Broken Social Scene are among those who will perform.

The ceremony will also include a tribute to Young, this year's recipient of the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award, and Shania Twain, who will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

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