SOUNDS OF SASK.
Saluting best in province
There are some really interesting experimental electronic artists ... and we have some pretty substantial milestones overseas.
There’s a Western Canadian Music Awards. There’s a Saskatchewan Country Music Awards. But, until now, there has never been a Saskatchewan Music Awards.
“I don’t know why it hasn’t happened before,” said Mike Dawson, executive director of Saskmusic, “but I think it’s a really wonderful time to jump headlong into it.”
Nominees for the first-ever Saskatchewan Music Awards were unveiled on Tuesday morning at The Exchange. The 18 categories include artist of the year in nine genres, single of the year, industry achievement, venue of the year, producer of the year,and the Breaking Borders award presented by the Derek Bachman Foundation.
A “massive” list of jurors decided which of the many prospective nominees would be chosen, said Dawson.
The awards focus on highlighting the local music community in Saskatchewan. “Over the past few years, there’s been a lot of focus on music export and some of those (events like) South by Southwest,” said Dawson. “I think there’s a flashiness to them, where that’s sort of what garners the attention.”
The awards in Regina kick off a full Saskatchewan Music Week, culminating in Saskatoon with the Very Prairie: Saskatchewan Music Summit, a chance for artists to network and learn.
“Sometimes when we do something like a tax workshop here, which is such a valuable piece of information for an artist, it’s obviously less glamorous than getting to Austin for the weekend,” said Dawson.
“We’re anchoring it around the concept of Saskatchewan Music Week, where we take a little time I think to tell the stories and celebrate all of the stuff that’s happening in Saskatchewan.
“There are some really interesting experimental electronic artists in the province who are getting hundreds of thousands of streams online,” added Dawson, “and a number of other artists who are touring internationally, and we have some pretty substantial milestones overseas that maybe people at home aren’t necessarily aware of.”
For example, Tenille Arts, who grew up in Weyburn, has had songs streamed more than 1.7 million times this year to date. Saskatoon band One Bad Son has more than 1.5 million streams this year so far.
The awards will be handed out at The Exchange in Regina on Sunday, Nov. 25.
Funny people Jayden Pfeifer and Kris Alvarez will host the show, which will feature live performances by Megan Nash, Andino Suns, Natural Sympathies, T-rhyme, Factor Chandelier, and Chris Henderson and Poor Nameless Boy.
It will be “standing room (and) kind of feel like a concert experience,” said Dawson.
Tickets are $20 in advance and available at showpass.com.
Public voting will be open on Nov. 26 to determine the Best Saskatchewan Album. Visit saskmusic.org for more information.