SFTC: THE JUNO AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED. (CANADA'S GRAMMYS)

The 2010 Juno Award nominees were announced on Wednesday morning, and while several familiar faces are up for awards, it was those honoured in more obscure categories who were really celebrating.

For mega-selling artists and multiple nominees like Michael Bublé and Justin Bieber, a Juno nomination is a nice surprise, icing on the cake. It’s not as if their fans will stop buying their albums if the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences fails to recognize them. But for musicians not sitting atop the iTunes charts, a nomination has a more pronounced impact. A nod from the Junos, or better yet a win, can go a long way towards securing grants, getting more tour dates, and may even make the difference between music being a side project or a full-time job.

National Post favourite (and honorary Mountie) Michael Bublé led all musicians with six nominations, including Album and Artist of the Year. Veteran rockers Billy Talent are up for four Junos, including Album and Group of the Year, which ties them with country singer-songwriter Johnny Reid and Toronto rapper Drake, who has yet to release an album. Earning three Juno nominations were Metric, The Tragically Hip, K’Naan, Classified, Diana Krall, and teen heartthrob Justin Bieber, who is up for Album of the Year and New Artist of the Year.

JUNO Week takes place April 12-18, 2010, in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, culminating in the live broadcast of THE 2010 JUNO AWARDS, Sunday, April 18 on CTV. Below are the winners KJ and I predict at HipHossip and pictures to prove it. LOL!

NEW GROUP OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY FACTOR AND CANADA’S PRIVATE RADIO BROADCASTERS)

Arkells

Dine Alone*Universal

Down With Webster

Universal Motown*Universal

Stereos

Universal

Ten Second Epic

Black Box*Fontana North

The New Cities

Sony

POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

The Show Must Go
Hedley

Universal

My World
Justin Bieber

Island Def Jam*Universal

The Listening
LIGHTS

Underground Operations*Universal

Crazy Love
Michael Bublé

Reprise*Warner

Stereos
Stereos

Universal

ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Old Crows/Young Cardinals
Alexisonfire

Dine Alone*Universal

III
Billy Talent

WEA*Warner

Dark Horse
Nickelback

EMI

We Are The Same
The Tragically Hip

Universal

Life Starts Now
Three Days Grace

Jive*Sony

RAP RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Still Fly
Big Page, Drake & U.G.O. Crew

Smoke & Mirrors*E1 Music

Self Explanatory
Classified

HalfLife*Sony

So Far Gone
Drake

Aspire*Universal

Yes!
k-os

Crown Loyalist*Universal

Troubadour
K’Naan

A&M/Octone*Universal

R&B/SOUL RECORDING OF THE YEAR

INTRO
Danny Fernandes

CP*Fontana North

Lonesome Highway
jacksoul

Sony

The Long Way Home
Jarvis Church

EMI

The Black Book
Jully Black

Universal

The Bridge
Melanie Fiona

Universal Motown/SRC*Universal

REGGAE RECORDING OF THE YEAR

American Dream
Carl Henry III

Mosaic

Gonna Be Alright
Dubmatix ft. Prince Blanco

7 Arts

Show Me The Way
Kim Davis

Independent

Wha-La-La-Leng
Poirier

Ninja Tune*Outside

Breaking Up
Tanya Mullings

MegaCity

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY MUCHFACT)

Mr. Hurricane
Ben Steiger-Levine BEAST

Pheromone*Universal

Heavens To Purgatory
Ben Steiger-Levine THE MOST SERENE REPUBLIC

Arts & Crafts*EMI

Anybody Listening
Harv CLASSIFIED

HalfLife*Sony

Little Bit Of Red
Marc Ricciardelli SERENA RYDER

EMI

It's Okay
WeWereMonkeys LAND OF TALK

Land of Talk*Secret City/EMI

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY FACTOR AND CANADA’S PRIVATE RADIO BROADCASTERS)

Carley Rae Jepsen

MapleMusic*Fontana North

Danny Fernandes

CP*Fontana North

Drake

Aspire*Universal

Justin Bieber

Island Def Jam*Universal

Shiloh

Universal

GROUP OF THE YEAR

Billy Talent

WEA*Warner

Blue Rodeo

WEA*Warner

Hedley

Universal

Metric

Last Gang*Universal

The Tragically Hip

Universal

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Diana Krall

Verve*Universal

Jann Arden

Universal

Johnny Reid

Open Road*Universal

K’Naan

A&M/Octone*Universal

Michael Bublé

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Canadian Recording Industry Association

III
Billy Talent

WEA*Warner

Quiet Nights
Diana Krall

Verve*Universal

Dance With Me
Johnny Reid

Open Road*Universal

My World
Justin Bieber

Island Def Jam*Universal

Crazy Love
Michael Bublé

Reprise*Warner

INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

The E.N.D.
Black Eyed Peas

Interscope*Universal

Circus
Britney Spears

Zomba*Sony

Only By The Night
Kings Of Leon

RCA*Sony

I Dreamed A Dream
Susan Boyle

Simcoe*Sony

Fearless
Taylor Swift

Big Machine/Open Road*Universal

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

Rusted From the Rain

Billy Talent WEA*Warner

Anybody Listening
Classified

HalfLife*Sony

Best I Ever Had
Drake

Aspire*Universal

Haven’t Met You Yet
Michael Bublé

Reprise*Warner

Love Is A First
The Tragically Hip

JUNO FAN CHOICE AWARD

Presented By Pepsi

Ginette Reno

Melon-Miel*Select

Johhny Reid

Open Road*Universal

Maxime Landry

Productions J*Select

Michael Bublé

Reprise*Warner

Nickelback

EMI

As you know, anything can happen at these awards. Remember Kardinal Offishall last year? Good luck to all the nominees.