A pair of up-and-coming Victoria acts entered the national conversation Tuesday as metal trio Spiritbox and indie folk duo Ocie Elliott drew nominations at the 2022 Juno Awards.
The local performers, who are both up for breakthrough group of the year (Spiritbox also drew a nomination for metal/hard music album of the year) join Montreal pop singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin, who leads this year’s Juno Award nominees with six, and superstars Justin Bieber and the Weeknd on the list of hopefuls.
The nods were the first for both Spiritbox and Ocie Elliott, who achieved success on both sides of the border last year.
Cardin also enjoyed a breakout 2022, and is in the running in several key categories including artist of the year and album of the year for her full-length debut “Phoenix.” Her track “Meaningless” is nominated for single of the year.
The singer has been on a steady rise since landing in the Top 4 of “La Voix,” the Québécois version of singing competition “The Voice” in 2013.
Other big contenders this year include Shawn Mendes with four nominations. He’s in line with the total held by 91原创 pop newcomer Jessia, known for her body-positive hit “I’m Not Pretty,” and Pressa, one of the rising stars of the Toronto rap scene.
The Juno bash is set to be held in-person for the first time in three years at Toronto’s open-air Budweiser Stage on May 15.
The outdoor event will be hosted by “Shang-Chi” and “Kim’s Convenience” star Simu Liu and broadcast on CBC.
Performers on the broadcast will include Cardin, Arkells, Avril Lavigne and Mustafa, organizers said Tuesday. Lavigne performs in Victoria at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on May 25, while Cardin is headed to the Capital Ballroom on Yates Street on June 15.
Nominees for single of the year also include Brett Kissel for “Make a Life, Not a Living,” Jessia for “I’m Not Pretty,” Justin Bieber and Daniel Caesar for “Peaches” (feat. Giveon), and the Weeknd for “Take My Breath.”
Joining Cardin in the album of the year category are JP Saxe’s “Dangerous Levels of Introspection,” Justin Bieber’s “Justice,” Shawn Mendes’ “Wonder” and Tate McRae’s “Too Young to Be Sad.”
Juno organizers introduced several new categories this year in an effort to recognize a wider array of musicians. Rap recording was split into two new categories — rap album/EP of the year and rap single of the year.
Indigenous artist or group of the year is now two awards — one honouring contemporary Indigenous artists and another for traditional artists.
And a new award for underground dance single will celebrate less mainstream sounds often heard on club dance floors.
— With files from The 91原创 Press
