Tuesday, February 25, 2025

2025 Juno Nominations Including Local Artists


The 2025 Juno Award nominations were revealed a while back and a number of local acts were given the nod. The awards will be handed out on March 29 & 30 in Vancouver.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Below is the complete list of nominees. Local artists are bolded.

ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

ALBUM ARTWORK OF THE YEAR 

  • Kevin Hearn (Grimsby) , Lauchlan Reid (Art Director, Illustrator), Antoine Jean Moonen (Designer): Basement Days – The Glacials 
  • Erik M. Grice (Art Director), Vanessa Elizabeth Heins (Photographer): Chandler – Wyatt C. Louis
  • Gabriel Noel Altrows (Art Director, Illustrator) Good Kid 4 – Good Kid 
  • Kee Avil, Jacqueline Beaumont (Art Director), Fatine-Violette Sabiri (Photographer): Spine – Kee Avil
  • Keenan Gregory (Art Director): Altruistic – Royal Tusk 

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

  • Complicated - Josh Ross (Waterdown/Burlington)
  • Inuktitut - Elisapie 
  • Submergé - Roxane Bruneau 
  • UNDISPUTED - Sukha 
  • THINK LATER - Tate McRae 

ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

  • Josh Ross (Waterdown/Burlington)
  • Kaytranada 
  • Shawn Mendes 
  • Tate McRae 
  • The Weeknd

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR 

  • Nemahsis (Milton)
  • Alexander Stewart 
  • AP Dhillon 
  • AR Paisley 
  • Chris Grey 
  • EKKSTACY 
  • Owen Riegling 
  • Sukha 
  • Tony Ann 

CHILDREN’S ALBUM OF THE YEAR

  • Buon Appetito - Walk off the Earth & Romeo Eats (Burlington) 
  • Shun Beh Nats’ujeh: We Are Healing Through Songs - Kym Gouchie 
  • Penny Penguin - Raffi & Good Lovelies 
  • Riley Rocket: Songs From Season One - Riley Rocket and Megablast 
  • Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Young Maestro “Rhyme Travellers” - Young Maestro 

COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

  • Complicated - Josh Ross (Waterdown/Burlington)
  • The Compass Project – West Album - Brett Kissel 
  • Dallas Smith - Dallas Smith 
  • Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart - MacKenzie Porter 
  • Going Home - Tyler Joe Miller 

DANCE RECORDING OF THE YEAR

ELECTRONIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

  • Honey - Caribou (Dundas)
  • Union - ÈBONY 
  • Love, Care, Kindness & Hope - Fred Everything 
  • Timeless - Kaytranada 
  • This but More - Priori 

FAN CHOICE

  • Josh Ross (Waterdown/Burlington)
  • bbno$ 
  • Dean Brody
  • Jade Eagleson
  • Karan Aujla 
  • Les Cowboys Fringants 
  • Preston Pablo 
  • Shawn Mendes 
  • Tate McRae 
  • The Weeknd

RAP ALBUM/EP OF THE YEAR/ALBUM 

ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR ***

  • Nemahsis (Milton)
  • The Weeknd
  • AP Dhillon
  • Jessie Reyez
  • Mustafa
  • Evan Blair
  • Lowell
  • Nathan Ferraro
  • Shaun Frank
  • Tobias Jesso Jr.

BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

  • One Guitar Woman - Sue Foley (released on Waterdown's Stony Plain Records)
  • This Old Life - Big Dave McLean 
  • New Orleans Sessions - Blue Moon Marquee
  • YEAH! - David Gogo 
  • Samantha King and the Midnight Outfit - Samantha King & The Midnight 

TRADITIONAL ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

GROUP OF THE YEAR 

  • Crash Adams 
  • Mother Mother 
  • Spiritbox 
  • Sum 41 
  • The Beaches 

CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR SOLO ARTIST 

  • Signature Philip Glass - Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà 
  • Messiaen - Barbara Hannigan 
  • freezing - Emily D’Angelo
  • Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth - India Gailey 
  • Williams Violin Concerto No. 1; Bernstein Serenade - James Ehnes 

CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SMALL ENSEMBLE) 

