Back in the spring the Western Canadian Music Awards announced their list of nominated acts, and last night (September 20) the hardware was handed out.
The event was hosted by CBC radio host Grant Lawrence at Victoria's McPherson Playhouse and featured performances from the likes of Tanya Tagaq, the Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer and 2015 Hall of Fame inductees NoMeansNo.
Tagaq cleaned up during the awards portion of the evening, winning in the Aboriginal Recording of the Year, Spiritual Recording of the Year and World Recording of the Year categories.
Other notable names that took home prizes include the Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer for Independent Recording of the Year and Blues Recording of the Year, Dan Mangan + Blacksmith for Songwriters of the Year and Jill Barber for Jazz Recording of the Year.
In possibly the most Canadian move ever, there was also a tie between Fred Penner and Raffi for Children's Recording of the Year. There's no word yet on whether the pair have plans to record a duet version of "Sharing Song."
Check out the full list of nominees below, with the winners highlighted in bold.
Aboriginal Recording of the Year:
Andrea Menard - Lift (BC)
Dee Erin Band - Broken Road (MB)
Indian City - Colors (MB)
Leela Gilday - Heart of the People (NT)
Rellik - The Dream (AB)
Tanya Tagaq - Animism (MB)
Blues Recording of the Year:
Big Dave McLean - Faded but Not Gone (MB)
Harpdog Brown - What It Is (BC)
Jesse Roper - Red Bird (BC)
Jim Byrnes - St. Louis Times (BC)
The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer - A Real Fine Mess (BC)
Children's Recording of the Year:
Alex Mahé - Réveillons les bonnes chansons! (AB)
Bobs & LoLo - Wave Your Antlers (BC)
Fred Penner - Where in the World (MB)
Raffi - Love Bug (BC)
Stella Swanson - I'm Not a Bunny (BC)
Classical Composition of the Year:
Dorothy Chang - Beyond Shadows (BC)
Jocelyn Morlock - Cobalt (BC)
Keith Hamel - Homage to Liu Wenjin (BC)
Nova Pon - Wayfaring (AB)
Owen Underhill - Duotone (BC)
Classical Recording of the Year:
Karl Stobbe - Ysaÿe Sonatas For Solo Violin (MB)
Mark Takeshi McGregor - Sins & Fantasties (BC)
PEP (Piano and Erhu Project) - PEP (Piano and Erhu Project) Vol. 2 (BC)
Sea and Sky - Sassicaia (BC)
Victoria Baroque Players - Virtuosi of the Baroque (BC)
Country Recording of the Year:
Bobby Wills - Crazy Enough (AB)
Chad Brownlee - The Fighters (BC)
Jay Sparrow - BLUEBIRD (AB)
MacKenzie Porter - MacKenzie Porter (AB)
Ridley Bent - Wildcard (MB)
Electronic/Dance Recording of the Year:
BMBSHL - BMBSHL CMD (AB)
Economics - The Wastes (SK)
Humans - Noontide (BC)
Joe Silva - Memory Fade (MB)
Kiesza - Hideaway (AB)
Soulier - Expansions (AB)
Francophone Recording of the Year:
Alex Mahé - Réveillons les bonnes chansons! (AB)
Annette - Papillon Amiral (SK)
Isabelle Longnus - CODE BLEU (BC)
Paul Cournoyer - Paul Cournoyer (AB)
Vazzy - En passant / By the Way (BC)
Independent Album of the Year:
Close Talker - Flux (SK)
Dan Mangan + Blacksmith - Club Meds (BC)
Tanya Tagaq - Animism (MB)
The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer - A Real Fine Mess (BC)
The Wet Secrets - Free Candy (AB)
Instrumental Recording of the Year:
Five Alarm Funk - Abandon Earth (BC)
Glen Gillis - SaxSpectrum 2 (SK)
JJ Guy & Gordon Stobbe - Twin Fiddles (SK)
The 427's - Surf Noir (AB)
Weird Party - Mellow Funk - Vol. 1 (BC)
Jazz Recording of the Year:
A/B Trio - Out West (AB)
Eli Bennett - Breakthrough (BC)
Jill Barber - Fool's Gold (BC)
Paul Keeling - Ancient Lights (BC)
The Writers' Guild - Based on a True Story (AB)
Tyler Hornby - Launch (AB)
Metal/HardMusic Recording of the Year:
Altars of Grief - This Shameful Burden (SK)
Quartered - Eyes and Ears (BC)
Shooting Guns - WolfCop Soundtrack (SK)
Sparky - #Humanimation (SK)
Torches to Triggers - Modern Day Monsters (AB)
Pop Recording of the Year:
BESTiE - No Bad Days (BC)
Helen Austin - You Knew Me (BC)
Laura Enns - Nothing to Prove (MB)
