Meet The Juno Nominees: Measha Brueggergosman

She's the only soprano singer of this generation who has the chance to make opera cool to a younger generation. Measha Brueggergosman's name might put marbles in your mouth, but her voice is unforgettable. The classical album of the year: vocal or choral performance nominee hopes to break her 0-for-2 streak with Surprise. She's also hilarious.

ChartAttack: Don't be modest, how do you feel about being nominated?
Measha Brueggergosman: Uh, frickin' awesome. It would have been very embarrassing if I'd announced categories and then not been nominated, I mean, let's be honest. It's kind of like the first year I was nominated for a Juno and went and didn't win. That sucked. But I also then realized going to the Junos isn't necessarily about winning because it's one big party, and there's way more losers than winners, so I'm very excited to be in that pack of people who have not won.

Esteemed company.
We're the majority.

What was your musical highlight of the last year?
Well, nothing to do with music, but Jully Black's legs on the cover of her album were a real highlight for me. Everybody loved Feist's new album, and I'm absolutely on that bandwagon hardcore. I've been a huge fan of Loreena McKennitt forever and loved her album, loved Jann Arden's choice of repertoire on her new album of covers, Cover Me. I don't think there's much wrong going on in Canadian music right now. I think when there's an artist unashamed of putting expletives on their CD cover [Holy Fuck, who caused a pile of laughter during the nominee announcements], we're doing alright in terms of allowing them to be who they is.

Name something you'd do with your trophy other than put it on your mantle.
Yeah, I don't have one, and thank-you for bringing that up.

No — if you won.
You know, I'm so far removed from my [potential] Juno win that I don't even remember what the statue looks like. But all of my awards are on the top shelf of my bookcase in my office, and I can't even see them. So it would probably go there.

They just collect dust up there?
Oh, they get dusted. Sometimes I take them down and put them in their own individual miniature beds and tuck them in at night, but that's between you and me.

Triumph are this year's Canadian Music Hall Of Fame inductees. What's your favourite Triumph song?
My favourite Triumph song? I'm gonna go with — Lord, are you kidding? I'm an opera singer! I have no idea! I offered [Triumph member Gil Moore] change. No, honestly, what's your favourite Triumph song?

Feist or Avril, who wins in a cage fight?
I think Avril would try to scratch Feist's eyes out, but Feist would let her. Feist kind of has a sixth sense, and she has patience that belies her appearance. And I think Avril would think she won, but then she'd be asleep and Feist would creep into her room at night and really have at her. It's like a silent but deadly…

Musical assassin?
Musical assassin. The only word I could think of that are associated with silent and deadly are farts, so anything else is better.

Who is the first person you'll thank if you win?
Uh, probably the Lord, but not in that cheesy John 3:16 way. I just realize that no person is an island and all the blessings in my life, my parents and their support and all that stuff are mostly because of my church family, being a Maritimer.