  • Known To Dreamers: Black Voices in Canadian Art Song  - Canadian Art Song Project
  • Rituæls - collectif9 
  • East is East - Infusion Baroque 
  • Marie Hubert : Fille du Roy - Karina Gauvin 
  • Kevin Lau: Under a Veil of Stars - St. John–Mercer–Park Trio 

CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (LARGE ENSEMBLE)

  • Ispiciwin - Luminous Voices 
  • Alikeness - Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mark Fewer featuring Aiyun Huang, Deantha Edmunds and Mark Fewer 
  • Sibelius 2 & 5 Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin
  • Schoenberg: Pelleas und Melisande & Verklärte - Nacht Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, conducted by Rafael Payare 
  • Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie - Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Gimeno featuring Marc-André Hamelin and Nathalie Forget 

JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SOLO)

  • Montreal Jazz Series 1 (Échanges Synaptiques) - André Leroux 
  • The Head Of A Mouse - Audrey Ochoa 
  • Portrait of Right Now - Jocelyn Gould
  • Slice of Life - Larnell Lewis
  • The Antrim Coast - Mark Kelso 

JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR (GROUP)

  • Time Will Tell - Andy Milne and Unison 
  • Reverence - Carn Davidson 9 
  • Harbour - Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra 
  • Gravity - Jeremy Ledbetter Trio 
  • Jaya - Raagaverse 

VOCAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

  • Oh Mother - Andrea Superstein 
  • Hello! How Are You? - Caity Gyorgy 
  • Winter Song - Kellylee Evans 
  • Wintersongs - Laila Biali 
  • Magpie - Sarah Jerrom 

INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

  • Disaster Pony - Disaster Pony 
  • Distant Places - Eric Bearclaw 
  • Ginger Beef - Ginger Beef 
  • memory palace - Intervals 
  • Confluencias - Melón Jimenez & Lara Wong 

CONTEMPORARY ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

  • Anniversary - Abigail Lapell 
  • For Eden - Boy Golden 
  • Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now - Donovan Woods 
  • Pathways - Julian Taylor 
  • Strange Medicine - Kaia Kater 

METAL/HARD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

  • Beyond the Reach of the Sun - Anciients 
  • PowerNerd - Devin Townsend 
  • Fire Kittie - Sumerian
  • The Fear of Fear - Spiritbox 
  • ULTRAPOWER - Striker 

ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

  • Roses - Aphrose 
  • Boundless Possibilities - Celeigh Cardinal 
  • Transitions - Kellie Loder 
  • Songs of Love & Death - Maddee Ritter 
  • Lovers’ Gothic - Maïa Davies 

POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

  • bleeding heart - Alexander Stewart 
  • if this is it… - Jamie Fine 
  • Anywhere But Here - Preston Pablo 
  • Shawn Shawn - Shawn Mendes 
  • THINK LATER - Tate McRae 

UNDERGROUND DANCE SINGLE OF THE YEAR 

  • Bamboo - Ciel 
  • Keepsake - Destrata 
  • Distant Memories - Hernan Cattaneo, Hicky & Kalo 
  • La Vérité - Jesse Mac Cormack, Charlie Houston & Brö 
  • WTP - Suray Sertin 

RAP SINGLE OF THE YEAR

  • People - Classified Independent
  • Double The Fun - Haviah Mighty 
  • SHUT UP - Jessie Reyez 
  • BBE - Snotty Nose Rez Kids 
  • Hier encore - Souldia & Lost 

TRADITIONAL R&B/SOUL RECORDING OF THE YEAR 

  • Limbo - Aqyila 
  • The Worst - Benita 
  • Cyan Blue - Charlotte Day Wilson 
  • Halfway Broken - Luna Elle 
  • VELVET SOUL - THEHONESTGUY 

CONTEMPORARY R&B RECORDING OF THE YEAR 

  • Bloom - Aqyila 
  • Noire - Avenoir 
  • FOR THE BOY IN ME - Dylan Sinclair 
  • LOONY - LOONY 
  • Eastend - Confessions 

REGGAE RECORDING OF THE YEAR 

  • Born to Be Free - Exco Levi 
  • FALLBACK - King Cruff & Runkus 
  • Destiny - Lee “Scratch” Perry & Bob Riddim 
  • Sky’s The Limit - Skystar
  • Rise - Tonya P 

