EDMONTON, Canada (Juno Awards Official Website) - Montreal's
Sam Roberts was the big winner at the Junos on Sunday. Beating out more established acts, Roberts and his band took three prizes, including arguably the biggest trophy of them all: album of the year. That honour went to his sophomore release, We Were Born In A Flame.
The Nickelback were also multiple winners. The band picked up the first trophy of the evening, the award for group of the year. "This always feels incredible, but it feels so much more [incredible] to receive one at home," said Chad Kroeger, the group's lead singer.
Nelly Furtado also took a trip to the small circular stage on which the names of the winners were announced. She picked up the award for single of the year for her song Powerless (Say What You Want). Greeted by presenters Choclair and Shawn Desman, her first words were in Portugese.
The Juno for songwriter of the year went to the Vancouver native Sarah McLachlan for the work she did on her album Afterglow. The Juno caps the singer's comeback, and she acknowledged Sunday that she has been out of the spotlight for a prolonged period. "I've been gone quite a long time. It's been six years since my last record," she said while hoisting the award. "To come back and have this kind of love, it feels really amazing. I want to thank my fans for sticking with me even though it's been a long time."
With five nods apiece, Furtado, Nickelback and McLachlan were the most-nominated artists heading into the 33rd annual Juno Awards. Handed out by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Junos honour excellence in Canadian music. There are prizes in 38 categories. The majority of them - 29 statues - were given out at a non-televised dinner on Saturday night.
Among the winners on Saturday were Rush, who won in the music DVD category for Rush in Rio, and rapper 50 Cent, who picked up the trophy for the year's best international album for Get Rich or Die Tryin'. The 2004 JUNO Awards, Canada's Music Awards, was held on Sunday, April 4, in Rexall Place (Edmonton).
Here is a complete list of 2004 Juno Awards winners:
Single: "Powerless (Say What You Want)," Nelly Furtado
Fan choice: Nickelback
Album: "We Were Born in a Flame," Sam Roberts
Artist: Sam Roberts
Group: Nickelback
New group: Billy Talent
Songwriter: Sarah McLachlan, Pierre Marchand for "World on Fire," "Fallen," "Stupid"
Rock album: "We Were Born in a Flame," Sam Roberts
R&B/soul recording: "The Master Plan," In Essence
International album: "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," 50 Cent
Francophone album: "Wilfred Le Bouthillier," Wilfred Le Bouthillier
Instrumental album: "Italian Love Songs," I Sorenti
New artist: Michael Buble
Country recording: "Up!," Shania Twain
Rap recording: "Flagrant," Choclair
Pop album: "Afterglow," Sarah McLachlan
Vocal jazz: "Shade," Holly Cole
Contemporary jazz: "Blow the House Down," Great Uncles of the Revolution
Traditional jazz album: "Lost in the Stars," Guido Basso
Children's album: "A Duck in New York City," Connie Kaldor
Classical album: "Azulao," Isabel Bayrakdarian, James Parker, Cello Ensemble
Classical composition: "String Quartet No. 8," R. Murray Schafer.
Alternative album: "Talkin' Honky Blues," Buck 65
Dance recording: "Something About You," the Sound Bluntz
Reggae recording: "Rent a Tile," Leroy Brown
Aboriginal recording: "Big Feeling," Susan Aglukark
Roots and traditional album, solo: "Skating Rink," David Francey
Roots and traditional album, group: "Maudite Moisson," Le Vent du Nord
Blues album: "Painkiller," Morgan Davis
Contemporary Christian/gospel album: "Jill Paquette," Jill Paquette
World music album: "Beyond Boundaries," Kiran Ahluwalia
Producer of the year: Gavin Brown ("Try Honesty," Billy Talent; "I Hate Everything About You," Three Days Grace)
Recording engineer of the year: Mike Haas, Dylan Heming, Jeff Wolpert (Heat Wave and Something Cool," Holly Cole)
Album design: Garnet Armstrong, Susan Michalek, Andrew MacNaughtan, "Love is the Only Soldier" (Jann Arden)
Video: Floria Sigismondi, "Fighter" (Christina Aguilera)
Music DVD: "Rush in Rio," Rush
