Juno Predictions: Will It Be Sarah?s Year?

[Wendell]

http://www.chartattack.com/damn/2004/03/3102.cfm

At this time of the year, as the Juno Awards celebrate what they believe to be the very best in Canadian music, we can?t help but want to put our two cents in. The Junos will be handed out this Saturday and Sunday at two separate ceremonies in Edmonton, Alberta. To celebrate the event, here?s ChartAttack?s predictions on who should and who will win in some of the major categories:

Single Of The Year
Who should win: I?ll go out on a limb here and say Shaye?s "Happy Baby." I think the true single of 2003 was Sam Roberts? "Don?t Walk Away Eileen," but seeing as Sammy wasn?t nominated, my vote goes to Shaye. Sure, they don?t rank very high on the cool metre and your mum probably likes them, but damn, that song is catchy.

Who will win: Nelly Furtado for "Powerless (Say What You Want)." Nelly?s more about the singles than the full album and, with her huge number of nominations, it?s clear that the Junos want her to walk away with at least one award.

Album Of The Year
Who should win: Sam Roberts for We Were Born In A Flame. Of all the albums nominated, Roberts has produced the most solid and consistent piece of work.

Who will win: Sarah McLachlan for Afterglow. I?m going ahead and crowing Sarah queen of the Junos. It?s her comeback year and she?s going to win big.

Artist Of The Year
Who should win: Am I starting to look a little biased in Sam Roberts? favour? Well, it?s not intentional, but since Chart Magazine did name him 2003 artist of the year, I?m going to stand behind him.

Who will win: Sarah McLachlan. For sure.

Group Of The Year
Who should win: Nickelback. Not only are they the most popular band in the country, they just completed one of the most extensive tours a Canadian band can do. I can respect that.

Who will win: Nickelback.

New Artist Of The Year
Who should win: Michael Buble. Who else on the list is swooned over by mothers and daughters alike?

Who will win: Michael Buble.

New Group Of The Year
Who should win: I?d go for The Dears, but in my heart of hearts, I don?t really consider them a "new" band. So, my pick is Billy Talent, simply because they?re young, they?re punk, they have funny hair and they still managed to make a huge dent in the usually stodgy Canadian music industry.

Who will win: Billy Talent

Songwriter Of The Year
Who should win: Truthfully, Rufus Wainwright, but for some reason, CARAS decided to shut him out of the Junos. So, even though he shouldn?t have been nominated, since he only released a rarities album this year, Ron Sexsmith. He deserves his props.

Who will win: Nelly Furtado. By default.

Alternative Album Of The Year
Who should win: Stars. Their album is one of the best Canadian recording of last year.

Who will win: The Constantines. The critics/judges love ?em.

Album Design Of The Year
OK, usually we wouldn?t include this one, but seeing as Chart super-photographer Richard Beland and Jon Claytor, one of my favourite painters, are both nominated for Gord Downie?s Battle Of The Nudes, we?ll send some good tidings their way.

The Junos Awards will air Sunday (April 4) on CTV at 8 p.m. in most local time zones except Atlantic, where it will air at 9 p.m.

?Elizabeth Chorney-Booth

[PhantomPlanet47]

cool article. it's nice to see that nelly is a default winner in SOME award shows.

[Nellymex001]

mm cool thanx

[silly-willy]

cool article thanks a lot!

[NELSTAR XO]

nice article !!!!!

[Wendell]

Another article..
http://www.canada.com/saskato....04F81BE

EDMONTON -- So many nominations, so little newsprint. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences hands out the Juno awards over two nights this weekend, at a non-televised, invite-only gala Saturday and the televised bash Sunday. The lion's share of the hardware will be distributed Saturday, although the higher-profile awards drop Sunday night.

We'd need several special sections to predict winners in all the categories, so we'll stick to the most interesting races and the celebrity-filled Juno battles.

As one of Alberta's most successful exports, Nickelback will be the "hometown" favourite this weekend.

With five nods, including rock album of the year for The Long Road, Chad Kroeger and crew will be making the short sprint to the winner's podium at least once.

But the Hanna-reared rockers, who now live in Vancouver, could be overshadowed by two other Left Coast artists -- funky popster Nelly Furtado and the ever-ethereal Sarah McLachlan. Of their five Juno nominations; four are in the same categories: album of the year, artist of the year, songwriter of the year and pop album of the year.

Here are a few fearless predictions.

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

Nominees: Billy Talent, Try Honesty; Nelly Furtado, Powerless (Say What You Want); Nickelback, Someday; Our Lady Peace, Innocent (Columbia/Sony); Shaye, Happy Baby.

Talent's Try Honesty should win. It's a freakin' catchy song with a great message. Furtado's Powerless (Say What You Want) also makes a statement -- attacking the ideals of celebrity -- but it's not as strong as her previous hits.

Neither is Nickelback's Someday. It doesn't measure up to How You Remind Me, 2001's single of the year. Our Lady Peace's Innocent won't win because it's from an album which was honoured with a Juno last year.

And Shaye's Happy Baby? Don't get me started. Finger Eleven's power ballad, One Thing, should've been nominated instead.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Nominees: Michael Buble, Michael Buble; Celine Dion, One Heart; Nelly Furtado, Folklore; Sarah McLachlan, Afterglow; Sam Roberts, We Were Born In A Flame.

In a category dominated by three women who recently became new mummies, Roberts and crooner Buble don't stand a chance. Dion's One Heart was atrocious and, with her Vegas show and multimillions, it's doubtful CARAS voters will find her worthy of more awards.

Ultimately, this is a showdown between Furtado and McLachlan. Folklore was the stronger album, but Afterglow will win because McLachlan made a larger sacrifice -- she gave up Lilith Fair and was gone longer -- when she took her break to have a baby.