2019 HERITAGE AWARD,
KEVIN WALTERS INDUSTRY BUILDER AWARD,
AND HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE TO BE ANNOUNCED
THIS SUMMER
MEMBER VOTING OPEN NOW UNTIL MAY 17
WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED DURING BREAKOUT WEST
IN WHITEHORSE, YT ON OCTOBER 3 & 5
The Western Canadian Music Alliance is excited to announce the incredible artists and members of the music industry that have been nominated for the 2019 Western Canadian Music Awards. The winners will be announced this fall at BreakOut West in Whitehorse, YT, taking place from October 2-6. The list of nominees can be found below, with the Heritage Award, Kevin Walters Industry Builder Award, and Hall Of Fame inductee to be announced this summer.
“We are excited to share our nominee names for the 2019 edition of the Western Canadian Awards!”exclaims BreakOut West Interim Executive Director, Nathalie Kleinschmit. “We saw nominees from all four western provinces and three northern territories this year, with a strong showing from the north, reflecting the dynamism that is taking place there. Our region is well-represented by the diversity and talent of our artists and the music they bring to the rest of Canada and beyond our borders.”
Voting is now open to members of all western Provincial or Territorial Music Industry Associations. All members will be sent an email regarding login information to vote (beginning today, Tuesday, April 30). Voting will conclude at midnight, Pacific Time, on Friday, May 17. Winners of the artistic categories will be announced on Thursday, October 3 at the WCMAwards Reception in Whitehorse, while the Industry and Specialty Award categories will be presented at the Industry Awards Brunch on Saturday, October 5.
2019 WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC AWARDS ARTISTIC NOMINEES
Blues Artist of the Year | Recording of the Year | |
Brandon Isaak – BC | Dan Mangan – BC | |
David Gogo – BC | Foxwarren – SK | |
Jack Semple – SK | Jill Barber – BC | |
James Buddy Rogers – BC | Pharis & Jason Romero – BC | |
Ndidi O – BC | Sarah MacDougall – YT | |
BreakOut Artist of the Year | Rock Artist of the Year (Sponsored by Stingray Music) | |
Dan Mangan – BC | Dan Mangan – BC | |
Foxwarren – SK | Foxwarren – SK | |
Nuela Charles – AB | Digawolf – NT | |
Snotty Nose Rez Kids – BC | Said The Whale – BC | |
Striker – AB | The Sheepdogs – SK | |
Children’s Artist of the Year | Roots Duo / Group of the Year | |
Ginalina – BC | Carmanah – BC | |
Raffi – BC | GhostBoy – AB | |
Rattle and Strum – AB | Pharis & Jason Romero – BC | |
Seanster and the Monsters – MB | Rosie & the Riveters – SK | |
The Oot n’ Oots – BC | Tri-Continental – AB / BC | |
Classical Artist / Ensemble of the Year (Sponsored by Canadian Music Centre [CMC]) |
Roots Solo Artist of the Year | |
Land’s End Ensemble – AB | Belle Plaine – SK | |
Turning Point Ensemble – BC | Joe Nolan – AB | |
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra – MB | John Wort Hannam – AB | |
Vancouver Chamber Choir – BC | Mariel Buckley – AB | |
Carmen Braden – NT | Micah Erenberg – MB | |
Classical Composer of the Year | Songwriter(s) of the Year (Sponsored by The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada [SOCAN]) | |
Allan Gordon Bell – AB | Dan Mangan, Cold In The Summer – BC | |
Carmen Braden – NT | Jill Barber and Ryan Guldemond. Girl’s Gotta Do – BC | |
Farshid Samandari – BC | Mariel Buckley, Rose Coloured Frames – AB | |
Laurie Radford – AB | Pharis Romero – Pharis & Jason Romero, Sweet Old Religion – BC | |
Owen Underhill – BC | Roman Clarke, Waiting – MB | |
Country Artist of the Year | Spiritual Artist of the Year | |
Aaron Pritchett – BC | Chelsea Amber – BC | |
Brett Kissel – AB | Ms.PANIK – BC | |
Dan Davidson – AB | West of Here – AB | |
George Canyon – AB | Urban Artist of the Year | |
Hunter Brothers – SK | Hooper Turnt Sanger – BC | |
LOA – SK | ||
Electronic / Dance Artist of the Year | Samurai Champs – SK | |
SHEA – MB | ||
Dirty Radio – BC | Tiny Havoc – BC | |
Humans – BC | ||
I M U R – BC | Video Director of the Year | |
Soulier – AB | ||
Talltale – AB | Danie Easton – Madison Olds, Thank You – BC | |
Eric Peterson – Yes We Mystic, Young Evil – MB | ||
