What a party! The eighth annual Edmonton Music Awards held on June 28 at Winspear Centre revealed big winners Lyra Brown, Celeigh Cardinal and Bardic Form, as well as honoring the life-long contribution of Tommy Banks.
Leading the pack with three wins, Indie-pop artist Lyra Brown took home Singer/Songwriter,
Adult Alternative Recording and Music Video of the Year awards for her song “A Little Vulture
Told Me”. Finishing close behind, winning two Edmonton Music Awards each: Celeigh Cardinal
for “There Ain’t No Way” (Female Artist; Indigenous Recording); The Dungarees for “Anywhere With You” (Album; Country Recording); and Bardic Form for “Longhorn” (World Music Recording; Instrumental Recording).
Our very own Jessi Toms did us proud representing the Muse, as she presented Female Artist of the Year to Celeigh Cardinal.
Scenic Route to Alaska picked up Single of the Year for their tune “Slow Down”; Male Artist
went to Rellik, and Royal Foundry’s “All We Have” won Pop Recording of the Year.
Recognizing new artists, Keltie took the Rising Star award (18 and Under) and Telltale took home Artist to Watch. Nêhiyawak won Group of the Year, while the People’s Choice award went to Derina Harvey Band.
The three and a half hour event featured energetic performances by Josh Sahunta, Bardic
Form, Dizzy and Celeigh Cardinal. The 27 prizes included a Legacy Award paying tribute to our
own beloved Tommy Banks, who passed away earlier this year. Longtime friend and
collaborator, jazz pianist George Blondheim, presented the award sharing memories of Banks’ most notable accomplishments. He stressed the instrumental part Banks played in the development of our city’s arts and music scene for over fifty years, commenting “If you ever heard a concert or performed here in the Winspear, or jazz at the Yardbird Suite, or if you saw a play at the Citadel Theatre - Tommy Banks played a big part in making that possible for you”.
Besides the kudos, it was a night filled with laughter thanks to our MC, the one and only
Bridget Ryan. And also presenters like Mayor Don Iveson, who entertained with personal
stories and kept up a running joke by dropping an f-bomb before presenting his award ;)
It was a memorable evening in celebration of a thriving local arts community. E-town is home
base to a rich and diverse field of talented artists, spanning every genre of music. And they
need look no further than their own backyard to find world-class production resources. Award
presenter Tyson Boyd (Starlite Room) shared his memory of being a northwestern Alberta youth
with big dreams, making this discovery, and realizing that here “anything is possible”.
This deep-rooted sense of community was evident and celebrated all through the night, from presenters commenting on the vibrant local scene, to nominees referring to themselves as “family”. Rellik summed it up best receiving his award for Male Artist, when he ended with a heartfelt nod to this supportive Edmonton community and his fellow artists. “Thank you for helping create a place for all of us to make our art”.
The full list of winners is below, including wins by Ann Vriend, Boogie Patrol, and Striker.
Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees and winners from the Edmonton Muse!
In Review
By Marni Walker