Not only does Canadian Music Week include a massive festival with a huge bill of performers, it culminates in the Independent Music Awards. May 10 marks the 14th annual instalment of the Indies, and this year's nominees and performers have now been confirmed.
As one would expect, the nominees are a who's who of Canadian indie music. Artists up for multiple prizes include Arcade Fire, Shad, City and Colour, the Weeknd, Hollerado, Classified, Basia Bulat, Mother Mother, Born Ruffians, Mounties, PUP, SonReal, Rich Kidd, July Talk, Daniel Romano, Hayden, Monster Truck, Ponctuation and Maylee Todd.
Some other notable nominees include Hannah Georgas, Said the Whale, Austra, Brendan Canning, Tim Hecker, deadmau5, the Sadies, Ryan Hemsworth, Colin Stetson, Voivod, KEN Mode, Gorguts and more.
There are also a number of international categories that recognize acts like Arctic Monkeys, Kurt Vile, Disclosure, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Chance the Rapper, My Bloody Valentine, Queens of the Stone Age, Neko Case, the National and more.
See the full list of nominees below.
Winners will be decide public and industry votes. Fans can vote online here starting on March 31. Those who come out on top in the Emerging Artist of the Year categories (in both French and English) will each get a $5,000 bursary.
Performers at the ceremony at Toronto's Kool Haus include Hollerado, Mounties, Born Ruffians, Ponctuation and the Strumbellas. Sweden's Little Dragon will headline the show, along with the Hidden Cameras. Sirius XM's Jeff Leake will host, and the event will be broadcast live to the station's subscribers. Tickets for the show go on sale today (March 21).
Canadian music week runs from May 6 to 10.
Album of the Year:
Arcade Fire - Reflektor (Merge Records)
Basia Bulat - Tall Tall Shadow (Secret City Records)
City and Colour - The Hurry and the Harm (Dine Alone Records)
Shad - Flying Colours (Black Box Recordings)
The Weeknd - Kiss Land (CP Music Group)
Single of the Year:
City and Colour - "The Lonely Life" (Dine Alone Records)
Classified - "Inner Ninja" ft. David Myles (Black Box Recordings)
Head of the Herd - "By This Time Tomorrow" (Independent)
July Talk - "Guns & Ammunition" (July Talk / Sleepless Records)
Mounties - "Headphones" (Light Organ Records)
Group or Duo of the Year:
Born Ruffians (Paper Bag Records)
Half Moon Run (Indica Records)
Hollerado (Royal Mountain Records)
Monster Truck (Dine Alone Records)
Mother Mother (Last Gang Records)
Artist of the Year:
Basia Bulat (Secret City Records)
City and Colour (Dine Alone Records)
Classified (Black Box Recordings)
Shad (Black Box Recordings)
The Weeknd (CP Music Group)
Female Artist of the Year:
Basia Bulat (Secret City Records)
Hannah Georgas (Dine Alone Records)
Jessy Lanza (Geej Recordings / Hyperdub)
Maylee Todd (Do Right! Music)
Mia Martina (CP Music Group)
Male Artist of the Year:
Brendan Canning (Draper Street / SQE)
Daniel Romano (Normaltown Records)
Hayden (Arts And Crafts)
Sebastien Grainger (Last Gang Records)
Tim Hecker (Paper Bag Records)
Live Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
City and Colour (Dine Alone Records)
Half Moon Run (Indica Records)
Hollerado (Royal Mountain Records)
USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) (Coalition Music)
Wildlife (Wax Records)
Songwriter of the Year:
Basia Bulat (Secret City Records)
Belly (CP Music Group)
Hayden (Arts And Crafts)
Jenson Vaughan (Ultra Music)
Mother Mother (Last Gang Records)
Video of the Year:
Arcade Fire – "Reflektor" (Merge Records)
City and Colour - "Thirst" (Dine Alone Records)
Hollerado - "So It Goes" (Royal Mountain Records)
Said The Whale - "I Love You" (Hidden Pony Records)
Shad - "Remember to Remember" ft. Lights (Black Box Recordings)
Must Follow Artist of the Year:
Born Ruffians (Paper Bag Records)
City and Colour (Dine Alone Records)
Massari (CP Music Group)
Mia Martina (CP Music Group)
The Weeknd (CP Music Group)
Collaboration of the Year:
Classified - "Inner Ninja" ft. David Myles (Black Box Recordings)
