Hamilton Music Awards

The nominees are now listed for the 2008 Hamilton Music Awards. You'll be surprised with the list:

1. Female Artist of the Year
Rae Billing – Blue Black Night
Queen Cee – Space And Time
Chantal Chamberland – The Other Woman
Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
Nancy Rancourt – Ready Or Not

2. Male Artist of the Year
Luke Doucet – Blood’s Too Rich
Fred J. Eaglesmith - Tinderbox
Daniel Lanois – Here Is What Is
Brian Melo – Livin’ It
Derek Miller – The Dirty Looks

3. Local Group of the Year by the Peoples Choice

4. Record of the Year
Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
Daniel Lanois – Here Is What Is
Brian Melo – Livin’ It
Saint Alvia – Between The Lines
Simply Saucer – Half Human Half Live
Teenage Head– Teenage Head With Marky Ramone

5. New Artist/Group of the Year
Cowlick – Eternia Hernia
The Dirty Nil – The Dirty Nil
Out to Lunch - Excuse Me While I Do the Boogaloo
Jace Martin – Jace Martin
Brian Melo – Livin’ It

6. Jazz Recording of the Year
Afternoons In Stereo – The City Is Sleeping
David Braid – DMBQ Live
Chantal Chamberland – The Other Woman
Danny Lockwood – A Few Of My Favourite Grooves
Out to Lunch - Excuse Me While I Do the Boogaloo

7. Roots Recording of the Year
Shawn Brush - The Krooked Cowboy Rides Again
Fred J. Eaglesmith – Tinderbox
Tim Gibbons – Country Banjo Blues
The Heartbroken Souls – The Heartbroken Souls
Ray Materick – Sons And Daughters

8. Adult Alternative
Luke Doucet & The White Falcon – Blood’s Too Rich
Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
Brian Melo – Livin’ It
Jacob Moon – The Loop
Garnet Rogers – Get A Witness

9. Alternative/Indie Rock Recording of the Year
The Birthday Massacre – Walking With Strangers
Cowlick – Eternia Hernia
Simply Saucer – Half Human / Half Live
Slow Hand Motem – Nature’s Beast
Young Rival – Young Rival

10. Folk/Traditional Recording of the Year
The Acoustics – Forever And A Day
Guiliano Baglioni – Il Viaggio
Rita Chiarelli – Cuore, The Italian Sessions
Fiddlers 3 – Volume 3 – The Rhythm Chapter
Zarabanda – Zarabanda

11. Rock Recording of the Year
Dean Lickyer – Dean Lickyer
Lo-Fi – The Blue Album
Junior Achiever – All The Little Let Downs
Daniel Lanois – Here Is What Is
Volume Water - Land of the Greed... Home of the Slave

12. Loud/Metal Recording of the Year
40 Sons And Daughters – 40 Sons And Daughters
Cursed - III
The Deadly Romantics – Do You Wanna Rock And Roll
Negative Impulse - The Perfect Disaster
Sarasin – Daggers Lust Disgust

13. Emo/Screamo Recording of the Year
Circuit for the Blackout – Circuit For The Blackout
Dead & Divine – The Fanciful, A Transcendence Through The Afterlife
Holding Sky – From The Throne To The Lions
Scarce - Scarce
Sydney - When We Were Safe

14. Punk Recording of the Year
The Creepshow – Run For Your Life
Rackula – Careful What You Wish For
The Responsibles – The Fatlab Sessions
Saint Alvia – Between The Lines
Teenage Head – Teenage Head With Marky Ramone

15. Blues Recording of the Year
Famous Framus – Down By Desire
Jack de Keyser – Blues Thing
Derek Miller – The Dirty Looks
TNT Bluesman – TNT Bluesmen
Trickbag - Tricknology

16. Alternative Country Recording of the Year
Rae Billing – Blue Black Night
Blind Mule – The Gallery
Scotty Campbell And His Wardenaires - Smokin’ And Drinkin’
Tia McGraff – Day In My Shoes
Thomas Wilson and Sarah Stewart-Kroeker - Love Songs and Sinner Ballads

17. New Country Recording of the Year
Doyle Domberry – Country Moves
Rob Kirkham and Neon Rain – Rob Kirkham and Neon Rain
Neil W Young And The Legendary Bear Creek Band – No Looking Back

18. Rap/Hip Hop Recording of the Year
Certified – These Streetz
hEAT – Stepping Stones
King Lucius - Rebirth
Nikki T – What’s Up
Premium Plus – Legends In Our Own Minds

19. Electronic Recording of the Year
2x the Mono – Sound Sketches
Hunter Eves – The Unagi EP
Holy F*ck - LP
Matt Jelly – The Cultural Appropriation EP
Sublimatus – School of Sorcery

20. R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
Queen Cee – Space And Time
Christopher Charles – Live At The Westside Concert Theatre
John Ellison - Back
Christopher Jackson - Finally
Jace Martin – Jace Martin

21. Instrumental Recording of the Year
Afternoons In Stereo – The City Is Sleeping
Ralf Buschmeyer - Est 1968
Holy F*ck - LP
Danny Lockwood – A Few Of My Favourite Grooves
Out to Lunch - Excuse Me While I Do the Boogaloo

