Break out the Bublé

The local singer-songwriter was contacted last week by Juno organizers requesting video footage. They followed that up by asking for the correct pronunciation of her name (for the record, it's pronounced RAW-me).

Still, she didn't let herself think about the requests too much until Wednesday, when her name was read aloud during the Juno Awards nominee announcement in Toronto. Her independent album, Achin in Yer Bones, is shortlisted in the Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo category at this year's awards, set for April 17 and 18 in St. John's, N.L.

"It's really exciting," she said yesterday. "This one's for the books as far as awards go in Canada. Being an independent for my entire career, people were always telling me that I needed management and a label if I ever wanted to get ahead, but I stayed stubborn and worked my ass off instead, maintaining control and integrity and trying to do it on my terms. So, it's a great accomplishment for an independent musician, a warm pat on the back for me: just a little prairie girl who wanted to rock."

Mayes has won four Western Canadian Music Awards and been nominated for three Canadian Folk Music Awards, but this is her first Juno nod.

"When I was little watching the Junos, it was always Céline Dion, Bryan Adams and Jann Arden, and it seemed like an intangible fairy tale, but here it is," she said, adding she is planning to attend the awards with her band.

Mayes was one of four Manitobans whose names were read during the announcement ceremony. Doc Walker's Go was nominated for Country Album of the Year; Steve Bell's 15th album, Devotion, is a finalist for contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year; and violinist James Ehnes is nominated in the Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber Ensemble category for his latest release, James Ehnes plays Paganini 24 Caprices.

Doc Walker, Ehnes and Bell have all won Junos previously.

"It's just always a reaffirmation," said Steve Bell, who won awards in the same category in 1997 and 2000, and was nominated in 2001. "We're not doing it for awards, but you still want to think you matter.

"I know when I do concerts for 500 or 1,500 people, they affirm they like what you do by applauding or buying an album, but there's something extra special about your peers saying you do good work. I'm not as sonically hip, I'm not as young, I don't expect to win, but I'll take it if I get it."

"Another Juno nomination is great news. We are half a world away about to start our first Australian tour so this is great news to hear from back home," says Doc Walker frontman Chris Thorsteinson in an e-mail from Sydney.

"Playing the Olympics last week was certainly a proud Canadian moment."

Vancouver crooner Michael Bublé earned a leading six nominations on the strength of his album Crazy Love, including nods for Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Pop Album of the Year and Fan Choice Award. The 34-year-old was last seen during a show-stopping number Sunday at the Olympic closing ceremonies and is scheduled to perform during the April 18 televised broadcast.

Punk band Billy Talent, rapper Drake and country star Johnny Reid all scored four nominations each, while teen heartthrob Justin Bieber, hip-hop artists K'naan and Classified, indie-rock group Metric, jazz vocalist Diana Krall and veteran rock band the Tragically Hip all received three nominations.

Along with Bublé, the first slate of performers announced to appear on the April 18 televised broadcast includes Billy Talent, Reid, Drake, Bieber, Metric and roots vets Blue Rodeo, who are nominated for two awards.

Thirty-nine awards will be handed out during Juno weekend. Additionally, Bryan Adams will receive a humanitarian award and April Wine will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

The complete list of nominees is available at winnipegfreepress.com.

rob.williams@freepress.mb.ca

Juno

nominees

THE CANADIAN PRESS

A look at some of this year's

Juno nominations:

JUNO FAN CHOICE AWARD

GINETTE RENO, JOHNNY REID,

MAXIME LANDRY, MICHAEL BUBLÉ,

NICKELBACK

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

RUSTED FROM THE RAIN, Billy Talent

ANYBODY LISTENING, Classified

BEST I EVER HAD, Drake

HAVEN'T MET YOU YET, Michael Bublé

LOVE IS A FIRST, The Tragically Hip

INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

THE E.N.D., Black Eyed Peas

CIRCUS, Britney Spears

ONLY BY THE NIGHT, Kings Of Leon

I DREAMED A DREAM, Susan Boyle

FEARLESS, Taylor Swift

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BILLY TALENT, III

DIANA KRALL, Quiet Nights

JOHNNY RIED, Dance With Me

JUSTIN BIEBER, My World

MICHAEL BUBLE, Crazy Love

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

DIANA KRALL, JANN ARDEN,

JOHNNY REID, K'NAAN, MICHAEL BUBLÉ

GROUP OF THE YEAR

BILLY TALENT, BLUE RODEO, HEDLEY,

METRIC, THE TRAGICALLY HIP

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

CARLEY RAE JEPSEN, DANNY FERNANDES,

DRAKE, JUSTIN BIEBER, SHILOH

NEW GROUP OF THE YEAR

ARKELLS, DOWN WITH WEBSTER, STEREOS,

TEN SECOND EPIC, THE NEW CITIES

COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR

GO, Doc Walker

BELIEVE, Emerson Drive

DANCE WITH ME, Johnny Reid

THE LONG WAY HOME, Terri Clark

THE ROAD HAMMERS II, The Road Hammers

ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

NINETEEN SEVENTY-SEVEN, 1977

MASTERS OF THE BURIAL, Amy Millan

WAY DOWN HERE, Cuff the Duke

HOW TO FALL DOWN IN PUBLIC, Howie Beck

THREE, Joel Plaskett

ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

FACE CONTROL, Handsome Furs

POST-NOTHING, Japandroids

I CAN WONDER WHAT YOU DID

WITH YOUR DAY, Julie Doiron

FANTASIES, Metric

SAINTHOOD, Tegan & Sara

POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

THE SHOW MUST GO, Hedley

MY WORLD, Justin Bieber

THE LISTENING, Lights

CRAZY LOVE, Michael Bublé

STEREOS, Stereos

ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR

OLD CROWS/YOUNG

CARDINALS, Alexisonfire

III, Billy Talent

DARK HORSE, Nickelback

WE ARE THE SAME, The Tragically Hip

LIFE STARTS NOW, Three Days Grace

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 4, 2010 D1