The nominees for the Canadian music industry’s biggest annual celebration have been announced, and a number of Manitoba artists have made the cut.
The 2024 Juno Awards take place March 24 in Halifax, and among several nominees have local connections.
William Prince
A Winnipeg-based singer-songwriter, originally from the Selkirk area, William Prince is up for Songwriter of the Year as well as Contemporary Roots Album of the Year for his Stand in the Joy LP.
Prince is no stranger to the Junos, having won in the Contemporary Roots category for his 2017 breakthrough album Earthly Days, and receiving a nomination in the same category for Reliever in 2021. His trophy chest also includes a Western Canadian Music Award, two Canadian Folk Music Awards, and the 2020 SOCAN Songwriting Prize.
Begonia
Winnipeg pop vocal powerhouse Alexa Dirks, who performs and records under the stage name Begonia, has been nominated for Adult Alternative Album of the Year for her critically acclaimed album Powder Blue.
Powder Blue was also shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize, and her 2019 record Fear was included on the long-list for that year’s prize.
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Jocelyn Gould
Winnipeg jazz guitarist Jocelyn Gould’s career has taken her all over Canada and the United States, including a role as professor and head of the guitar department at Toronto’s Humber College.
Gould’s first solo album, Elegant Traveler, received the 2021 Juno for Jazz Album of the Year (Solo), and she’s nominated again for 2023’s Sonic Bouquet.
James Ehnes
Brandon-born, U.S.-based classical violinist and violist James Ehnes is looking to add to his already impressive list of accomplishments, among them, a pair of Grammy Awards, just shy of a dozen Junos, and two Gramophone Classical Music Awards. This year he has nominations in the solo and small ensemble categories for Classical Album of the Year.
A member of the Order of Canada, Ehnes has performed with orchestras throughout North America, as well as in Europe, with orchestras in England, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, and beyond.
Zoon
Daniel Monkman, who performs as Zoon, is based in Toronto but hails from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation in Manitoba.
Monkman’s debut Bleached Wavves was acclaimed for its unique “moccasin-gaze” sound, a blend of shoegaze and traditional Indigenous music, earning the LP a spot on the 2021 shortlist for the Polaris Prize.
Last year’s acclaimed Bekka Ma’iingan was on the Polaris longlist and earned Zoon a Juno nomination in the Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year category.
KEN mode
Winnipeg noise-rock road warriors KEN mode have spent decades plying their trade around the world, racking up critical acclaim and award buzz — including a Juno win in 2012 and three subsequent nominations.
The group, which recently expanded to a four-piece with the addition of saxophonist/synth player Kathryn Kerr, is up for the metal/hard music album of the year for their VOID album, part of an intense album arc alongside 2022’s NULL.
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