Nat Jay - All I Think When I Wake Up (BC)
Young Liars - Tidal Wave (BC)
Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year:
Def3 - Wildlif3 (SK)
Immaculate - Solitude (BC)
Madchild - Switched On (BC)
Matt Brevner - Eclectricity (BC)
Moka Only - Sex Money Moka (BC)
Rock Recording of the Year:
36? - where do we go from here? (AB)
Close Talker - Flux (SK)
Dan Mangan + Blacksmith - Club Meds (BC)
Gay Nineties - Liberal Guilt (BC)
Napalmpom - The Unconditional Love of Napalmpom (AB)
The Pack A.D. - Do Not Engage (BC)
Roots Duo/Group Recording of the Year:
PEAR - VINYL (AB)
Qristina & Quinn Bachand - Little Hinges (BC)
The Sweet Lowdown - Chasing the Sun (BC)
Tiller's Folly - Stirring Up Ghosts Volumes 1 & 2 (BC)
Twin Peaks - Trouble (BC)
Roots Solo Recording of the Year:
Colleen Rennison - See the Sky About to Rain (BC)
John Mann - The Waiting Room (BC)
Lucas Chaisson - Telling Time (AB)
Sarah MacDougall - Grand Canyon (YT)
WiL - El Paseo (BC)
Spiritual Recording of the Year:
Joal Kamps - Heads Is East, Tails Is West (AB)
Matt Epp - Luma (MB)
Steve Bell - Pilgrimage (MB)
Tanya Tagaq - Animism (MB)
Tim Neufeld - The Joy (ft. the Glory Boys) (MB)
Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Daniel Moxon, Joseph Martin, Matt Rhode, Jason Hodgson "Best of You" - Bend Sinister from the album Animals (BC)
Craig Moreau "Every Step I Take" from the album The Daredevil Kid (AB)
Dan Mangan "Vessel" - Dan Mangan + Blacksmith from the album Club Meds (BC)
Lizzy Hoyt "White Feather" - Lizzy Hoyt from the album New Lady on the Prairie (AB)
Thomas "Tawgs" Salter, Trevor Guthrie, Josh Byer, Glenn Morrison, Michael Wise "Soundwave" - R3HAB from the single "Soundwave" (BC)
Urban Recording of the Year:
Alfa - Harmattan (MB)
Dawn Pemberton - Say Somethin' (BC)
Jaclyn Gee - Gypsy Rose (BC)
Sierra Jamerson - Blood in the Water (AB)
The Boom Booms - Love Is Overdue (BC)
World Recording of the Year:
Andino Suns - It's Time to Rise (SK)
Cari Burdett - Magnolia (BC)
Marco Claveria Project - Origins (AB)
Tambura Rasa - Arribada (BC)
Tanya Tagaq - Animism (MB)
The event was hosted by CBC radio host Grant Lawrence at Victoria's McPherson Playhouse and featured performances from the likes of Tanya Tagaq, the Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer and 2015 Hall of Fame inductees NoMeansNo.
Tagaq cleaned up during the awards portion of the evening, winning in the Aboriginal Recording of the Year, Spiritual Recording of the Year and World Recording of the Year categories.
Other notable names that took home prizes include the Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer for Independent Recording of the Year and Blues Recording of the Year, Dan Mangan + Blacksmith for Songwriters of the Year and Jill Barber for Jazz Recording of the Year.
In possibly the most Canadian move ever, there was also a tie between Fred Penner and Raffi for Children's Recording of the Year. There's no word yet on whether the pair have plans to record a duet version of "Sharing Song."
Check out the full list of nominees below, with the winners highlighted in bold.
Aboriginal Recording of the Year:
Andrea Menard - Lift (BC)
Dee Erin Band - Broken Road (MB)
Indian City - Colors (MB)
Leela Gilday - Heart of the People (NT)
Rellik - The Dream (AB)
Tanya Tagaq - Animism (MB)
Blues Recording of the Year:
Big Dave McLean - Faded but Not Gone (MB)
Harpdog Brown - What It Is (BC)
Jesse Roper - Red Bird (BC)
Jim Byrnes - St. Louis Times (BC)
The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer - A Real Fine Mess (BC)
Children's Recording of the Year:
Alex Mahé - Réveillons les bonnes chansons! (AB)
Bobs & LoLo - Wave Your Antlers (BC)
Fred Penner - Where in the World (MB)
Raffi - Love Bug (BC)
Stella Swanson - I'm Not a Bunny (BC)
Classical Composition of the Year:
Dorothy Chang - Beyond Shadows (BC)
Jocelyn Morlock - Cobalt (BC)
Keith Hamel - Homage to Liu Wenjin (BC)
Nova Pon - Wayfaring (AB)
Owen Underhill - Duotone (BC)
