FACTOR Hits Home Run In Juno Sweepstakes

By FYI Staff

Canada’s musicians and affiliated record labels owe a lot to Duncan McKie and his team at the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR). The not-for-profit, funded by private broadcasters and a federal grant, has financially assisted a long list of Canadian acts that include The Weeknd, Arcade Fire, k.d. lang, Blue Rodeo and Sarah McLachlan in early days when scratching together the cash to launch a tour, a new recording or promote themselves at a festival was a daunting task.

This year, FACTOR has contributed to a long list of nominees nominated for a Juno Award. Hats off to the organization, and best of luck to all the contenders. Below is a partial list of FACTOR-funded artist nominees.

Artist of the Year Presented by Apple Music

Ruth B

Shania Twain

Gord Downie 

Daniel Caesar

Lights

Group of the Year Presented by Apple Music

A Tribe Called Red

Arcade Fire

Alvvays

Broken Social Scene

Breakthrough Artist of the Year Sponsored by FACTOR, the Government of Canada, and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters

Jessie Reyez

NAV

Virginia to Vegas 

Allan Rayman 

Charlotte Cardin 

Breakthrough Group of the Year Sponsored by FACTOR, the Government of Canada, and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters

James Barker Band 

The Beaches 

The Dead South 

The Franklin Electric 

The Jerry Cans

Songwriter of the YearPresented by SOCAN

“Chosen”, “Grace” – co-sngwriter Mark Erelli, “White Flag” – co-songwriter KS Rhoads NATURAL CONCLUSION – Rose Cousins
Rose Cousinso

“21 Days” – co-songwriters Simon Wilcox, Thomas 'Tawgs' Salter, Michael J. Wise, Ron Lopata, “It’s Kinda Complicated” – co-songwriters Thomas 'Tawgs' Salter, Todd Clark, Ron Lopata, “PDA” – co-songwriters Simon Wilcox, Thomas 'Tawgs' Salter, Ron Lopata HÔTEL DE VILLE – Scott Helman
Scott Helman

“Come Back for Me”, “Watershed”, “Try” WATERSHED – Amelia Curran
Amelia Curran

“A Natural”, “Introduce Yerself”, “The North” INTRODUCE YERSELF – Gord Downie
Gord Downie & Kevin Drew

“Main Girl”, “Paradise Motion”, “The Kids” MAIN GIRL – Charlotte Cardin
Charlotte Cardin

