2012 Juno Awards Nominees

The 2012 Juno Awards are set to take place on April 1st at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa – with the legendary William Shatner as its host. The lineup for the evening includes City and Colour, deadmau5, Hedley, Blue Rodeo, Feist and Nickelback, with Hey Rosetta! and Sarah McLachlan being the latest additions to what promises to be an exciting and entertaining event.

The six-piece Canadian indie rock band – Tim Baken, Adam Hogan, Phil Maloney, Josh Ward, Kinley Dowling and Romesh Thavanathan – have gained quite a reputation for their garage rock sound with a difference, as they incorporate violin, cello and piano in their multi-layered sound. The band’s last two albums – Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) (2008) and Seeds (2011 – were shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. Although they have been around since 2005, and claimed the 2006 Music NL awards for CBC Galaxie Rising Star of the Year, Group of the Year, Pop/Rock Group of the Year and Album of the Year for their debut album Plan Your Escape, Hey Rosetta! has been nominated in the New Group of the Year category for this year’s Juno Awards.

Nominees for the Juno Fan Choice Award are: Arcade Fire, Avril Lavigne, City and Colour, deadmau5, Drake, Ginette Reno, Hedley, Justin Bieber, Michael Bublé, Nickelback. Single of the Year nominees are City and Colour for Fragile Bird; Hedley for Invincible; Johnny Reid for Let’s Go Higher; Nickelback for When We Stand Together; and The Sheepdogs for I Don’t Know. Nominees for International Album of the Year include Adele for 21; Coldplay for Mylo Xyloto; Lady Gaga for Born This Way; LMFAO for Sorry For Party Rocking; and Rihanna for Loud. Competing for Artist of the Year are City and Colour, deadmau5, Drake, Feist, and Michael Bublé. Group of the Year nominees are Arkells, Down With Webster, Hedly, Nickelback and Sam Roberts Band. Other categories for the Juno Awards include New Artist of the Year; New Group of the Year; Songwriter of the Year; Country Album of the Year; Adult Alternative Album of the Year; Pop Album of the Year; Rock Album of the Year; Vocal Jazz Album of the Year; Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year; and Instrumental Album of the Year.

Making its debut in 1970 the annual Juno Awards have become a highlight on the Canadian music industry’s annual calendar of events, as they recognize outstanding achievements by Canadian musical artists. Depending on the category, winners are selected by members of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) or an independent panel of experts.