Francophone Artist of the Year (Sponsored by Association des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique [APCM]) | Johnny Jansen – Said The Whale, UnAmerican – BC | |
Peter Ricq – Humans, Breakfast With Liz – BC | ||
Alpha Toshineza – MB | Travis Nesbitt – The Dungarees, Don’t Hold Back – AB | |
Ponteix – SK | ||
Rayannah – MB | Visual Media Composer of the Year | |
Shawn Jobin – SK | ||
Vaero – SK | Brett Elliot – Church of Zombie, Welcome to the Church – YT | |
Burnett/Schmidt, Reawaken (Movements I-V) – AB | ||
Indigenous Artist of the Year | Jared Robinson, Canadian Mental Health Association 100 Year Anniversary – SK | |
Jeffery Straker, The Storm Orchestral – SK | ||
Carsen Gray – BC | Tim Brown, Run for Your Life – AB | |
Digawolf – NT | ||
Diyet & the Love Soldiers – YT | World Artist of the Year | |
Hellnback – MB | ||
Northern Haze – NV | Buckman Coe – BC | |
Montuno West – AB | ||
Instrumental Artist of the Year | Portiia – BC | |
Ryan Timoffee – AB | ||
Apollo Suns – MB | TANGA – BC | |
Five Alarm Funk – BC | ||
Gordon Grdina’s The Marrow – BC | 2019 WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC AWARDS INDUSTRY NOMINEES | |
Signs & Letters – AB | ||
West of Mabou – SK | Audio Engineering Award | |
Jazz Artist of the Year | Ben Kaplan, Fader Mountain Sound – BC | |
Scott Franchuk, Riverdale Recorders – AB | ||
Al Muirhead – SK | Sheldon Zaharko, Zed Productions – BC | |
BC Double Quartet – BC | Spencer Cheyne, OCL Studios – AB | |
Hard Rubber Orchestra – BC | Steve Bays – BC | |
Jodi Proznick – BC | ||
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra – MB | Community Excellence Award | |
Metal / Hard Music Artist of the Year | National Music Centre – AB | |
The Dungarees – 24 Hour Gigathon – AB | ||
Hunting Giants – BC | The Park Show – BC | |
Neck of the Woods – BC | The Village Idiots – MB | |
Shooting Guns – SK | West End Cultural Centre – MB | |
Striker – AB | ||
tunic – MB | Excellence in Visual Design | |
Pop Artist of the Year | Bronwin Parks – Feisty Creative – BC | |
Chris Morin – SK | ||
Begonia – MB | Jadyn Klassen – MB | |
Jill Barber – BC | Roberta Landreth – MB | |
Madison Olds – BC | Shalom Toy – Cosmic Cavern Design – AB | |
Royal Canoe – MB | ||
Sarah MacDougall – YT | Impact in Artistic Development | |
Producer of the Year | Dan Mangan, Arts & Crafts Productions – BC | |
Jessica Marsh, JAM Music Mgmt – AB | ||
Ben Kaplan, Fader Mountain Sound – BC | National Music Centre – AB | |
Madeleine Roger & Lloyd Peterson – MB | Paquin Artists Agency – MB | |
Rayannah & Mario Lepage – MB / SK | The Feldman Agency – BC | |
Ryan Worsley, Echoplant Sound – BC | ||
Steve Bays – BC | Impact in Live Music | |
Rap / Hip Hop Artist of the Year | Adam Oppenheim – Stampede Entertainment Inc. – AB | |
Dan Mangan – Arts & Crafts Productions – BC | ||
Alpha Toshineza – MB | Paquin Artists Agency – MB | |
Bdice – BC | West End Cultural Centre – MB | |
Merkules – BC | Winnipeg Folk Festival – MB | |
Snak the Ripper – BC | ||
Vials – BC | Impact in Music Marketing | |
Matt Olah – Calgary Folk Fest / Soaring Eagle Records – AB | ||
National Music Centre – AB | ||
The Village Idiots – MB | ||
West End Cultural Centre – MB | ||
Winnipeg Folk Festival – MB |
About BreakOut West
BreakOut West is an annual gathering to celebrate, develop and support the best of western Canadian music, taking place this year in Whitehorse, Yukon from October 2-6, 2019. Western Canadian artists are developing sustainable careers of national and international scope, and BreakOut West is an integral component of this development. Through the annual conference and festival, industry from around the world and western Canadian artists are given the opportunity to connect, share their talent, explore opportunities and grow. The event consists of the BreakOut West Festival, with over 100 shows, the Western Canadian Music Awards, as well as the conference itself with educational panels, networking events, and so much more.
The Western Canadian Music Alliance is funded in part by the six provincial and territorial governments of western Canada. BreakOut West and the Western Canadian Music Awards are generously funded by FACTOR, Musicaction, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters, along Whitehorse host partners, and event sponsors and funders, notably the Government of Yukon.