Adult Alternative Album of the Year

Twin Solitude (MPN)
Leif Vollebekk

New Mistakes
Terra Lightfoot

Sincerely, Future Pollution
Timber Timbre

Panther In The Dollhouse
Whitehorse

Introduce Yerself
Gord Downie

Alternative Album of the Year Sponsored by Long & McQuade

Life After Youth
Land of Talk

Retribution
Tanya Tagaq

Everything Now
Arcade Fire

Wide Open
Weaves

Antisocialites
Alvvays

Rock Album of the Year

Feed The Machine
Nickelback

Young Beauties and Fools
The Glorious Sons

Wake Up Call
Theory

Grace Street
Big Wreck

Outrage! Is Now
Death From Above

Vocal Jazz Album of the Year

Come On
Kellylee Evans

Old School Yule! 
Matt Dusk

No Filter
Michael Kaeshammer

With a Twist
Bria Skonberg

Turn Up the Quiet
Diana Krall

Jazz Album of the Year: Solo

Contumbao
Hilario Durán

Root Structure
Mike Downes

Ralph Bowen
Ralph Bowen

The Tide Turns
Brad Cheeseman

Rich in Symbols
Chet Doxas

Instrumental Album of the Year

Cuphead
Kristofer Maddigan

Hapax
Oktopus

Peregrine Falls
Peregrine Falls

Stubborn Persistent Illusions
Do Make Say Think

Sweat
Five Alarm Funk

Classical Composition of the Year

Phi, Caelestis
Andrew Staniland

Breathe
James Rolfe

My Name is Amanda Todd
Jocelyn Morlock

The Shaman
Vincent Ho

Cœur à Cœur
Alice Ping Yee Ho

Rap Recording of the YearPresented by Stingray Music

Coach Fresh ???
Maestro Fresh Wes

001: Experiments
Lou Phelps

Shooters
Tory Lanez

Mumble Rap
Belly

Lil Mont from the Ave
Clairmont The Second

R&B/Soul Recording of the Year

Foreign Water
Jahkoy

Kiddo
Jessie Reyez

Human
Jhyve

Unbound 01
Keshia Chanté

Freudian
Daniel Caesar

Reggae Recording of the Year

Greater
Kirk Diamond

Love How You Whine
Kreesha Turner & K’Coneil

The Light
Ammoye

Hold Up Slow Down
Blessed

Neva Judge
Eyesus

Contemporary Roots Album of the Year

Inuusiq
The Jerry Cans

The Weather Station
The Weather Station

Watershed
Amelia Curran

Bone on Bone
Bruce Cockburn

Medicine Songs
Buffy Sainte-Marie

Traditional Roots Album of the Year

Jayme Stone’s Folklife
Jayme Stone

What We Leave Behind
The East Pointers

Illusion & Doubt
The Dead South

The Willow Collection
Cassie and Maggie

Rove
Còig

Blues Album of the Year

Time to Roll
MonkeyJunk

No Time Like Now
Steve Strongman

Big City, Back Country Blues
Williams, Wayne and Isaak

Better the Devil You Know
Big Dave McLean

Something I’ve Done
Downchild

Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year

We Are Free
Jon Neufeld

These Are The Days
Love & The Outcome (lots of LP)

Stones
Manafest

Echoes
Matt Maher

First Day of My Life
The Color

World Music Album of the Year

A New Tradition Vol. 2: Return of the KUISi
Beny Esguerra and New Tradition

Where the Galleon Sank
Kobo Town

Meter
Autorickshaw

La Migra
Battle of Santiago

Femme
Briga

Album Artwork of the Year

COCONUT CHRISTMAS – The Lost Fingers
Geneviève Lapointe (Art Director), Martin Tremblay (Photographer)

MECHANICS OF DOMINION – Esmerine
Jean-Sébastien Denis (Art Director & Illustrator), Ian Ilavsky (Designer), Guy L'Heureux (Photographer)

FREUDIAN – Daniel Caesar
Keavan Yazdani (Art Director & Photographer), Sean Brown (Designer), Eric Lachance (Illustrator)

STUBBORN PERSISTENT ILLUSIONS -- Do Make Think Say
Marianne Collins (Art Director & Illustrator), Ian Ilavsky (Designer), Steve Farmer (Photographer)

EVERYTHING NOW – Arcade Fire
Catherine Lepage & Simon Rivest (Art Directors)

Video of the Year

LEAVING THE TABLE - Leonard Cohen
Christopher Mills

THE DRUGS - Mother Mother
Emma Higgins

VENUS FLY - Grimes
Grimes (Claire Boucher)

GATEKEEPER - Jessie Reyez
Peter Huang

KNOCKING AT THE DOOR - Arkells
Shane Cunningham & Mark Myers

Electronic Album of the Year

Music To Draw To: Satellite
Kid Koala ft. Emilíana Torrini

Mass Manipulation
Rezz

Tenderness
Blue Hawaii

Someone Else
CRi

Two Hearts
Dabin

Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year

II: Vanishing
Longhouse

Strange Peace
Metz

Striker
Striker

Voice of the Void
Anciients

Relentless Mutation
Archspire

Adult Contemporary Album of the Year

Revival
Johnny Reid

Nobody But Me
Michael Bublé

The Grand Hustle
Nuela Charles

Christmas Together
The Tenors

Rooted
Alysha Brilla