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Furtado
takes two Junos and remains nominated for a pair
Cam Fuller,
CanWest News Service
Published:
Sunday, April 01, 2007
SASKATOON
— It took more than a New York minute to get back home,
but the trip was worth it for Jon Ballantyne.
Not only
did the Saskatoon-raised jazz man win a Juno Award for traditional
jazz album of the year, he was the only Saskatchewan-connected
individual to hold the crystal statuette aloft.
“It’s
a great feeling,” Ballantyne said of winning in his hometown.
His father Fred, a locally well-known jazz pianist himself,
his wife and two good friends joined him in the audience.
The awards
were presented during dinner, which provided a fitting appetizer
for Nelly Furtado, who won both awards available to her Saturday:
artist of the year and pop album of the year for Loose. She
still has fan choice, single and album of the year nominations
to look forward to at Sunday’s
televised awards, which Furtado hosts.
"I
was going to thank my daughter, but she got bored and left,”
she said of her daughter Nevis.
Earlier
in the day, Furtado named Jim Cuddy as one of the artists she’d
like to see win. He did, taking home the award for adult alternative
album of the year. The Blue Rodeo frontman knocked off some
serious contenders in the category in Matt Mays, Neil Young,
Ron Sexsmith and Sarah Harmer.
“That’s
tough. I’m actually sitting with [fellow nominee] Ron
Sexsmith. He’s pissed off,” Cuddy joked.
It’s
been eight years between solo albums, but Cuddy said the next
one would come sooner. Even so, he said it was incredibly tiring
doing both solo and band work. Blue Rodeo is in the studio right
now recording their next album. The longer you spend in the
industry, the more the recognition means, Cuddy said.
“You
wonder if you still have the people’s ear.”
The Saturday
Gala Dinner and Awards Show was a formal, invitation-only event
— a look back of sorts at how the original Juno Awards
were handed out before the advent of large-scale arena shows
filled with excited fans. This is the night where Juno does
most of the heavy lifting, with 32 of the 39 awards presented.
Held at
Saskatoon’s TCU Place, the evening featured performances
by blues album of the year contender David Gogo and eventual
winner Jim Byrnes. Aboriginal recording of the year finalists
were represented with a performance by Jason Burnstick, Leela
Gilday, Digging Roots, Northern Cree and Susan Aglukark. Gilday
was the winner.
Diversity
was the theme of the night, with country nominees Doc Walker,
Carolyn Dawn Johnson and George Canyon also performing. Canyon’s
Somebody Wrote Love took the prize.
Unfortunately,
Canyon was literally speechless because he didn’t expect
to win. He put some thank yous together, however. Backstage,
the black-hatted Alberta resident said he felt week in the knees.
“Usually
I can talk the hind leg off a dead mule,” he quipped.
Doing double
duty on Juno weekend was Dallas Green of Alexisonfire, whose
band is up for group of the year at the televised awards. On
Saturday, Green got a head start by winning alternative album
of the year for his solo effort City and Colour.
Harmer,
winner of DVD of the year, said her touring film was “a
camping trip with some musical shows along the way.” Escarpment
Blues highlights an environmentally sensitive area Harmer is
striving to protect.
“It
has really helped us spread the word about important areas in
the world,” she said.
Francophone
album of the year winner Antoine Gratton praised the host city.
“Saskatoon
rocks, man. I don’t know if it’s because of the
Junos or if they’re like that in real life.”
Video of
the year went to Sam Roberts and his director Dave Pawsey for
Bridge to Nowhere. They’ve been friends since school.
“I
never thought that in Grade 7, when we were doing God knows
what, that we’d be standing here talking to you guys,”
said Roberts.
This was
also the night where Saskatchewan-born Tom Jackson received
the Junos’ second-ever humanitarian award. Saskatchewan
Premier Lorne Calvert introduced Jackson, listing his accomplishments
in helping the less fortunate. There will always be haves and
have-nots, but “our challenge as human beings is to close
that gap,” said Jackson, who played guitar in his acceptance
speech, told corny jokes and added serious moments.
Jackson,
clearly delighted in his backstage appearance, said the award
was a new beginning for him.
“I’m
having more fun playing now than I did when I was 16.”
Promoter
Donald K Tarlton won the Walt Grealis Award.
Not every
winner was present at the banquet. The Dixie Chicks will have
to receive their Juno in the mail. Also not present were Diana
Krall, Stephen Fearing, Swollen Members and dance winners Tiga.
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