Hamilton Music Awards This Weekend

Canadian music news

Hamilton Music Festival and Awards Underway This Weekend

The 2006 Hamilton Music Awards get underway this weekend in the Ontario city, and will feature 60 artists performing in ten different venues.

Wrapping up the Hamilton Music Conference and Festival on November 17 & 18, the awards ceremony will be held on November 19 at the Dofasco Centre for the Arts.

The Hamilton Music Awards Conference, to be held at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, will feature a career day geared towards secondary and post-secondary students on Friday, and an industry conference for musicians, managers on Saturday. Both conferences will feature keynote speakers and seminars with some of the music industry’s most influential figures.

On Sunday, Nov 19, the third annual music awards will take place at 6:00 p.m. Hosted by Tom Wilson and Wendy Wolfe, the the Awards show will feature artist performances, guest appearances and tributes.

There are a total of 113 nominations in 26 categories, with multiple nominees including: Sarah Harmer(5), Tomi Swick(5), Kathleen Edwards(4), Melissa McClelland(2), Natasha Alexandra(2), Chantal Chamberland(3), Anthony Giles(2), Blackie and the Rodeo Kings(2), Tom Wilson(3), Kazzer(2), Kae Sun(2), Junior Boys(2), Cities In Dust(2), Threat Signal(2), Porcelain Youth(2), Bob Doidge(3), Paul Reimens(3), Neeraj Prem(2) and Tim Gibbons(2). There are several People’s Choice Award categories, where the public has been invited to cast an online vote for their favorites.

Ronnie Hawkins and Richard Newell (a.k.a. King Biscuit Boy) will be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards at this year’s ceremony. It was Hawkins who gave Newell the nickname King Biscuit Boy. Newell was the first Canadian blues artist to chart on Billboard in the U.S. Rolling Stone called him legendary. He has played with artists like Muddy Waters, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin and his fans include Keith Richards and Paul McCartney. He had a handful of releases over his career and every one has stood the test of time.

Ronnie Hawkins came to Canada in 1958. His first gig was at the Golden Rail in Hamilton where he became an overnight success. It was a result of Hawkins success in Hamilton that he decided to move to Canada permanently. His career spans over 5 decades and 25 records. His hits include, “Forty Days”, “Mary Lou”, and “Hey Bo Diddley”.

Legendary agent and promoter Colonel Harold Kudlats will be receiving the Dofasco Music Business Lifetime Achievement Award. Kudlats was also given his nickname “The Colonel” by Ronnie Hawkins. It was Kudlats who booked Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks in Hamilton for the first time. Over the course of his career, Kudlats worked with such acts as Fats Domino, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Kudlats later went on to become agent for The Band.

This year’s festival features performances by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, jacksoul and Mickey DeSadist. The annual festival takes place in clubs and theatres throughout the downtown core.

2006 Hamilton Music Awards Nominees

1. Female Artist of the Year
Natasha Alexandra - NLX: In Your Face
Chantal Chamberland – Dripping Indigo
Kathleen Edwards - Back To Me
Sarah Harmer – I’m A Mountain
Melissa McClelland – Thumbalina’s One Night Stand

2. Male Artist of the Year
Jeremy Fisher – Let It Shine
Kazzer - Broke
Kae Sun - Soliloquy
Tomi Swick - Stalled Out In The Doorway
Tom Wilson – Dog Years

3. Local Group of the Year by Peoples Choice

To be determined by on line voting on
www.hamiltonmusicawards.com

4. Record of the Year
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings – Let’s Frolic
Cities In Dust – Night Creatures
Sarah Harmer – I’m A Mountain
Junior Boys – So This Is Goodbye
Tomi Swick – Stalled Out In The Doorway

5. The Hamilton Spectator New Artist/
Group of the Year
Cities in Dust – Night Creatures
Porcelain Youth – The Therapy Sessions
Kae Sun - Soliloquy
Tomi Swick – Stalled Out In The Doorway
Threat Signal – Under Reprisal

6. Jazz Recording of the Year
David Braid - ZHEN: The David Braid Sextet Live, Vol. II
Chantal Chamberland – Dripping Indigo
Anthony Giles - Modality

