Pop singer Ruth B, Nickelback and pianist Jan Lisiecki among 10 Alberta acts to watch at 2018 Juno Awards
Rachel Ward, Katherine Duncan | CBC News | Posted: March 23, 2018 6:44 PM | Last Updated: March 23, 2018
9 score nominations as veteran artist Jann Arden leads keynote songwriters' circle
Alberta's music scene will be well represented at this weekend's Juno Awards with nods to a couple big hitters and a range of genres.
The Canadian music awards will be handed out Saturday and Sunday at the Vancouver ceremonies. Sunday night's presentations will be broadcast by CBC TV and Radio.
Pop singer Ruth B of Edmonton is up for three key awards — Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Pop Album of the Year — against big name artists.
For Album of the Year, her album Safe Haven is facing off against Johnny Reid for Revival, Arcade Fire for Everything Now, Michael Buble with Nobody But Me and Shania Twain with Now.
"She's in very, very fine company there. That's a tight, tight category, Album of the Year," CBC Key of A host Katherine Duncan told the Calgary Eyeopener on Friday.
"Pop Album of the Year, though, not such heavy hitters in that category, so I'm hoping that Ruth B might win a Juno."
The pop singer rose quickly a few years ago thanks to short videos on Vine, and last year she won a Juno for Breakout Artist of the Year.
Listen to Ruth B's single, Lost Boy:
Out of central Alberta, Nickelback is up for Rock Album.
The group, from the small town of Hanna, has been called Canada's biggest rock 'n' roll export yet is widely disliked. The Juno nod to Feed the Machine is a good sign for fans, however.
"Rumours of a world tour later this year and apparently rumours they're working on a new album," Duncan said. "So Nickelback fans have a lot to look forward to."
The band is up against Death from Above, The Glorious Son, Theory and Big Wreck.
Alberta musicians are making a mark across genres. In Edmonton, four women and a metal band are up for awards:
Nuela Charles' new album, The Grand Hustle, is up against Michael Buble and Johnny Reid for Adult Contemporary Album.
Kreesha Turner, of Edmonton, and K'Coneil are nominated in Reggae Recording for their mix of pop, R&B, hiphop, reggae and world music for the track Love How You Whine on the same-titled album.
Kapri, raised in Edmonton and now living in Toronto, has her debut single, Deeper, nominated for Dance Recording. The song has surpassed Spotify streams of ones by Justin Bieber.
Striker is seeing its self-titled album nominated for Metal/Hard Music Album. The group is set to record a new album in Sweden this year.
Blues and classical
Tim Williams of Calgary is nominated for Blues Album with Williams, Wayne and Isaak for Big City, Back Country Blues.
A 23-year-old, Calgary-raised pianist Jan Lisiecki is up for the hotly contested Classical Album, Large Ensemble, with the German DR Elbphilharmonie Orchester for Chopin: Works for Piano and Orchestra.
Lisiecki is "doing really well internationally and has a big career and he's still a very, very young man," Duncan said.
He also celebrated a birthday Friday ahead of his big weekend.
Composer Vincent Ho of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and University of Calgary is nominated for Classical Composition for The Shaman.
Calgary's Jann Arden and her long-time producer, Bob Rock, are co-hosting the Juno songwriter's circle Sunday afternoon, which will be broadcast on CBC Music and CBC Radio.
The songwriter's circle is one of the key events of Juno weekend every year — and Ruth B is one of the artists on that lineup.
Both Arden and Ruth B will be presenting Juno Awards, as well.
- MORE ALBERTA NEWS | Calgary's freeze-thaw cycle turns some homes into lakefront property
- MORE ALBERTA NEWS | Sales tax: The unpopular idea that just won't die
- MORE ALBERTA NEWS | Growing number of newcomers settling 'a blessing' and a challenge, immigration society head says
With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.