Yes!  It’s that time of year again and regrettably Life’s a Blog will not be attending the JUNO Awards in Ottawa Ontario on April 1st, 2012.  It’s not for the sake of trying because I worked it HARD!

This doesn’t mean that we drop everything and cry in the corner!  Hell no!

I propose that we have a little fun as we prepare to participate with Bell Media in the CTV JUNOS Digital Media Room, on JUNO night, in the comfort of our home in Cambridge, Ontario. WOOT WOOT!

We are very excited to at least have the opportunity to ask questions to the winners and performers of the JUNOS.  I’m hoping William Shatner will schedule chat with this Pop Culture Mama!

So to begin our JUNO Coverage, check out the nominees.  Let us know who you think will win!  After seeing the Sheepdogs this year in concert, I’m rooting for them!!  On a side note, if Lady Gaga shows up, I’m going to SCREAM with regret and remorse!

JUNO FAN CHOICE AWARD

Arcade Fire
Avril Lavigne
City and Colour
Deadmau5
Drake
Ginette Reno
Hedley
Justin Bieber
Michael Bublé
Nickelback

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

City and Colour
Fragile Bird
Hedley
Invincible
Johnny Reid
Let’s Go Higher
Nickelback
When We Stand Together
The Sheepdogs
I Don’t Know

INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY HMV CANADA)

Adele
21
Coldplay
Mylo Xyloto
Lady Gaga
Born This Way
LMFAO
Sorry For Party Rocking
Rihanna 
Loud

ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY MUSIC CANADA)

Avril Lavigne
Goodbye Lullabye
Drake 
Take Care
Justin Bieber
Under the Mistletoe
Michael Bublé
Christmas
Nickelback
Here And Now

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

City and Colour
Deadmau5
Drake Cash
Feist
Michael Bublé

GROUP OF THE YEAR

Arkells Arkells
Down With Webster
Hedley
Nickelback
Sam Roberts Band

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY FACTOR AND RADIO STARMAKER FUND)

Alyssa Reid
Dan Mangan
Diamond Rings
JRDN
Lindi Ortega

NEW GROUP OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY FACTOR AND RADIO STARMAKER FUND)

Braids Flemish
Hey Rosetta!
Mother Mother
The Rural Alberta Advantage
The Sheepdogs

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY SIRIUSXM CANADA)

Dallas Green Dine Alone*Universal | Publisher: Always the Same
“Fragile Bird”, “We Found Each Other”, “Weightless” LITTLE HELL – City and Colour
Dan Mangan Arts&Crafts*EMI | Publisher: Dan Mangan Music
“About As Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All”, “Post-War Blues”, “Oh Fortune” OH FORTUNE – Dan Mangan
Feist Arts&Crafts*EMI | Publishers: Universal Music MBG Ltd., Heavy Sheet Music / Warner Chappell
“How Come You Never Go There”, “Graveyard” – co-songwriters Mocky & Chilly Gonzales, “The Circle Married The Line” METALS – Feist
Jim Cuddy Warner | Publisher: Buried Crow Music
“Everyone Watched The Wedding”, “Skyscraper Soul”, “Watch Yourself Go Down” SKYSCRAPER SOUL – Jim Cuddy
Ron Sexsmith Warner | Publisher: Ronboy Rhymes/Sony ATV Music Publishing (SOCAN)
“Get In Line”, “Believe It When I See It”, “Middle of Love” LONG PLAYER LATE BLOOMER – Ron Sexsmith

COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Doc Walker
16 & 1
High Valley
High Valley
Jason McCoy
Everything
Jimmy Rankin
Forget About the World
Terri Clark
Roots and Wings

ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Cuff The Duke
Morning Comes
Feist
Metals
Jenn Grant
Honeymoon Punch
Jim Cuddy
Skyscraper Soul
Ron Sexsmith
Long Player Late Bloomer

ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY LONG & MCQUADE)

Braids
Native Speaker
Dan Mangan
Oh Fortune
Destroyer
Kaputt
Fucked Up
David Comes To Life
Timber Timbre
Creep On Creepin’ On

POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY TD)

Avril Lavigne
Goodbye Lullaby
Down With Webster
Time To Win Vol. II
Hedley
Storms
Lights Lights
Siberia
Marianas Trench
Ever After

ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY RECORDING ARTISTS’ COLLECTING SOCIETY – A DIVISION OF ACTRA)

Arkells
Michigan Left
Matthew Good
Lights of Endangered Species
Sam Roberts Band
Collider
Sloan
The Double Cross
The Sheepdogs
Learn & Burn

VOCAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Diana Panton
To Brazil With Love
Fern Lindzon
Two Kites
Sonia Johnson
Le carré de nos amours
Sophie Milman
In The Moonlight
The Nylons
Skin Tight

CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Chris Tarry
Rest of the Story
Colin Stetson
New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
François Bourassa Quartet
Idiosyncrasie
Hilario Duran & Jane Bunnett
Cuban Rhapsody
Phil Dwyer Orchestra feat. Mark Fewer
Changing Seasons

TRADITIONAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Dave Young Quintet
Aspects of Oscar
David Braid
Verge
Kirk MacDonald Orchestra
Deep Shadows
Mike Murley
Still Rollin’
Oliver Jones
Live In Baden

INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Andrew Collins
Cats & Dogs
Colin Stetson
New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
L’Orkestre des Pas Perdus
L’Âge du cuivre
MAZ
Télescope
Stretch Orchestra
Stretch Orchestra

FRANCOPHONE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Catherine Major
Le désert des solitudes
Coeur de Pirate
Blonde
Fred Pellerin
C’est un monde
Jérôme Minière
Le vrai le faux
Malajube
La caverne

CHILDREN’S ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Bobs & LoLo
Connecting the Dots
Charlie Hope
Songs, Stories and Friends: Let’s Go Play!
Eddie Douglas
Sleepy Sky Lullaby
Music with BRIAN
Everyone
Vocal Paint
My Butterfly/A Capella Lullabies

CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: SOLO OR CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

Canadian Brass
Brahms On Brass
Louis Lortie
Louis Lortie Plays Liszt
Marc-André Hamelin
Liszt Piano Sonata
New Orford String Quartet
Schubert & Beethoven
Susan Hoeppner
American Flute Masterpieces

CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: LARGE ENSEMBLE OR SOLOIST(S) WITH LARGE ENSEMBLE ACCOMPANIMENT

Alexandre Da Costa/Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal
Daugherty : Fire and Blood
James Ehnes
Bartók Voilin Concertos
Jean-Guihen Queyras
Vivaldi Cello Concertos
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Orchestre Métropolitain
Bruckner 4
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Orchestre Métropolitain
Florent Schmidt- La tragédie de salomé

CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: VOCAL OR CHORAL PERFORMANCE

Jane Archibald; Orchestre Symphonique Bienne; Thomas Rösner
Haydn Arias
Karina Gauvin – Marie-Nicole Lemieux
Handel: Streams of Pleasure
Le Nouvel Opéra
Caldara : La Conversione di Clodoveo
Marie-Josée Lord; Orchestre Métropolitain; Giuseppe Pietraroia
Marie-Josée Lord
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra & Daniel Taylor
J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 170 & 54; Concerto for oboe and violin, after BWV 1060; Suite for violin and strings, after BWV 1067

CLASSICAL COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

Ann Southam
Glass Houses #5
Derek Charke
Sepia Fragments
Heather Schmidt
Piano Concerto No. 2
Jacques Hétu
String Quartet No. 2
Jeffrey Ryan
Equilateral

RAP RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Classified
Handshakes and Middle Fingers
D-Sisive
Jonestown 2: Jimmy Go Bye Bye
Drake
Take Care
Kardinal Offishall
Anywhere (Ol’ Time Killin’ Part.2)
Swollen Members
Daggermouth

DANCE RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Anjulie
Brand New Chick
Deadmau5
Aural Psynapse
Duck Sauce
Barbara Streisand
Martin Solveig & Dragonette
Hello
Mia Martina
Devotion

R&B/SOUL RECORDING OF THE YEAR

JRDN
IAMJRDN
Jully Black
Set it Off ft. Kardinal Offishall
Karl Wolf
Ghetto Love ft. Kardinal Offishall
Melanie Fiona
Gone And Never Coming Back
Robin Thicke
Pretty Lil’ Heart ft. Lil Wayne

REGGAE RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Dubmatix
Seeds of Love & Life ft. Luciano
Exco Levi
Bleaching Shop
Jay Douglas
Lover’s Paradise
Steele
Woman
Tanya Mullings
Rescue Me

ABORIGINAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY ABORIGINAL PEOPLES TELEVISION NETWORK)

Bruthers of Different Muthers
Speakers of Tomorrow
Donny Parenteau
To Whom It May Concern
Flying Down Thunder and Rise Ashen
One Nation
Murray Porter
Songs Lived & Life Played
Randy Wood
The Gift of Life

ROOTS & TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: SOLO

Bruce Cockburn
Small Source of Comfort
Craig Cardiff
Floods & Fires
Dave Gunning
A Tribute To John Allan Cameron
David Francey
Late Edition
Lindi Ortega
Little Red Boots

ROOTS & TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: GROUP

Good Lovelies
Let The Rain Fall
The Deep Dark Woods
The Place I Left Behind
The Once
Row Upon Row Of The People We Know
The Wailin’ Jennys
Bright Morning Stars
Twilight Hotel 
When The Wolves Go Blind

BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY GALAXIE, YOUR MUSICAL UNIVERSE)