COMEDY ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

  • Wonder Woman - Courtney Gilmour 
  • Honourable Intentions - Debra DiGiovanni 
  • Popcorn - Ivan Decker 
  • Sad Witch - Jess Salomon 
  • Down With Tech - Nathan Macintosh 

TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR 

  • New Comings - Black Bear Singers 
  • Winston & I - Brianna Lizotte 
  • Travelling Home - Cree Confederation 
  • REZilience - Northern Cree 
  • Ostesihtowin “Brotherhood” - Young Spirit 

CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR 

  • Precious Diamonds - Adrian Sutherland 
  • Boundless Possibilities - Celeigh Cardinal 
  • Brown Man - Sebastian Gaskin 
  • RED FUTURE - Snotty Nose Rez Kids
  • Pretty Red Bird - Tia Wood 

FRANCOPHONE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

  • Aliocha Schneider - Aliocha Schneider 
  • Demain il fera beau - Fredz La 
  • Toutes les rues sont silencieuses - Jay Scøtt 
  • Abracadabra - Klô Pelgag 
  • Pub Royal - Les Cowboys 

CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

  • elenee. - Elenee 
  • My Foundation - Jordan St. Cyr 
  • Restore - Ryan Ofei 
  • Miracle In The Making - Tehillah Worship 
  • Hymns Alive (Live) - Toronto Mass Choir 

GLOBAL MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

  • Aarambh - Abby V 
  • Kanzafula - Ahmed Moneka 
  • Malak - Didon 
  • Dankoroba - Djely Tapa 
  • Niebla - Ramon Chicharron 

SOUTH ASIAN MUSIC RECORDING OF THE YEAR

  • The Brownprint - AP Dhillon 
  • COOLIN - Chani Nattan, Inderpal Moga & Jazzy B 
  • Love Like That - Jonita Gandhi 
  • Tauba Tauba (From “Bad Newz”) - Karan Aujla 
  • Arul Yanchan - Produced & Sandeep Narayan 

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

  • Human - Adrian Villagomez Apashe & Wasiu 
  • Nasty - Jonah Haber Tinashe 
  • GRAVITY - Jorden Lee Sean Leon 
  • Name of God - Mustafa Mustafa 
  • Jump Cut - Winston Hacking Corridor 

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR 

  • Aaron Paris
  • Akeel Henry
  • Evan Blair
  • Jack Rochon
  • Shawn Everett

RECORDING ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

  • George Seara
  • Hill Kourkoutis
  • Mitch McCarthy
  • Serban Ghenea
  • Shawn Everett

CLASSICAL COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

  • Angmalukisaa Deantha Edmunds 
  • the fog in our poise - Gabriel Dharmoo 
  • L’écoute du perdu : III. « Voix jetées » - Keiko Devaux 
  • Dark Flower - Linda Catlin Smith 
  • String Quartet No. 4 “Insects and Machines” - Vivian Fung 

Previous (Blues Music Award Nominations) - - - Next (Mardi Grad Videos)

Monday, February 24, 2025

Blues Music Award Nominations, including Canadian Artists

Nominations for the 2025 Blues Music Awards were recently unveiled. They will be handed out on May 8, 2025 in Memphis.

Below is a complete list of nominees, Canadian artists are bolded.

*signed to Waterdown's Stony Plain Records)

Blues Rock Album

Traditional Blues Female Artist
  • Sue Foley (Ottawa)*
  • Diunna Greenleaf
  • Eden Brent
  • Rhiannon Giddens
  • Teeny Tucker
Acoustic Blues Album