JRDN - "Can't Choose" ft. Kardinal Offishall (Maple Music Recordings)
SonReal & Rich Kidd - The Closers (Black Box Recordings)
The Weeknd - "Live For" ft. Drake (CP Music Group)
Tim Chaisson - "Beat This Heart" ft. Serena Ryder (Bumstead Productions)
Most Played Independent Aritst/Group or Duo of the Year:
City and Colour (Dine Alone Records)
Classified (Black Box Recordings)
Head of the Herd (Head of the Herd)
J.V. Project (Ultra Music)
Monster Truck (Dine Alone Records)
Best-Selling Independent Release of the Year:
Arcade Fire – Reflektor (Merge Records)
City and Colour - The Hurry and the Harm (Dine Alone Records)
Classified – "Inner Ninja" ft. David Myles (Black Box Recordings)
deadmau5 - > album title goes here < (Ultra Music)
Monster Truck – Furiosity (Dine Alone Records)
Alternative Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
July Talk (July Talk / Sleepless Records)
Suuns (Secret City Records)
The Darcys (Arts And Crafts)
We Are Wolves (Dare To Care Records)
Wildlife (Wax Records)
Blues Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
David Gogo (Cordova Bay Records)
Downchild (eOne Music Canada)
Little Miss Higgins & The Winnipeg Five (Independent)
MonkeyJunk (Stony Plain Records)
Sunday Wilde (Independent)
Children's Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Charlie Hope (Independent)
Gary Rasberry (Independent)
Helen Austin (Independent)
Marlowe & the MiX (Independent)
Splash'N Boots (Independent)
Country Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Daniel Romano (Normaltown Records)
Dean Brody (Maple Music Recordings)
Small Town Pistols (604 Records)
The Good Family (Latent Recordings)
Tim Hicks (Maple Music Recordings)
Dance Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Born Gold (Independent)
J.V. Project (Ultra Music)
Mia Martina (CP Music Group)
Porsha (Ultra Music)
Rosette (Ultra Music)
Electronic Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
A Tribe Called Red (Pirates Blend Records)
Austra (Paper Bag Records)
Braids (Flemish Eye)
Pick a Piper (Mint Records)
Ryan Hemsworth (Last Gang Records)
Folk/Roots Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Basia Bulat (Secret City Records)
Lee Harvey Osmond (Maple Music Recordings)
The Deep Dark Woods (Six Shooter Records)
The Sadies (Outside Music)
The Strumbellas (Six Shooter Records)
Francophone Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Alex Nevsky (Audiogram)
Hôtel Morphée (Audiogram)
Jason Bajada (Audiogram)
Karim Ouellet (Coyote Records / Abuzive Muzik)
Ponctuation (Bonsound)
Jazz Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Chet Doxas (Addo)
Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra (Justin Time)
Colin Stetson (Constellation)
Diana Panton (eOne Music Canada)
Matt Dusk (eOne Music Canada)
Metal Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Blood Ceremony (Metal Blade)
Gorguts (Season of Mist)
Kataklysm (Maple Music Recordings)
KEN mode (New Damage Records)
Voivod (Century Media)
Pop Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Fast Romantics (Pipe & Hat)
Groenland (Bonsound)
JRDN (Maple Music Recordings)
Mise en Scene (Pipe & Hat)
Two Hours Traffic (Bumstead Productions)
Punk/Hardcore Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Cancer Bats (Maple Music Recordings)
Protest The Hero (Independent)
PUP (Royal Mountain Records)
The Flatliners (New Damage Records)
The Mahones (eOne Music Canada)
Rap/Hip-Hop Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Classified (Black Box Recordings)
Grand Analog (Independent)
Rich Kidd (Black Box Recordings)
Shad (Black Box Recordings)
SonReal (Black Box Recordings)
Rock Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Danko Jones (Hidden Pony Records)
Monster Truck (Dine Alone Records)
One Bad Son (604 Records)
The Balconies (Coalition Music)
Wildlife (Wax Records)
Soul/R&B Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Chloe Charles (Athena Music International)
Jessy Lanza (Hyperdub)
Maylee Todd (Do Right! Music)
Nuela Charles (Independent)