Bill Johnson
Still Blue
David Gogo
Soul Bender
Harrison Kennedy
Shame The Devil
MonkeyJunk
To Behold
Suzie Vinnick
Me ‘n’ Mabel

CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Downhere
On The Altar of Love
Hawk Nelson
Crazy Love
Jon Bauer
Forevermore
Kellie Loder
Imperfections & Directions
Sky Terminal
Don’t Close Your Eyes

WORLD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS)

Aboulaye Koné et Bolo Kan
Afo Gné
Aline Morales
Flores, Tambores e Amores
Azam Ali
From Night To The Edge Of Day
Kiran Ahluwalia
Aam Zameen : common ground
Socalled
Sleepover

JACK RICHARDSON PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY SLAIGHT MUSIC)

Bob Rock
“Only The Lonely” Uncover Me 2 – Jann Arden
Brian Howes
“Heaven’s Gonna Wait” STORMS – Hedley | “Trying Not to Love You” (co-producer Nickelback) – HERE AND NOW – Nickelback
David Foster
“White Christmas(Duet With Shania Twain)” | “Jingle Bells” CHRISTMAS – Michael Bublé
k.d. lang
(co-producer Joe Pisapia) “I Confess” | “Sugar Buzz” SING IT LOUD – k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang
Noah “40” Shebib
“Marvins Room” | “Take Care” TAKE CARE – Drake

RECORDING ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

Chris Shreenan-Dyck
(co-engineer Tim Vesely) “Everyone Watched The Wedding” | “Watch Yourself Go” SKYSCRAPER SOUL – Jim Cuddy
David Travers-Smith
“All The Stars” (co-engineer Mark Howard) – BRIGHT MORNING STARS – The Wailin’ Jennys | “Soon The Birds” SOON THE BIRDS – Oh Susanna
George Seara
“A Little Bit of Love” KAESHAMMER – Michael Kaeshammer | “Let Go” TRACING LIGHT – Laila Biali
Jeff Wolpert
“You’re Not Alone” | “Cosmic Ballet” SEA – Sarah Slean
Michael Phillip Wojewoda
“Circle” | “Mama” THIS IS HOW YOU SPEND YOUR LOVE – Paisley Jura

RECORDING PACKAGE OF THE YEAR (PRESENTED IN HONOUR OF ANDREW MACNAUGHTAN)

Jannie McInnes (Art Director), Robyn Kotyk, Graydon Sheppard, Sammy Rawal, Petra Cuschieri (Designers), Heather Goodchild (Illustrator), Mary Rozzi (Photographer) Arts&Crafts*EMI
Metals, FEIST
Jayme Spinks (Designer/Photographer), Paul Jerinkitsch (Imaging) Dinah Thorpe (Collaborator) Independent
12 – DINAH THORPE
Jeff Harrison (Designer), Kim Ridgewell (Illustrator) Nineteen- Eight*Independent
Rest of the Story – CHRIS TARRY
Kirsten Gauthier, Anthony Swaneveld (Art Directors), Anthony Swaneveld (Designer), Steve Dunk (Illustrator – Font), Janet Kimber (Photographer)Independent
Get Yourself Home LAURA REPO
Taylor Kirk (Art Director/Photographer), Robyn Kotyk (Designer), Nina Nielsen (Photographer) Arts & Crafts*EMI
Creep On Creepin’ On TIMBER TIMBRE

VIDEO OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY MUCHFACT, EXCLUSIVELY FUNDED BY BELL MEDIA)

John JP Poliquin
The Stand – MOTHER MOTHER
Jon Busby
Rows of Houses – DAN MANGAN
Jose Lourenco
Stamp – THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE
Michael Maxxis
Good Day At The Races -HOLLERADO
Mike Roberts
Rumbleseat – THE SADIES

MUSIC DVD OF THE YEAR

Anthony Seck, Jannie McInnes, Chip Sutherland Arts&Crafts
Feist: Look At What The Light Did Now – FEIST
Elinor Svoboda/Salazar, Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, Piers Henwood, Nick BlaskoWarner Bros*Warner
Tegan and Sara: Get Along – TEGAN AND SARA
Scot McFadyen, Sam Dunn, Pegi Cecconi, Allan Weinrib Anthem*Universal
Rush: Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland – RUSH
Tim Martin, Frameblender, Peter Katz Shape Of A Boy
Peter Katz: Peter Katz Live At The Music Gallery – PETER KATZ
Tony Girardin Teknohut*Outside
David Francey: Burning Bright – DAVID FRANCEY

ELECTRONIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SPONSORED BY ROLAND)

Arthur Oskan
A Little More Than Everything
Austra
Feel It Break
Azari & III
Azari & III
Junior Boys
It’s All True
Tim Hecker
Ravedeath, 1972

METAL/HARD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Anvil
Juggernaut of Justice
Cauldron
Burning Fortune
Devin Townsend Project
Deconstruction
Fuck The Facts
Die Miserable
KEN mode
Venerable

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