BB King Entertainer of the Year

  • Duke Robillard *
  • Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
  • Rick Estrin
  • Shemekia Copeland
  • Sugaray Rayford
Traditional Blues Album
  • Roll With Me, Duke Robillard *
  • Crawlin’ ’Kingsnake, John Primer & Bob Corritore
  • Getaway Blues, Eden Brent
  • HAPPY HOUR, Mitch Woods
  • Hill Country Love, Cedric Burnside
Traditional Blues Male Artist
  • Duke Robillard *
  • Cedric Burnside
  • Jimmie Vaughan
  • John Primer
  • Jontavious Willis
Acoustic Blues Artist
Instrumentalist - Harmonica
Album of the Year
  • Blame It On Eve, Shemekia Copeland
  • Fine By Me, Curtis Salgado
  • Hill Country Love, Cedric Burnside
  • Person of Interest, Billy Price
  • What Are You Waiting For?, Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan
Band of the Year
  • Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
  • John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers
  • Nick Moss Band
  • Rick Estrin and the Nightcats
  • Southern Avenue
Song of the Year
  • “Blues For My Dad” performed and written by Chris Cain
  • “Blues In My DNA” performed and written by Ronnie Baker Brooks
  • “Mama, I love you” performed by Albert Castiglia and written by Albert Castiglia, Kevin Burt, & Jerry Jemmott
  • “Tough Mother” performed by Shemekia Copeland and written by John Hahn & Will Kimbrough
  • “Watch the World Go By” performed by Eden Brent and written by Bob Dowell & Eden Brent
Best Emerging Artist Album
  • 8000 Miles to the Crossroads, Prakash Slim
  • Carry On, Destini Rawls
  • Drifter, Jovin Webb
  • Go Be Free, Sonny Gullage
  • Revelation, Piper & The Hard Times
Contemporary Blues Album
  • Blame It On Eve, Shemekia Copeland
  • Blues In My DNA, Ronnie Baker Brooks
  • Do It My Own Way, Vanessa Collier
  • Good Intentions Gone Bad, Chris Cain
  • The Hits Keep Coming, Rick Estrin & the Nightcats
Soul Blues Album
  • Fine By Me, Curtis Salgado
  • Human Decency, Sugaray Rayford
  • Person of Interest, Billy Price
  • REVIVAL, Kat Riggins & her Blues Revival
  • What Are You Waiting For?, Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan
Blues Rock Artist
  • Albert Castiglia
  • Mike Zito
  • Tab Benoit
  • Tommy Castro
  • Walter Trout
Contemporary Blues Female Artist
  • Beth Hart
  • Carolyn Wonderland
  • Danielle Nicole
  • Ruthie Foster
  • Vanessa Collier
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
  • Chris Cain
  • Johnny Sansone
  • Mike Zito
  • Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
  • Ronnie Baker Brooks
Soul Blues Female Artist
  • Annika Chambers
  • Candice Ivory
  • Kat Riggins
  • Thornetta Davis
  • Vaneese Thomas
Soul Blues Male Artist
  • Alabama Mike
  • Billy Price
  • Curtis Salgado
  • Johnny Rawls
  • William Bell
Instrumentalist - Bass
  • Benny Turner
  • Bob Stroger
  • Jerry Jemmott
  • Michael ”Mudcat” Ward
  • Rodrigo Mantovani
Instrumentalist - Drums
  • Chris Peet
  • Derrick D’Mar Martin
  • June Core
  • Kenny ”Beedy Eyes” Smith
  • Tony Braunagel
Instrumentalist - Guitar
  • Chris Cain
  • Christoffer ”Kid” Andersen
  • Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
  • Eric Gales
  • Ronnie Baker Brooks
Instrumentalist - Horn
  • Jimmy Carpenter
  • Doug James
  • Deanna Bogart
  • Trombone Shorty
  • Vanessa Collier
Instrumentalist - Piano (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player)
  • Anthony Geraci
  • Ben Levin
  • Bruce Katz
  • Eden Brent
  • Mitch Woods
Instrumentalist - Vocals
  • Beth Hart
  • Billy Price
  • Curtis Salgado
  • Danielle Nicole
  • Ruthie Foster

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Family Day Videos by Owen & Colin Lapsley, Jack & James de Keyzer, Azalea

Update of 2020 Post




Links: Owen Lapsley, Colin Lapsley, More Colin Lapsley Stories, Video above courtesy of Theatre Ancaster Marketing







Links: AzaleaMore Azalea Stories, Video above courtesy of The Side Door Coffee House

Support Local Charities


From their siteOur goal is not only to help meet the needs of our clients in the short term, but also to help clients become self-sufficient and gain and maintain self-worth / esteem to eventually stand on their own with little or no help.