Zaki Ibrahim (Pirates Blend Records)
World Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
David Buchbinder & Odessa/Havana (Tzadik)
Jaron Freeman-Fox & the Opposite of Everything (Independent)
Kobo Town (Independent)
Lemon Bucket Orkestra (Independent)
Sultans of String (Independent)
International Group or Duo of the Year:
Disclosure (PMR Records)
Foals (Transgressive)
Jimmy Eat World (Dine Alone Records)
The National (4AD)
Vampire Weekend (XL Recordings)
International Artist of the Year:
Blood Orange (Domino)
Danny Brown (Fool's Gold Records)
Janelle Monáe (Wondaland Art Society / Bad Boy Records)
Kurt Vile (Matador Records)
Neko Case (Anti-)
International Album of the Year:
Arctic Monkeys – AM (Domino)
Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap (MTC Records)
Disclosure – Settle (PMR Records)
My Bloody Valentine - m b v (Independent)
Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork (Matador Records)
International Single of the Year:
Arctic Monkeys - "Do I Wanna Know?" (Domino)
Capital Cities - "Safe and Sound" (Lazy Hooks)
Icona Pop - "I Love It" ft. Charli XCX (TEN Music Group)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Can't Hold Us" (Macklemore)
Vampire Weekend - "Diane Young" (XL Recordings)
International Breakthrough Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Chance The Rapper (MTC Records)
CHVRCHES (Glassnote Records)
Disclosure (PMR Records)
MS MR (IAMSOUND Records)
Phantogram (Indica Records)
International Video of the Year:
Atoms For Peace – "Ingenue" (XL Recordings)
Calvin Harris - "Sweet Nothing" ft. Florence Welch (Ultra Music)
Janelle Monáe – "Q.U.E.E.N." ft. Erykah Badu (Wondaland Art Society / Bad Boy Records)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Can't Hold Us: (Macklemore)
Phoenix - "Trying to Be Cool" (Glassnote Records)
SiriusXM Emerging Artist of the Year (English):
Fur Trade (Last Gang Records)
The Glorious Sons (Black Box Recordings)
Head of the Herd (Independent)
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald (Trauma2 Records)
The Matinee (Light Organ Records)
The Motorleague (Sonic Records)
Mounties (Light Organ Records)
PUP (Royal Mountain Records)
Royal Canoe (Nevado Records)
Wake Owl (Rezolute Music)
SiriusXM Emerging Artist of the Year (French):
Jason Bajada (Audiogram)
Keith Kouna (L-A be)
Klô Pelgag (Coyote Records / Abuzive Muzik)
Lac Estion (Poulet Neige)
Les Hay Babies (Simone Records)
Oothèque (Bonsound)
Ponctuation (Bonsound)
Rouge Pompier (Slam Disques)
Sally Folk (Entourage Musique)
VioleTT Pi (L-A be)
As one would expect, the nominees are a who's who of Canadian indie music. Artists up for multiple prizes include Arcade Fire, Shad, City and Colour, the Weeknd, Hollerado, Classified, Basia Bulat, Mother Mother, Born Ruffians, Mounties, PUP, SonReal, Rich Kidd, July Talk, Daniel Romano, Hayden, Monster Truck, Ponctuation and Maylee Todd.
Some other notable nominees include Hannah Georgas, Said the Whale, Austra, Brendan Canning, Tim Hecker, deadmau5, the Sadies, Ryan Hemsworth, Colin Stetson, Voivod, KEN Mode, Gorguts and more.
There are also a number of international categories that recognize acts like Arctic Monkeys, Kurt Vile, Disclosure, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Chance the Rapper, My Bloody Valentine, Queens of the Stone Age, Neko Case, the National and more.
See the full list of nominees below.
Winners will be decide public and industry votes. Fans can vote online here starting on March 31. Those who come out on top in the Emerging Artist of the Year categories (in both French and English) will each get a $5,000 bursary.
Performers at the ceremony at Toronto's Kool Haus include Hollerado, Mounties, Born Ruffians, Ponctuation and the Strumbellas. Sweden's Little Dragon will headline the show, along with the Hidden Cameras. Sirius XM's Jeff Leake will host, and the event will be broadcast live to the station's subscribers. Tickets for the show go on sale today (March 21).
Canadian music week runs from May 6 to 10.
