Peter Watts: Celebrating Alberta talent at the Juno Awards

For 46 years, the Canadian music industry has celebrated its best people and performances at the Juno Awards. This year’s ceremony, held over the weekend in Vancouver, marked the passing of Gord Downie and celebrated the music and its messages that he and his band, the Tragically Hip, have created over the past three decades.

There was also a chance to appreciate the depth and breadth of talented nominees from Alberta. One of them, classical pianist Jan Lisiecki of Calgary, won a Juno for classical album of the year. It was quite the celebration of his 23rd birthday, which happened on Friday.

There were others who were nominated. Calgary composer, Vincent Ho, was nominated for two awards for his album Shaman and Arctic Symphony. Calgary bluesman, Tim Williams, earned a nomination for Best Blues Album. Nickelback, which has won 12 Junos and had 37 nominations, was up again, this time for Rock Album of the Year. High Valley was nominated for Country Album of the Year for Dear Life.

READ MORE: 2018 Juno Awards nominees: Arcade Fire, Jessie Reyez lead the pack

There were two nominations for Edmonton-based artists. Striker received a nod in the Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year category. Ruth B, a 22-year-old artist, was nominated for Pop Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Album of the Year.

As well, Bragg Creek native Shawn Everett earned a nomination for Recording Engineer of the Year for his work with The War on Drugs and Perfume Genius.

Music journalist and blogger Eric Alper was impressed.

“Social media has helped artists from different parts of the country become known,” he told me. “Artists still need to work hard, they still need to put themselves out there to become known, and they still need the help of people in the industry to reach the top. I am impressed with the range of music genres in which we find worthy Alberta nominees.”

READ MORE: Jann Arden on learning to live, laugh and love through losing a parent to Alzheimer’s

There likely are many reasons why Albertans get the chance to star on national and international stages. Radio helps by playing the music of some performers and by sponsoring contests for up-and-coming musicians. Concerts help, sometimes by bringing in major performers where young Alberta artists get a chance to perform as opening acts. Some of those acts have gone on to become major recording stars in their own right.

These opportunities — marching high school bands to the Calgary Stampede, to the Banff Centre, to the major festivals that are spread across the full musical spectrum — have given young artists a chance to show what they can do.

But it all starts with an idea — a message that someone wants to express — and the creative push to take that idea and turn it into a song that someone will want to hear.  That creativity and the willingness to do whatever it takes to hone it into a finely-tuned piece of art, is what was celebrated this weekend in Vancouver.