2018 Saskatchewan Music Awards

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November 25, 2018, Regina SK: Tonight, SaskMusic presented the winners of the 2018 Saskatchewan Music Awards with a live event held at The Exchange, Regina. A capacity crowd was in attendance for the debut event. The awards kick off the week designated as Saskatchewan Music Week in the province by the Government of Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Music Awards were created to honour excellence, and celebrate the achievements of our music industry members.

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Award show hosts Kris Alvarez and Jayden Pfeifer led the evening, with performances by artists Andino Suns, Megan Nash, Eekwol and T-Rhyme, Chris Henderson with Poor Nameless Boy, Natural Sympathies, and Factor Chandelier.

 

In addition to eight genre-based Artist of the Year categories, Indigenous Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, and three industry-focused awards, the Derek Bachman Foundation presented their first “Breaking Borders” Award. The recipient for 2018 was Megan Nash. The award, presented in memory of musician, community builder and SaskMusic Executive Director Derek Bachman, recognizes an artist who is hard-working, with a positive spirit; produces high-quality products (whether recordings, tours, etc), and is successfully exporting. 

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The Long List of the Best Saskatchewan Albums of 2018 was also revealed, with online public voting commencing November 26 to determine the Top 10. The Long List this year consists of 42 albums curated by an industry jury from among all known commercially released albums by Saskatchewan artists (November 1, 2017-November 1, 2018). The voting deadline is midnight, December 11, 2018.

As part of Saskatchewan Music Week, SaskMusic is inviting artists and industry professionals to attend the Very Prairie: Saskatchewan Music Summit, taking place November 28-December 2 in Saskatoon. A contingent of local, national, and international industry panelists will be discussing a variety of subjects of interest to artists – including marketing and release strategies, revenue, tour booking, mental health, and much more.

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Official 2018 Saskatchewan Music Award Winners

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Alternative Artist of the Year: Close Talker

Avant Garde/Experimental Artist of the Year: respectfulchild

Country Artist of the Year: Jess Moskaluke

Electronic Artist of the Year: Natural Sympathies

Hip Hop Artist of the Year: Factor Chandelier

Indigenous Artist of the Year: Joey Stylez

Metal/Loud Artist of the Year (Two Recipients): Altars of Grief and Shooting Guns

Rock/Pop Artist of the Year: The Sheepdogs

Roots/Folk Artist of the Year: Kacy & Clayton

Single of the Year: Hunter Brothers: Born and Raised

Breaking Borders Award, presented by the Derek Bachman Foundation: Megan Nash

Venue of the Year (Two Recipients): Ness Creek Music Festival, Big River and The Broadway Theatre, Saskatoon

Producer of the Year: Bart McKay

Industry Achievement Award (Two Recipients): 91.3FM CJTR, Regina Community Radio and Shann Gowan

 

The Best Saskatchewan Albums of 2018: Long List

Abscission - Palimpsest

Alex Bent + the Emptiness - Vanilla Blue

Altars of Grief - Iris

Anna Haverstock - Coasting In Dreams

Autopilot - Afterglow

Bears In Hazenmore - Atlas

Belle Plaine - Malice, Mercy, Grief and Wrath

Black Hell Oil - Choke on This

Blue Youth - Dead Forever

Brian Baggett - Bookmarks

Colter Wall - Songs of The Plains

Conrad Bigknife - A Tribute to Country Legends

Dagan Harding Band - I Learned How

Dayda Banks - Vagabonds

Dayda Banks & Filth the Enabler - Emulator

Del Suelo - The Musician's Compass: A 12 Step Program

Eli Barsi & Doris Daley - One Upon the West

Etienne Fletcher: Side A / Face A

Factor Chandelier - Wisdom Teeth

Hell Hounds - Paint the World

Hook & Nail - Ghosts of Taylorton

HYV - Times Are Tough

Into Eternity - The Sirens

Jack Semple - Can't Stop This Love

Jay Semko - Never Sent

Jesse Brown - Sadness

Joey Stylez - The Star Chief

LOA - Tide EP

LTP - Zenith

Marie-Véronique Bourque - une porte s'ouvre

Nick Faye & The Deputies - Stumbling Distance

Pimpton - The Pimpton LP

Rosie & The Riveters - Ms. Behave

The Sheepdogs - Changing Colours

Shooting Guns - Another WolfCop OST

Sleepwreck - Hypersigil Megaprayer

Snake River - Tread on to the Unknown You

Toria Summerfield - Planet X

Untimely Demise - No Promise of Tomorrow

West of Mabou - The Bridge

The Wolfe - Strange Words

Yellowsky - Mixed Medicine

 

SaskMusic thanks all our Saskatchewan Music Week sponsors, SMA jurists, and everyone who helped with tonight's event.

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