Album of the Year:
Arcade Fire - Reflektor (Merge Records)
Basia Bulat - Tall Tall Shadow (Secret City Records)
City and Colour - The Hurry and the Harm (Dine Alone Records)
Shad - Flying Colours (Black Box Recordings)
The Weeknd - Kiss Land (CP Music Group)
Single of the Year:
City and Colour - "The Lonely Life" (Dine Alone Records)
Classified - "Inner Ninja" ft. David Myles (Black Box Recordings)
Head of the Herd - "By This Time Tomorrow" (Independent)
July Talk - "Guns & Ammunition" (July Talk / Sleepless Records)
Mounties - "Headphones" (Light Organ Records)
Group or Duo of the Year:
Born Ruffians (Paper Bag Records)
Half Moon Run (Indica Records)
Hollerado (Royal Mountain Records)
Monster Truck (Dine Alone Records)
Mother Mother (Last Gang Records)
Artist of the Year:
Basia Bulat (Secret City Records)
City and Colour (Dine Alone Records)
Classified (Black Box Recordings)
Shad (Black Box Recordings)
The Weeknd (CP Music Group)
Female Artist of the Year:
Basia Bulat (Secret City Records)
Hannah Georgas (Dine Alone Records)
Jessy Lanza (Geej Recordings / Hyperdub)
Maylee Todd (Do Right! Music)
Mia Martina (CP Music Group)
Male Artist of the Year:
Brendan Canning (Draper Street / SQE)
Daniel Romano (Normaltown Records)
Hayden (Arts And Crafts)
Sebastien Grainger (Last Gang Records)
Tim Hecker (Paper Bag Records)
Live Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
City and Colour (Dine Alone Records)
Half Moon Run (Indica Records)
Hollerado (Royal Mountain Records)
USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) (Coalition Music)
Wildlife (Wax Records)
Songwriter of the Year:
Basia Bulat (Secret City Records)
Belly (CP Music Group)
Hayden (Arts And Crafts)
Jenson Vaughan (Ultra Music)
Mother Mother (Last Gang Records)
Video of the Year:
Arcade Fire – "Reflektor" (Merge Records)
City and Colour - "Thirst" (Dine Alone Records)
Hollerado - "So It Goes" (Royal Mountain Records)
Said The Whale - "I Love You" (Hidden Pony Records)
Shad - "Remember to Remember" ft. Lights (Black Box Recordings)
Must Follow Artist of the Year:
Born Ruffians (Paper Bag Records)
City and Colour (Dine Alone Records)
Massari (CP Music Group)
Mia Martina (CP Music Group)
The Weeknd (CP Music Group)
Collaboration of the Year:
Classified - "Inner Ninja" ft. David Myles (Black Box Recordings)
JRDN - "Can't Choose" ft. Kardinal Offishall (Maple Music Recordings)
SonReal & Rich Kidd - The Closers (Black Box Recordings)
The Weeknd - "Live For" ft. Drake (CP Music Group)
Tim Chaisson - "Beat This Heart" ft. Serena Ryder (Bumstead Productions)
Most Played Independent Aritst/Group or Duo of the Year:
City and Colour (Dine Alone Records)
Classified (Black Box Recordings)
Head of the Herd (Head of the Herd)
J.V. Project (Ultra Music)
Monster Truck (Dine Alone Records)
Best-Selling Independent Release of the Year:
Arcade Fire – Reflektor (Merge Records)
City and Colour - The Hurry and the Harm (Dine Alone Records)
Classified – "Inner Ninja" ft. David Myles (Black Box Recordings)
deadmau5 - > album title goes here < (Ultra Music)
Monster Truck – Furiosity (Dine Alone Records)
Alternative Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
July Talk (July Talk / Sleepless Records)
Suuns (Secret City Records)
The Darcys (Arts And Crafts)
We Are Wolves (Dare To Care Records)
Wildlife (Wax Records)
Blues Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
David Gogo (Cordova Bay Records)
Downchild (eOne Music Canada)
Little Miss Higgins & The Winnipeg Five (Independent)
MonkeyJunk (Stony Plain Records)
Sunday Wilde (Independent)
Children's Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Charlie Hope (Independent)
Gary Rasberry (Independent)
Helen Austin (Independent)
Marlowe & the MiX (Independent)
Splash'N Boots (Independent)
Country Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Daniel Romano (Normaltown Records)
Dean Brody (Maple Music Recordings)
Small Town Pistols (604 Records)
The Good Family (Latent Recordings)
Tim Hicks (Maple Music Recordings)
Dance Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Born Gold (Independent)
J.V. Project (Ultra Music)
Mia Martina (CP Music Group)
Porsha (Ultra Music)
Rosette (Ultra Music)
Electronic Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
A Tribe Called Red (Pirates Blend Records)
Austra (Paper Bag Records)
Braids (Flemish Eye)
Pick a Piper (Mint Records)
Ryan Hemsworth (Last Gang Records)
