Canadian Music Week’s Jim Beam INDIES Nominees Announced

Canadian Music Week is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2018 Indies – the 18th annual Independent Music Awards – presented by Jim Beam with Indie88. R&B artist Daniel Caesar, breakthrough artist Jessie Reyez, both Remix Project Alumni, Cree and Dene pop and electronic music singer Iskwe, and Montréal-based Congolese rhumba- electronic fusion artist and Moonshine collective founder Pierre Kwenders are among the many Canadian artists nominated at this year’s awards.

Featuring performances by The Rural Alberta Advantage, Vancouver based indie-folk rock trio Said the Whale, Toronto’s power pop rock band Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs and the winner of the Jim Beam talent search, the awards show honours top independent artists at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in downtown Toronto on May 12. Public and industry votes decide the winners of the Indies.

To vote for your favourite acts in their respective categories visit here and cast your vote by May 1st.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Alvvays Antisocialites Royal Mountain
Daniel Caesar Freudian Golden Child
Gord Downie Introduce Yerself Arts & Crafts
July Talk Touch Sleepless
Weaves Wide Open Buzz Records

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Allan Rayman 13 Communion Music
Death From Above 1979 Freeze Me Last Gang
DVBBS Not Going Home ft. Gia Koka & CMC$ Ultra Music
Mother Mother The Drugs Mother Mother Music Inc.
Virginia To Vegas Lights Out Wax

GROUP OF THE YEAR
Broken Social Scene Arts & Crafts
Hollerado Royal Mountain
Stars Last Gang
The Glorious Sons Black Box
The Rural Alberta Advantage Paper Bag

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Daniel Caesar Golden Child
Jessie Reyez FMLY
Lido Pimienta
Lido Pimienta
Mac DeMarco Royal Mountain/Captured Tracks
PartyNextDoor OVO Sound

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Alvvays Dreams Tonite; In Undertow (Performed by Alvvays) Royal Mountain
Daniel Caesar Get You; We Find Love (Performed by Daniel Caesar) Golden Child
July Talk Beck + Call; Picturing Love (Performed by July Talk) Sleepless
PartyNextDoor Wild Thoughts (Performed by DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna, Bryson Tiller) / Not Nice (Performed by PartyNextDoor) / Damage (Performed by PartyNextDoor ft. Halsey) OVO Sound
Shaun Frank No Future (Performed by Shaun Frank ft. Dyson) Ultra Music

ALTERNATIVE ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR
Fast Romantics Light Organ
Partner You’ve Changed
Said the Whale Hidden Pony
The Courtneys Flying Nun Records
The New Pornographers Dine Alone

ELECTRONIC/DANCE ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR
DVBBS Ultra Music
Grandtheft Mad Decent
Jacques Greene Vase Music / Arts & Crafts
Neon Dreams Dreaming Out Loud Entertainment
Shaun Frank Ultra Music

FRANCOPHONE ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR
Canailles Dare To Care
Catherine Leduc Dare To Care
Corridor Corridor
Mara Tremblay Audiogram
Peter Peter Audiogram

INDIGENOUS ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR
Iskwe Iskwé Musik
JB the First Lady JB The First Lady
Mob Bounce RPM Records
The Jerry Cans Aakuluk Music
Wolf Saga Mukwa Records

POP ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR
Christian Hudson Mathurmatics
Coleman Hell 604
Marianas Trench 604
Ralph 604
Ria Mae Ria Mae/Sony

RAP/R&B ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR
Allie Oracle
Majid Jordan OVO Sound
Pierre Kwenders Bonsound
Quake Matthews Fontana North
SonReal Black Box

ROCK ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR
Big Wreck ole
Bleeker Five Seven
One Bad Son 604
Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs Dine Alone
The Wild eOne

SINGER-SONGWRITER ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR
Leeroy Stagger True North
Leif Vollebekk Secret City
Matt Mays Sonic Records
The Barr Brothers Secret City
The Weather Station Outside

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR
J. Cole Dreamville Records / Interscope
Migos Quality Control Music
Run The Jewels Run The Jewels Inc.
Sampha Young Turks
St. Vincent Loma Vista Recordings