Premier Congratulates Nova Scotia's Juno Nominees
Premier Congratulates Nova Scotia's Juno Nominees
A rocker, a rapper, and a pair of classical musicians were among the six Nova Scotian Juno Awards nominations announced on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at a lively Nova Scotia Kitchen Party in Toronto.
Premier John Hamm congratulated the nominees who are: Joel Plaskett, for songwriter of the year; Classified, for rap recording of the year; Denise Djokic and David Jalbert, for classical album-solo or chamber ensemble; Buck 65 (Rich Terfry), for video of the year; Peter Togni, for classical composition of the year; and James Mejia and Jud Haynes, for CD or DVD artwork.
"Nova Scotia is well known for our Celtic music -- the artists nominated for this year's Juno Awards remind us of the diversity and depth of talent in our local music industry," said Premier Hamm. "That's certainly what we'll be showcasing when we welcome Canada's music industry to our province for the Junos beginning next month."
Excitement is building for the 2006 Juno Awards, which will be held in Halifax from March 31 to April 2. The local Halifax Play Hard host committee has organized a full slate of events leading up to and during the Junos. Halifax Play Hard events are designed to build excitement, showcase local talent, engage Nova Scotians across the province, and leave a lasting Juno legacy for budding musicians.
The Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage is supporting the Juno Awards with a $200,000 contribution to secure the bid and $150,000 contribution for the Halifax Play Hard initiative. The department is also taking advantage of the tourism opportunities arising from hosting the Juno Awards. Most of the ingredients for the Kitchen Party nomination event in Toronto, including musical performances by Joel Plaskett and Matt Mays, were funded by the department. The Nova Scotia "Come to life" initiative has also contributed $30,000 as presenting sponsor for the host committee.
Information on the Juno Awards and nominees is available on the website at www.juno-awards.ca/ . More information on local events is available on the Halifax Play Hard website at www.halifaxplayhard.com/ .