Ashley Radcliffe, Reporter
The Grammys kick off this Sunday, and among those competing are eight Canadian artists who have been nominated this year.
The highly anticipated 62nd annual Grammy Awards showcases some of the best artists in the recording industry, and Canada has once again made a breakthrough.
The eight Canadian nominees include artists such as Drake, Michael Bublé, Daniel Caesar, Jessie Reyez, and Shawn Mendes.
“The Grammys is still a USA heavy pool but I think it comes down to who can make it to mainstream media and music. If you look at the nominations for Album and Song of the year, all of them are from the United States,” said Exclaim Editor Sean Marco.
Although this is nothing new for some of the artists to be acknowledged at the awards ceremony, for others it is a first time nomination.
Without the release of an album in 2019, Drake has been nominated for best R&B and rap song.
However, singer songwriter Jessie Reyez has received her first nomination for “Best Urban Contemporary album” this year.
Also, pop sensation Shawn Mendes has been nominated for best pop duo/ group performance with his companion Camila Cabello.
After last years feud with Drake’s acceptance speech acknowledging that the award show “doesn’t matter”, the Grammy committee should be aware of some mixed opinions coming their way.
Some Canadians in the music industry have not shied away from sharing their opinions on the Grammy’s failure to recognize some talented Canadian artist.
Johnathan Shaw, creative director at ELMNT 106.5 in Toronto, noted the Grammy’s have done a great job over the years in including a variety of categories like R&B and rap into the ceremony.
“When you ask what is the number one album, and what is the number one single, what should win, is what a large crowd of listeners like — and not what ten people in a room vibe with the best,” said Shaw.
Compared with how the show was at one time more focused on folk and rock music, he has seen how much it has evolved overtime.
Others are happy about how inclusive the Grammys have become when it comes to providing an international category.
“It feels good to have a category in the Grammy’s where artist like Koffee and Chronixx are being nominated, these are friends of mine so it motivates me,” Exco Levi, a reggae artist in Toronto, told Humber News.
Here’s a look at the nominees for some of the eight Canadian artist nominated this year.
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