Today, the JUNO Awards announced their list of 2018 nominees, and among them the handful of Atlantic Canadians who will have to take on some heavyweights from across the country if they want to bring home some hardware. While we’re proud of our east coast artists, we’re questioning some of the other choices the JUNOs made.
From the east coast, Alvvays will be facing off against A Tribe Called Red, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, and Hedley for Group of the Year. Their album Antisocialities is also up for Alternative Album of the Year, against Land of Talk’s Life After Youth, Tanya Tagaq‘s Retribution, Arcade Fire‘s Everything Now and Weaves’ Wide Open.
Rose Cousins and Amelia Curran are both up for Songwriter of the Year against Scott Helman, Gord Downie & Kevin Drew, and Charlotte Cardin. Amelia Curran’s album Watershed is also up for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year against The Jerry Cans for Inuusiq, The Weather Station‘s self titled album, Bruce Cockburn‘s Bone on Bone and Buffy Sainte-Marie‘s Medicine Songs.
Ria Mae gets a nod for Pop Album of the Year with her album My Love, competing against Lights with Skin & Earth, Ruth B for Safe Haven, Scott Helman‘s Hôtel de Ville and Hedley for Cageless.
Of course the east coasters are going to play to their strengths with a very strong showing in the category of Traditional Roots Album of the Year. The East Pointers’ What We Leave Behind is in there with Cassie and Maggie for their The Willow Connection and Còig with Rove. They’ll be competing against Jayme Stone with Jayme Stone’s Folklife and The Dead South with Illusion & Doubt.
Naturally, Canada’s darlings Arcade Fire are at the forefront of the nominees with a total of four nods in the categories of Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Group of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year for their album Everything Now.
They’d also be remiss if they failed to mention Gord Downie, who received a nod for Artist of the Year, Adult Alternative Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year for his album Introduce Yerself (with Kevin Drew).
While the JUNO Awards might be the biggest party in Canada, and they’ve got a lot to pick and choose from, we know a lot of people tuned out at the first mention of Hedley. Their whole category for Rock Album of the Year looks like a train wreck that could have been pulled from the dregs of 2003 (except you, Death From Above. We love you.)
Nickelback – Feed the Machine
The Glorious Sons – Young Beauties and Fools
Theory of a Dead Man – Wake Up Call
Big Wreck – Grace Street
Death From Above – Outrage! Is Now
What’s that all about?