Folk/Roots Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Basia Bulat (Secret City Records)
Lee Harvey Osmond (Maple Music Recordings)
The Deep Dark Woods (Six Shooter Records)
The Sadies (Outside Music)
The Strumbellas (Six Shooter Records)
Francophone Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Alex Nevsky (Audiogram)
Hôtel Morphée (Audiogram)
Jason Bajada (Audiogram)
Karim Ouellet (Coyote Records / Abuzive Muzik)
Ponctuation (Bonsound)
Jazz Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Chet Doxas (Addo)
Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra (Justin Time)
Colin Stetson (Constellation)
Diana Panton (eOne Music Canada)
Matt Dusk (eOne Music Canada)
Metal Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Blood Ceremony (Metal Blade)
Gorguts (Season of Mist)
Kataklysm (Maple Music Recordings)
KEN mode (New Damage Records)
Voivod (Century Media)
Pop Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Fast Romantics (Pipe & Hat)
Groenland (Bonsound)
JRDN (Maple Music Recordings)
Mise en Scene (Pipe & Hat)
Two Hours Traffic (Bumstead Productions)
Punk/Hardcore Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Cancer Bats (Maple Music Recordings)
Protest The Hero (Independent)
PUP (Royal Mountain Records)
The Flatliners (New Damage Records)
The Mahones (eOne Music Canada)
Rap/Hip-Hop Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Classified (Black Box Recordings)
Grand Analog (Independent)
Rich Kidd (Black Box Recordings)
Shad (Black Box Recordings)
SonReal (Black Box Recordings)
Rock Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Danko Jones (Hidden Pony Records)
Monster Truck (Dine Alone Records)
One Bad Son (604 Records)
The Balconies (Coalition Music)
Wildlife (Wax Records)
Soul/R&B Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Chloe Charles (Athena Music International)
Jessy Lanza (Hyperdub)
Maylee Todd (Do Right! Music)
Nuela Charles (Independent)
Zaki Ibrahim (Pirates Blend Records)
World Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
David Buchbinder & Odessa/Havana (Tzadik)
Jaron Freeman-Fox & the Opposite of Everything (Independent)
Kobo Town (Independent)
Lemon Bucket Orkestra (Independent)
Sultans of String (Independent)
International Group or Duo of the Year:
Disclosure (PMR Records)
Foals (Transgressive)
Jimmy Eat World (Dine Alone Records)
The National (4AD)
Vampire Weekend (XL Recordings)
International Artist of the Year:
Blood Orange (Domino)
Danny Brown (Fool's Gold Records)
Janelle Monáe (Wondaland Art Society / Bad Boy Records)
Kurt Vile (Matador Records)
Neko Case (Anti-)
International Album of the Year:
Arctic Monkeys – AM (Domino)
Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap (MTC Records)
Disclosure – Settle (PMR Records)
My Bloody Valentine - m b v (Independent)
Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork (Matador Records)
International Single of the Year:
Arctic Monkeys - "Do I Wanna Know?" (Domino)
Capital Cities - "Safe and Sound" (Lazy Hooks)
Icona Pop - "I Love It" ft. Charli XCX (TEN Music Group)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Can't Hold Us" (Macklemore)
Vampire Weekend - "Diane Young" (XL Recordings)
International Breakthrough Artist/Group or Duo of the Year:
Chance The Rapper (MTC Records)
CHVRCHES (Glassnote Records)
Disclosure (PMR Records)
MS MR (IAMSOUND Records)
Phantogram (Indica Records)
International Video of the Year:
Atoms For Peace – "Ingenue" (XL Recordings)
Calvin Harris - "Sweet Nothing" ft. Florence Welch (Ultra Music)
Janelle Monáe – "Q.U.E.E.N." ft. Erykah Badu (Wondaland Art Society / Bad Boy Records)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Can't Hold Us: (Macklemore)
Phoenix - "Trying to Be Cool" (Glassnote Records)
SiriusXM Emerging Artist of the Year (English):
Fur Trade (Last Gang Records)
The Glorious Sons (Black Box Recordings)
Head of the Herd (Independent)
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald (Trauma2 Records)
The Matinee (Light Organ Records)
The Motorleague (Sonic Records)
Mounties (Light Organ Records)
PUP (Royal Mountain Records)
Royal Canoe (Nevado Records)
Wake Owl (Rezolute Music)
SiriusXM Emerging Artist of the Year (French):
Jason Bajada (Audiogram)
Keith Kouna (L-A be)
Klô Pelgag (Coyote Records / Abuzive Muzik)
Lac Estion (Poulet Neige)
Les Hay Babies (Simone Records)
Oothèque (Bonsound)
Ponctuation (Bonsound)
Rouge Pompier (Slam Disques)
Sally Folk (Entourage Musique)
VioleTT Pi (L-A be)
