WCMA Nominees Announced

Chad VanGaalen leads the list of nominees for this year's Western Canadian Music Awards.

VanGaalen picked up three nods — songwriter of the year, best multimedia for his "Molten Light" video and rock album of the year for last year's Polaris Music Prize short listed Soft Airplane — for the awards, which will be held Sept. 20 in Brandon, Man.

The Waking Eyes, The Duhks, Scott Nolan, Romi Mayes and aboriginal throat singer Tanya Tagaq each have two nominations apiece.

Celtic musician Loreena McKennitt will be a keynote speaker during the WCMA Awards Brunch on Sept 19. McKennitt will also be inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall Of Fame during the conference leading up to the awards.

The full list of nominees can be found on the WCMAs website.

Here are some of this year's Western Canadian Music Awards Nominees:

Aboriginal Recording:
Billy Joe Green — First Law Of The Land
Eagle And Hawk — Sirensong
Inez — Singsoulgirl
Tanya Tagaq — Auk
Team Rezofficial — The World (And Everything In It)

Independent Album:
Hot Panda — Volcano... Bloody Volcano
Library Voices — Hunting Ghosts (And Other Collected Shorts)
The Sheepdogs — The Sheepdogs' Big Stand
Shout Out Out Out Out — Reintegration Time
The Waking Eyes — Holding On To Whatever It Is

Pop Recording:
The Awkward Stage — Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights
Carly Rae Jepsen — Tug Of War
Hey Ocean — It's Easier To Be Somebody Else
JP Hoe — The Dear John Letters
Marianas Trench — Masterpiece Theatre
Record Of The Week Club — Record Of The Week Club

Rap And Hip Hop Recording:
Dragon Fli Empire — Redefine
Grand Analog — Touch Your Toes
The Mavericks Team — Election Year
Moka Only — Carrots And Eggs
Sweatshop Union — Water Street

Rock Recording:
54-40 — Northern Soul
Chad VanGaalen — Soft Airplane
The Pack A.D. — Funeral Mix Tape
Theory Of A Deadman — Scars & Souvenirs
The Waking Eyes — Holding On To Whatever It Is

Roots Duo/Group Recording:
Chic Gamine — Chic Gamine
The Deep Dark Woods — Winter Hours
The Duhks — Fast Paced World
Oh My Darling — Oh My Darling
Scott Nolan — Receiver/Reflector

Roots Solo Recording:
Dan Mangan — Roboteering
Geoff Berner — Klezmer Mongrels
Ndidi Onukwulu — The Contradictor
Romi Mayes — Achin In Yer Bones
Steve Dawson — Waiting For The Lights To Come Up

Songwriter:
Chad VanGaalen — Soft Airplane
The Duhks — Fast Paced World
JP Hoe — The Dear John Letters
Romi Mayes — Achin In Yer Bones
Scott Nolan — Receiver/Reflector

Urban Recording:
Ishq Bector — DAKKU DADDY
Krystle Dos Santos — Krystle Dos Santos
Paramedic — Love, Doubt And Soul
Skavenjah — One More Night With You
Souls In Rhythm — Funklore

World Recording:
Delhi 2 Dublin — Delhi 2 Dublin
Electrip — ... A Musical Journey
Fito Garcia — Mi Bajo Rumbero
Kalabai — Hopaks And Baniaks
Tanya Tagaq — Auk