Corb Lund And Jann Arden Lead Western Canadian Music Awards Nominees

09/19/06 6:30pm

Corb Lund and Jann Arden are the leading nominees, with four nods each, for the Western Canadian Music Awards, which take place on October 22 at Winnipeg's Burton Cummings Theatre.

Lund, the singing cowboy, was nominated for entertainer and songwriter of the year, as well as outstanding independent album and roots recording. Fellow Albertan Arden also received entertainer and songwriter nominations, and is also up for best pop recording and producer. Other multiple nominees include The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir, Bif Naked, The Bills, Michael Buble, The Cruzeros, Hedley, Diana Krall, Harry Manx, The New Pornographers, Nickelback and The Road Hammers.

The WCMAs recognize recording artists from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C. and the Yukon in 19 categories. A Hall Of Fame inductee from the host province is chosen every year, and this year's recipient will be Harlequin. The awards show will be hosted by children's entertainer Al Simmons and HOT 103 morning show host Ace Burpee.

In addition to the show, an October 19 to 21 music festival will be staged at clubs throughout Winnipeg. A music industry conference will be held at the Fort Garry Hotel.

Here are this year's WCMA nominees:

Aboriginal Recording:
Andrea Menard — Simple Steps
Art Napoleon — Miyoskamin
Don Freed — The Valley Of Green And Blue
Donna Kay — The Journey
Eagle & Hawk — Life Is

Blues Recording:
Doug Cox & Sam Hurrie — Hungry Ghosts
Little Miss Higgins — Cobbler Shop Sessions
Richie Pollack — Stew
The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir — Fighting And Onions
The Perpetrators — The Gas And The Clutch

Children's Recording:
Bob King — How The West Was Fun
Graham Walker — Fiddlesticks
Lana Rae — I Gotta Be Me!
Rick Scott — Snooze Music
She — Shimmy Shimmy With She

Christian Recording:
Ade — 4954
Corey Doak — Light On The Darkest Line
Fresh I.E. — Truth Is Fallin' In Tha Streetz
Janelle — Livin' For Something
Meghan Pierce — Meghan Pierce

Classical Composition:
Cheryl Cooney — Designs
John Oliver — Dust
Joseph Petric/Jocelyn Morlock — Curvlinear
Neil Currie — Rhapsody
Stephen Chatman — Piano Quintet

Classical Recording:
Alexander Tselyakov — Alexander Tselyakov Plays Variation On The Theme Of Paganini
Chenoa Anderson — Big Flutes
Land's End Chamber — Rollin' Down #1
Robert Silverman — Starry, Starry Night
Van Mourik And Foreman — En Blanc Et Noir

Country Recording:
Aaron Pritchett — Big Wheel
Brad Johner — Summer Town Road
The Cruzeros — Scandelosa
The Poverty Plainsmen — Lap Of Luxury
The Road Hammers — The Road Hammers

Entertainer:
Corb Lund
Jann Arden
Michael Buble
The Bills
The Road Hammers

Francophone Recording:
Francois Tremblay — Independant
La Raquette A Claquettes — Quand La Pluie Viendra
Les Cireux D'Semelles — De L'Est A L'Ouest
Nadia Gaudet — La Honte

Independent Album:
Au4 — On: Audio
Corb Lund — Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer
Madrigaia — Pleiades
The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir — Fighting And Onions
The New Pornographers — Twin Cinema

Instrumental Recording:
Art Turner — Sonora
Ivonne Hernandez — In Time
Jaime RT — Reach
Joel Fafard — And Another Thing
Simon Budd — The Wait Is Over

Jazz Recording:
Bomba — Entre Sol Y Luz
Brad Turner Quartet — What Is
Denzal Sinclaire — My One And Only Love
Hutchinson Andrew Trio — Lost But Not Forgotten
Marc Atkinson Trio — III
The Ian McDougall Quintet — In A Sentimental Mood

Major Label Album:
Diana Krall — Christmas Songs
Hedley — Hedley
Jann Arden — Jann Arden
Michael Buble — It's Time
Nickelback — All The Right Reasons

Pop Recording:
Daniel Powter — Daniel Powter
Jann Arden — Jann Arden
Michael Buble — It's Time
Paper Moon — Broken Hearts Break Faster Everyday
Rosette — Uh Oh

Producer:
Jann Arden/Russell Brom — Jann Arden
Jeff Dawson/Mitchell Froom — Daniel Powter
Tommy LiPuma/Diana Krall — Christmas Songs (Diana Krall)
Jordy Sharp — Mantras For Madmen (Harry Manx)
The Cruzeros — Scandelosa (The Cruzeros)

Rap/Hip-Hop Recording:
Mood Ruff — I Do My Own Stunts
Paramedic — Paramedic
Park-Like Setting — Craftsmen
Sweatshop Union — United We Fall
Syndicate Villain — Army Of One
The Chicharones — When Pigs Fly

Rock Recording:
Bif Naked — Superbeautifulmonster
Hedley — Hedley
Nickelback — All The Right Reasons
Rich Hope — Rich Hope & His Evil Doers
The New Pornographers — Twin Cinema

Roots Recording:
Angela Harris — Roots
Corb Lund — Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer
Harry Manx — Mantras For Madmen
Karla Anderson — The Embassy Sessions
Steve Dawson — We Belong To The Gold Coast

Songwriter:
Alana Levandoski — Unsettled Down
Corb Lund — Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer
Harry Manx — Mantras For Madmen
Jann Arden/Russell Broom — Jann Arden
Ridley Bent — Blam

Video:
Bif Naked — "Let Down" (Director: Peter Karroll)
Novillero — "The Hypothesist" (Director: Caelum Vatnsdal and Simon Hughes)
The Bills — "Old Blue Bridge" (Director: Rugged Media)
The New Pornographers — "Sing Me Spanish Techno" (Director: Michael Palmieri)
Veda Hille — "Bedlam!" (Director: Quinne Rodgers)