Classical Recording of the Year:
Karl Stobbe - Ysaÿe Sonatas For Solo Violin (MB)
Mark Takeshi McGregor - Sins & Fantasties (BC)
PEP (Piano and Erhu Project) - PEP (Piano and Erhu Project) Vol. 2 (BC)
Sea and Sky - Sassicaia (BC)
Victoria Baroque Players - Virtuosi of the Baroque (BC)
Country Recording of the Year:
Bobby Wills - Crazy Enough (AB)
Chad Brownlee - The Fighters (BC)
Jay Sparrow - BLUEBIRD (AB)
MacKenzie Porter - MacKenzie Porter (AB)
Ridley Bent - Wildcard (MB)
Electronic/Dance Recording of the Year:
BMBSHL - BMBSHL CMD (AB)
Economics - The Wastes (SK)
Humans - Noontide (BC)
Joe Silva - Memory Fade (MB)
Kiesza - Hideaway (AB)
Soulier - Expansions (AB)
Francophone Recording of the Year:
Alex Mahé - Réveillons les bonnes chansons! (AB)
Annette - Papillon Amiral (SK)
Isabelle Longnus - CODE BLEU (BC)
Paul Cournoyer - Paul Cournoyer (AB)
Vazzy - En passant / By the Way (BC)
Independent Album of the Year:
Close Talker - Flux (SK)
Dan Mangan + Blacksmith - Club Meds (BC)
Tanya Tagaq - Animism (MB)
The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer - A Real Fine Mess (BC)
The Wet Secrets - Free Candy (AB)
Instrumental Recording of the Year:
Five Alarm Funk - Abandon Earth (BC)
Glen Gillis - SaxSpectrum 2 (SK)
JJ Guy & Gordon Stobbe - Twin Fiddles (SK)
The 427's - Surf Noir (AB)
Weird Party - Mellow Funk - Vol. 1 (BC)
Jazz Recording of the Year:
A/B Trio - Out West (AB)
Eli Bennett - Breakthrough (BC)
Jill Barber - Fool's Gold (BC)
Paul Keeling - Ancient Lights (BC)
The Writers' Guild - Based on a True Story (AB)
Tyler Hornby - Launch (AB)
Metal/HardMusic Recording of the Year:
Altars of Grief - This Shameful Burden (SK)
Quartered - Eyes and Ears (BC)
Shooting Guns - WolfCop Soundtrack (SK)
Sparky - #Humanimation (SK)
Torches to Triggers - Modern Day Monsters (AB)
Pop Recording of the Year:
BESTiE - No Bad Days (BC)
Helen Austin - You Knew Me (BC)
Laura Enns - Nothing to Prove (MB)
Nat Jay - All I Think When I Wake Up (BC)
Young Liars - Tidal Wave (BC)
Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year:
Def3 - Wildlif3 (SK)
Immaculate - Solitude (BC)
Madchild - Switched On (BC)
Matt Brevner - Eclectricity (BC)
Moka Only - Sex Money Moka (BC)
Rock Recording of the Year:
36? - where do we go from here? (AB)
Close Talker - Flux (SK)
Dan Mangan + Blacksmith - Club Meds (BC)
Gay Nineties - Liberal Guilt (BC)
Napalmpom - The Unconditional Love of Napalmpom (AB)
The Pack A.D. - Do Not Engage (BC)
Roots Duo/Group Recording of the Year:
PEAR - VINYL (AB)
Qristina & Quinn Bachand - Little Hinges (BC)
The Sweet Lowdown - Chasing the Sun (BC)
Tiller's Folly - Stirring Up Ghosts Volumes 1 & 2 (BC)
Twin Peaks - Trouble (BC)
Roots Solo Recording of the Year:
Colleen Rennison - See the Sky About to Rain (BC)
John Mann - The Waiting Room (BC)
Lucas Chaisson - Telling Time (AB)
Sarah MacDougall - Grand Canyon (YT)
WiL - El Paseo (BC)
Spiritual Recording of the Year:
Joal Kamps - Heads Is East, Tails Is West (AB)
Matt Epp - Luma (MB)
Steve Bell - Pilgrimage (MB)
Tanya Tagaq - Animism (MB)
Tim Neufeld - The Joy (ft. the Glory Boys) (MB)
Songwriter(s) of the Year:
Daniel Moxon, Joseph Martin, Matt Rhode, Jason Hodgson "Best of You" - Bend Sinister from the album Animals (BC)
Craig Moreau "Every Step I Take" from the album The Daredevil Kid (AB)
Dan Mangan "Vessel" - Dan Mangan + Blacksmith from the album Club Meds (BC)
Lizzy Hoyt "White Feather" - Lizzy Hoyt from the album New Lady on the Prairie (AB)
Thomas "Tawgs" Salter, Trevor Guthrie, Josh Byer, Glenn Morrison, Michael Wise "Soundwave" - R3HAB from the single "Soundwave" (BC)
Urban Recording of the Year:
Alfa - Harmattan (MB)
Dawn Pemberton - Say Somethin' (BC)
Jaclyn Gee - Gypsy Rose (BC)
Sierra Jamerson - Blood in the Water (AB)
The Boom Booms - Love Is Overdue (BC)
World Recording of the Year:
Andino Suns - It's Time to Rise (SK)
Cari Burdett - Magnolia (BC)
Marco Claveria Project - Origins (AB)
Tambura Rasa - Arribada (BC)
Tanya Tagaq - Animism (MB)