http://timestranscript.canadaeast.co...rticle/1017855
Junos could be ruled by first-timers
Published Friday April 16th, 2010
Michael Buble leads with six nominations, but there are 94 first-time nominees this year
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - It took Howie Beck four albums spread over the last 13 years to finally receive his first Juno nomination.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
It took Howie Beck four albums spread over the last 13 years to finally receive his first Juno nomination. He's part of a large group of first-time nominees who could be the story of Sunday's show.
So he's going to make sure he has a bit of fun with it.
"I've just been joking with it with my friends. When I call them, I say: 'Please hold for Juno-nominated artist Howie Beck,'" the Toronto singer-songwriter said with a laugh during a telephone interview.
"It's fun. It's fun to feel ever so briefly part of a club that I've never been part of."
And he's not alone.
In fact, with 94 first-time nominees up for prizes at this Sunday's 39th Juno Awards (CTV, 8 p.m.) in St. John's, a host of newbies will be ushered into that same exclusive club alongside Beck -- and some might even manage to steal the show.
Sure, this year's Junos will still fete some familiar names -- if Michael Buble cashes in any of his leading six nominations, he'll be adding to a career tally that already includes six Juno trophies -- but many of this year's marquee performers will be making their first appearance at the annual music bash.
There's Canada's newly crowned hip-hop heavyweight Drake, that rare Canadian artist to have appeared at the Grammys prior to popping up at his homegrown award show (the twice-nominated rapper didn't win at January's Grammys, but did contribute a show-stealing performance of "Forever" with Lil Wayne and Eminem).
The 23-year-old is armed with four nominations at Sunday's show, months before his long-delayed debut LP, "Thank Me Later," is finally set to drop.
The Junos have also been quick to embrace Justin Bieber.
The mop-topped 16-year-old from Stratford, Ont., pocketed nominations in three major categories (album of the year, new artist of the year and pop album of the year). Those nods come from a 26-minute EP, as his first full-length album, "My World 2.0," was released too late for consideration.
Along with Drake and Buble, Bieber will hit the Juno stage for a performance that will surely induce shrieks from his legions of zealous young devotees.
But not all of the nearly 100 Juno first-timers have faces as fresh or as famous as Drake and Bieber.
In fact, many of these Juno newcomers have toiled for years in the Canadian industry without the awards show taking notice.
Take Carolyn Mark, who has been a mainstay of the West Coast music scene since the early '90s. Her collaboration with NQ Arbuckle, "Let's Just Stay Here," earned a nod for roots & traditional album of the year.
It's the sixth album she's released under her own name and her first Juno nomination.
So, what was it this time around that finally caught the academy's eye?
"It took a whole year and ... I've never spent that much time on a record," Mark said on the line from her Victoria home.
"So maybe the whole 'hard work pays off' thing is true, after all -- as much as I hate to admit it."
Toronto-based folk-pop duo Madison Violet similarly credited the creative step forward represented by their third full-length, "No Fool For Trying."
The pair -- Brenley MacEachern of Kincardine, Ont., and Lisa MacIsaac of
Creignish, N.S. -- had been self-managed for years prior to their latest release, and had never actually submitted their work for Juno consideration before.
"I'm proud of those two albums, definitely, but I think we were still trying to find our sound," said MacEachern.
"I think we've found our sound now and found something natural for us."
But Beck, for his part, doesn't really know why his latest album in particular -- another set of carefully crafted pop tunes -- was the one to nab his first Juno nomination.
In fact, he says his previous records might have carried a higher profile.
"To be honest, I really have no idea," said Beck, whose "How to Fall Down in Public" is up for adult alternative album of the year.
"This record, out of all my albums, kind of didn't really have as much of a profile as my previous ones did. I don't really understand why it's happened this time around. Maybe someone talked to my doctor or something and I'm in trouble?
"I have no idea."
While it's a bit soon for any of the new nominees to speculate on what the nod could do for their careers -- though Mark said the accolade already helped her persuade a skeptical customs agent to let her across the U.S. border -- it might signal the end of an old tradition: bashing the Junos.
"Like anything, if you're invited, it seems way cooler," Mark said. "We just played the Olympics, it was kind of the same thing. We were like: 'Olympics? Whatever!' Then, 'Oh, you want us to play? Sure, we'll be right there!'
"It changes, I guess, if you're included."
Similarly, Beck had been critical of the show in an interview with The Canadian Press a year ago, when he reprimanded the Junos for "nominating the same (stuff) they've been nominating for 15 years."
Does he feel differently now that he's been included?
"What's really inspiring about this is that I know so many other people who are going to be there performing, and who are nominated for awards, and these are people, like myself, they just weren't part of that before this," Beck replied. "So I just think it's important for people to be recognized for their work, not because of their haircuts, or their popularity. ...
"You have to take these things with a grain of salt, because ultimately it's kind of an industry recognition, but at the same time, it's kind of the first time I've really had any recognition from the Canadian industry. It feels great.
"I used to watch the Junos a lot growing up, to get a glimpse of my Canadian heroes, like Neil Young and Rush and stuff. It's nice to be part of that tradition in some small way."
2010 Juno Awards this Sunday night !