7. Roots Recording of the Year
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings – Let’s Frolic
Kathleen Edwards – Back To Me
Tim Gibbons – Whore’s Lament
Sarah Harmer – I’m A Mountain
Tom Wilson – Dog Years

8. Alternative Recording of the Year
Cities In Dust – Night Creatures
The Marble Index – Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives
Mayor McCa – Cue Are Es Tea You
The Ride Theory – In This City
Sailboats Are White - Turbo

9. Best Rock Recording
Down Boy – The Devil’s Rock And Roll
Idle Sons – Sixteen Seasons
Kazzer - Broke
Lo-Fi - The Red Album
Dave Rave – Anthology 1 & 2

10. Loud/Metal Recording of the Year
Cursed - Two
Dyed In the Wool – Dyed In The Wool
Porcelain Youth - The Therapy Sessions
Threat Signal - Under Reprisal
The Video Dead – Brotherhood Of The Dead

11. Punk Recording of the Year
Boys Night Out - Trainwreck
The Creepshow – Sell Your Soul
The Responsibles – Class Action Suit
Sam Lawrence 5 – This City Is A Fist
Silverstein - 18 Candles The Early Years

12. Best Blues Recording
Famous Framus – 8 Ball
Mark LaForme - Vintage
Michael O’Brien – Carolina Blues
Alfie Smith – Flesh and Bone
Smoke Wagon Blues Band – And Friends

13. Children’s Recording of the Year
Splash and Boots – Popcorn, Pickles and Parrots
Chris Rait and the Swamp Water Pirates – Look at the Moon

14. Country Recording of the Year
Scott Orr – Lonesome Town
GM Paterson - Real
JP Riemens and the Barflies – Plain And Simple

15. Rap/Hip Hop Recording of the Year
Kae Sun - Soliloquy
h.E.A.T - Heavily Educated and Trained
OB - OB

16. Electronic Category of the Year
Afternoons In Stereo – Leaves Of Brass
Building Castles Out Of Matchsticks – The Secret Doctrine
Electroluminescent - Three Steps From A Valley
Junior Boys – So This Is Goodbye
Orphx – Insurgent Flows

17. Religious Recording of the Year
Christopher Clause – Surrendering… Everything
Ray Materick – The Book of Love
Neeraj Prem – Colours Of Meditation

18. Instrumental Recording of the Year
Randall Cousins – Murder On The Ice Train
Brock Edwards – This Old House
Neeraj Prem - Colours Of Meditation
Dan Walsh - Diesel & Smokes

19. Song writer of the Year
Kathleen Edwards - Back To Me
Tim Gibbons – Whore’s Lament
Sarah Harmer – I’m A Mountain
Tomi Swick – Stalled Out In The Doorway
Tom Wilson – Dog Years

20. Female Vocalist of the Year
Natasha Alexandra – NLX: In Your Face
Chantal Chamberland – Dripping Indigo
Kathleen Edwards - Back To Me
Sarah Harmer – I’m A Mountain
Melissa McClelland – Thumbelina’s One Night Stand

21. Male Vocalist of the Year
Jeremy Fisher – Let It Shine
Jeremy Greenspan – So This Is Goodbye (Junior Boys)
Haydain Neale – My Soul (Jacksoul)
Tomi Swick – Stalled Out In The Doorway
Tom Wilson – Dog Years

22. Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
Natasha Alexandra
Ron Cole
Hunter Eves
Jesse O’Brien

23. Special Instrumentalist of the Year
Sonny Del Rio
Tim Gibbons
Randal Hill
Mike McCurlie
Neeraj Prem

24. Guitarist of the Year
Christopher Clause
Colin Cripps
Aron D’Alesio
Bill Majoros
Mark Severn

25. Drummer of the Year
Adam Cannon
Nick Daleo
Noah Fralick
Anthony Giles
Danny Lockwood

26. Bassist of the Year
Bob Doidge
Carl Jennings
Adrian Murchison
Neil Nickafor
Mike Northcott

27. Best Live Performance Award by Peoples Choice

To be determined by on line voting

28. Dofasco Lifetime Achievement Award

King Biscuit Boy and Ronnie Hawkins

29. Canadian Recording of the Year by Peoples Choice

to cast your online vote or for more information visit www.hamiltonmusicawards.com

Hamilton Music Awards 2006
November 17-19, 2006
Hamilton / Ontario