Vancouver Actor and Bluesman Jim Byrnes to Host Maple Blues Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PLEASE UPDATE LISTINGS
What: The Maple Blues Awards
Where: The Mod Club Theatre, 722 College St., Toronto
When: Monday January 15, 2007, 8PM
Tickets: www.ticketpro.ca
The tenth annual Maple Blues Awards, Canada’s national award programme that promotes and recognizes outstanding achievement in blues music, has announced their nominees for 2006. Jim Byrnes leads nominations while veterans Mel Brown and Chris Whiteley received multiple nods alongside youthful blues women Suzie Vinnick and Ndidi Onukwulu.
Vancouver’s Byrnes, who will host and perform at the Gala, is nominated in four categories: Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Songwriter, and Record of the Year for his latest album “House of Refuge”. 2007 will be a busy year for the multitalented Juno Award winner who will feature in the movies
“Highlander: The Source” and “Heart of a Dragon”.
Byrnes is one of many Western artists recognized in a very strong showing by the region that also includes multiple nominees Harry Manx and Kenny Blues Boss Wayne. Other multiple nominees include the East coast’s John Campbelljohn, Quebec’s Dawn Tyler Watson, and Ontario’s Harrison Kennedy, Mel Brown and Sue Foley.
This year, the Blues Booster award honouring outstanding contribution to the Canadian Blues industry will be given to filmmaker Mako Funasaka in recognition of his success in documenting the Blues in Canada through his network-broadcast Talkin’ Blues series.
The nominees are selected by a distinguished panel of blues experts from across Canada, and winners are selected by the votes of Canadian blues fans. Voting is online from November 13 until December 16 2006 at www.mapleblues.ca.
The winners will be announced at a spectacular gala presentation at the Mod Club Theatre (722 College St. West, Toronto) on Monday, January 15, 2007.
2006 MAPLE BLUES NOMINEES
Entertainer of the Year
Jim Byrnes
Downchild Blues Band
Jack de Keyzer
Dawn Tyler Watson
Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne
Electric Act of the Year
Mel Brown
John Campbelljohn
Colin James
Garrett Mason
The Perpetrators
Acoustic Act of the Year
Rick Fines & Suzie Vinnick
Hot Toddy/Isaac & Blewitt
Harrison Kennedy
Harry Manx
Tim Williams
Male Vocalist of the Year
Jim Byrnes
David Clayton-Thomas
Donald Ray Johnson
Harrison Kennedy
John Mays
Female Vocalist of the Year
Rita Chiarelli
Ndidi Onukwulu
Roxanne Potvin
Suzie Vinnick
Dawn Tyler Watson
New Artist/Group of the Year
The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir
DiggingRoots
Treasa Levasseur
Ndidi Onukwulu
Ricky Paquette
Trouble & Strife
Recording of the Year
Blues – A Beautiful Thing (Electro-Fi)
Artist: Mel Brown
Producer: Mel Brown & Andrew Galloway
House Of Refuge (Black Hen)
Artist: Jim Byrnes
Producer: Steve Dawson
Kissing In 29 Days (NorthernBlues)
Artist: JW-Jones Blues Band
Producer: JW-Jones
Morning Sun (Electro-Fi)
Artist: Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley
Producer: Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley
No, I Never (Jericho Beach)
Artist: Ndidi Onukwulu
Producer: Sam Goldberg
B.B. King International Artist of the Year
Solomon Burke
James Hunter
Bettye Lavette
Keb’ Mo’
Watermelon Slim
Guitarist of the Year
Kevin Breit
Mel Brown
John Campbelljohn
Sue Foley
Bill Johnson
Harmonica Player of the Year
David Hoerl
Carlos del Junco
Al Lerman
Paul Reddick
David Rotundo
Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
Lance Anderson
Richard Bell
Julian Fauth
Graham Guest
Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne
Horn Player of the Year
Pat Carey
Mike Clark
Johnny Ferreira
Chris Murphy
Chris Whiteley
Drummer of the Year
Geoff Arsenault
Bucky Berger
Al Cross
Mike Sloski
Bob Vespaziani
Bass Player of the Year
Alec Fraser
Russell Jackson
Gary Kendall
Omar Tunnoch
Suzie Vinnick
Songwriter of the Year
Ray Bonneville
Jim Byrnes
Rick Fines & Suzie Vinnick
Harry Manx
Chris Whiteley
Blues With a Feeling (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Alec Fraser
Amos Garrett
Tom Lavin
Colin Linden
Big Dave McLean
Ellen McIlwaine
Joe Murphy
Chris Whiteley
Ken Whiteley
Terry Wilkins
The Maple Blues Awards Gala is the culmination of Blues Summit III, an industry conference bringing together blues festivals, societies, labels, musicians and fans. Blues Summit III will take place from January 13-15 at the Delta Chelsea Hotel (33 Gerard St. West) in downtown Toronto. More information can be found at www.torontobluessociety.com.
The Maple Blues Awards are supported by FACTOR and the Government of Canada through the Canadian Music Fund, GALAXIE – CBC’s Continuous Music Network, the SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, KMP Designs Inc., Cordova Bay, Stony Plain Records, Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, Sam the Record Man, Steve’s Music Store/Pearl Drums, Lee Oskar Harmonicas, Fusion 3 Distribution/Justin Time Records, CBC Radio 99.1, Saturday Night Blues, and St. John’s Music/Yamaha Music Canada.
Media Contact:
Toronto Blues Society
416-538-3885
[email protected]