The Hamilton Blues Lovers (HBL) want to showcase a deserving local charity every week.  HBL is not affiliated with these charities nor does it fund raise for them.



Friday, February 14, 2025

Happy 10th Birthday Trebleclef!


Today (Feb 15, 2025) our little monkey reaches double digits: He's 10 years old! 

Click here for more of Trebleclef's adventures.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!


Thursday, February 13, 2025

50th Anniversary of Rush's Fly by Night


 Today (February 14, 2025) Rush's classic album Fly by Night turns 50 years old.

Trivia:
  • Release date: February 14, 1975 on Mercury Records
  • Second Rush album.
  • First Rush album to feature Hamilton-born, St. Catharines raised drummer Neil Peart
  • Produced by Rush & Terry Brown
  • Peaked at 9 in the Canadian Album Charts

Video above courtesy of Rush


Video above courtesy of Rush


Links: RushMore Rush StoriesVideo above courtesy of Rush

Previous (Valentine's Day Videos) - - - Next (Trebleclef's 10th Birthday)

Valentine's Day Videos by Les Smith, Darren Hancock, Dan Medakovic

Update of 2016 Post




Links: Les SmithMore Les Smith StoriesVideo above courtesy of Hamilton Blues Lovers



Links: Darren Hancock, More Darren Hancock Stories, Video above courtesy of Darren Hancock




Links: Dan MedakovicMore Dan Medakovic StoriesVideo above courtesy of Dan Medakovic

Click here for more Valentine's videos

Previous  (Throwback Thursday: James Anthony Acoustic CD) - - - Next (50th Anniversary of Rush's Fly by Night)

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Throwback Thursday: James Anthony Releases Acoustic CD: All Spruced Up

Original post: January 24, 2009
Updated: February 13, 2025


Burlington musician, James Anthony's CD, All Spruced Up, is a collection of solo acoustic numbers.

It includes original songs, traditional tunes (Worried Life Blues, Tell 'Em Now) and a cover of John Prine's All the Way With You.

In the liner notes, James says it was done in one take across two sessions.

"This is about as raw as it gets," he added, "Guess you can say its the real me sitting in your kitchen singing"

The CD will be sold at his shows and through his web site. Click here to contact him to order.

Monday, February 10, 2025

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Please Support Local Charities




Please Support Local Charities

From their website: Since 1966, the poverty of loneliness and exclusion has been overcome with friendship and compassion at Welcome Inn Community Centre, where people from all walks of life work together to alleviate poverty in the North End and across Hamilton.

The Hamilton Blues Lovers (HBL) want to showcase a deserving local charity every week.  HBL is not affiliated with these charities nor does it fund raise for them.



Thursday, February 6, 2025

Please Support Our Wonderful Sponsors




Please Support Our Wonderful Sponsors



Ken Wallis is an amazing local music supporter. He has a great radio show

Tuesdays: 4-5:30pm: Blues Source Canada w Ken Wallis @ INDI 101.5 FM 




Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Monday, February 3, 2025

Canadian Grammy Winners 2025


There was a lot of Canadian content at the 67th GRAMMY Awards that took place at the Crypto.com Arena (LA) on Sunday, February 2 and was broadcast live on CBS.

Here is the televised ceremony:



Hamilton Bluesman Steve Strongman attended as a nominee. Below is his commentary



Below is a complete list of Canadian winners. Click here for the complete list


Previous (Honouring the Day the Music Died) - - - Next (Throwback Thursday: Lee Harvey Osmond Videos)

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Honouring the Day the Music Died w Videos by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper


Click pic to learn about 'The Day The Music Died"


Links: Video above courtesy of Buddy Holly - Topic




Previous (Ukulele Day Videos) - - - Next (2025 Canadian Grammy Winners)

Support Local Charities


From their website: Begun in the 1980's out of a desire to help one family with a terminally ill child, the TENDER WISHES FOUNDATION has grown to seek out and grant wishes to children in the Niagara Region who suffer from a potentially life-threatening illness.

The Hamilton Blues Lovers (HBL) want to showcase a deserving local charity every week.  HBL is not affiliated with these charities nor does it fund raise for them.