22. Songwriter of the Year
Luke Doucet – Blood’s Too Rich
Fred J. Eaglesmith - Tinderbox
Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
Daniel Lanois – Here Is What Is
Simply Saucer – Half Human / Half Live

23. Female Vocalist of the Year
Sarah Blackwood – The Creepshow – Run For Your Life
Queen Cee – Space And Time
Chantal Chamberland – The Other Woman
Rita Chiarelli – Cuore, The Italian Sessions
Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers

24. Male Vocalist of the Year
John Ellison - Back
Daniel Lanois – Here Is What Is
Brian Melo – Livin’ It
Garnet Rogers – Get A Witness
Frankie Venom – Teenage Head With Marky Ramone

25. Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
David Braid – DMBQ Live
Ron Elliot – The Wintermarket
Colin Lapsley – Jace Martin
Jesse O’Brien – Jace Martin
Alison Slaats – Alison Slaats

26. Special Instrumentalist of the Year
Randall Cousins – Therapeutic Theremin Thongs
Tim Gibbons – Country Banjo Blues
Stefan Lozinski – Fiddlers 3
Etelka Nyilasi – The Acoustics – Forever And A Day
Dan Winterman – Simply Saucer – Half Human / Half Live

27. Guitarist of the Year
Colin Cripps – Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
Luke Doucet – Blood’s Too Rich
Brian Griffith – Danny Lockwood – Jace Martin
Daniel Lanois – Here Is What Is
Derek Miller – The Dirty Looks

28. Drummer of the Year
Joe Csontos - Simply Saucer – Half Human / Half Live
Spencer Heaslip - Negative Impulse – The Perfect Disaster
Dave King – Peacefully
Danny Lockwood – A Few Of My Favourite Grooves
Tone Valcic – The Wintermarket – The Ballad of Artie Fufkin

29. Bassist of the Year
Carrie Ashworth – Jace Martin
Dino Verginella – The Wintermarket – The Ballad of Artie Fufkin
Paul Inston – Danny Lockwood
Ken Corke – Lofi – The Blue Album
Andrew Eckart – The Acoustics – Forever And A Day

30. Dofasco Lifetime Achievement Award – Teenage Head

31. Dofasco Music Business Lifetime Achievement Award – Bill Powell

32. Canadian Recording of the Year by Peoples Choice (Sales over 10,000 units)

I'm dumbfounded with this list. I know these types of things are all opinion-based, but this list reflects a very small part of the Hamilton music scene. Upon first glance, I wondered "How many times can Luke Doucet, Kathleen Edwards and Daniel Lanois be nominated?" Luke Doucet, a four-time nominee, only recently joined the 905 area code. He still claims his Toronto status on his Myspace.com account. Kathleen Edwards- born in Ottawa. These artists in particular have made their way into the Toronto alternative country and adult alternative scenes.

Another artist that surprised me on the list was current up-and-comers Holy F*ck. Their local connection comes in the form of member Graham Walsh (if there's more of a connection, please correct me). A band like Holy F*ck isn't directly related back to Hamilton. It takes some digging to even figure out that there is an ex-Hamilton/Burlington resident in the band. People hear Holy F*ck, they think Toronto- where a majority of their members are from. Their success is almost parallel to that of 2006 HMA nominees and Hamilton natives, Junior Boys. Both Holy F*ck and Junior Boys have found moderate success with a younger crowd, listeners of CBC Radio 3 and European fans.

A local group receiving a few nods from the Toronto scene is The Arkells. They've been signed to a label, and are reaching levels of success above many on the HMA list. Though some members of the band are from Toronto and the GTA, they are still a Hamilton-based band (perhaps even more so than Doucet and Edwards). So why have they been overlooked by the Hamilton Music Awards? Perhaps because the band's album isn't released until October 28th, 2008.

If the criteria for making the nominations list claims the artist must release a CD in the current year, that narrows the list of those eligible. There are few artists on this list that actually reflect what is going on in the Hamilton Scene currently. I was pleasantly surprised to see acts such as Cowlick, The Dirty Nil, Thomas Wilson and Sarah Stewart-Kroeker (also known as the Wilson Family Forgery and not to be confused with Tom Wilson of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings fame), Rackula, Dean Lickyer and Young Rival on the nomination list. These artists live in Hamilton, perform in Hamilton and are proud of Hamilton.

Many artists/bands that should be on the list, aren't. I won't list those that I think should have made it, but there are many I believe are missing. Instead of the many repeat nominations, perhaps someone else could have had a chance. The list is hard to believe at times, with one of the nominees even surprised with their nomination.

What do you think? Who should have been nominated, that wasn't? Who are you rooting for?

 

Comments

[tom hogue]

Luke Doucet is a talented roots singer/songwriter. He is currently on tour with his band "White Falcon" opening up for folk-pop act James Blunt. Check out Luke Doucet February 26th 2009 at the Casbah. Details to follow. -Nicole Nicolson

[Ronnie]

As you I am also dumbfounded with this list! It seems the selection comity for the HMA have been living outside of Hamilton themselves. I think it's great to see acts like Teenage Head being honored as it's well deserved however who and the heck is Luke Doucet?