HIGH FIVE FOR FEIST Finger Eleven gets a thumbs-up and Blue Rodeo has a red-letter day, but the Calgary songstress owns the night Marsha Lederman – Globe and Mail Leslie Feist returned to her old hometown to sweep the Junos with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 awards over the weekend.
In a beaded vintage dress she picked up for $50 in Los Angeles, Feist did not look much like your typical homecoming queen, picking up Junos for single of the year for 1234 and album and pop album of the year for The Reminder Sunday night at the televised awards in Calgary. On Saturday night, she was also named artist of the year and songwriter of the year.
With each successive win, she appeared more emotional and incredulous.
“Calgary! Oh wow,” she said after winning for album of the year, her third award of the night – and fifth of the weekend.
“I am a soft and sucky person and I wouldn't be very strong if it weren't for my human shield. I'd like to thank my human shield.” Feist then went on to thank a list of people, reading from a piece of paper (as opposed to from her arm, as she had earlier in the night).
Feist, 32, has had a huge year, beginning with the use of her infectious tune 1234 (and the accompanying video) in an iPod commercial, a move that shot her from indie favourite to international fame. Before you could count to, well, four, she had appeared on Saturday Night Live, Late Show with David Letterman, and performed at the Grammies – where she was nominated for four awards, including best new artist. While she was shut out of that race, it was a different story Sunday night.
“All roads lead to Calgary is what it ends up being, really,” she said, entering the Pengrowth Saddledome before the awards Sunday night.
“I'd just like to say that when I lived in Calgary my band Placebo used to open for the Smalls,” Feist said after being presented with the award for single of the year by Smalls founding member Corb Lund. “Corbie Lund, everybody. Let's play cards later.”
Juno weekend in Calgary marked a triumphant return for Feist to her old stomping grounds, where two decades earlier she had caught the music-business bug after performing at the opening of the 1988 Calgary Olympics.
That dance performance (on Feist's 12th birthday, no less) sparked not only her career, but also inspired the dance routine on her 1234 video.
A few years after her Olympic debut, while she was in high school, Feist formed her punk band, Placebo.
Later, there were moves to Toronto and Paris, collaborations with fellow Canadian Peaches and a founding role in Broken Social Scene. There was acclaim with her 2004 release Let It Die, for which she won the Juno for alternative album and was named best new artist in 2005. Sunday night, she added to her trophy collection in front of an appreciative crowd that included her parents. “I rarely see them in the same room, let alone on the red carpet,” she said.
Juno organizers in Calgary, who were determined to make the event a showcase for the boomtown city, couldn't have asked for a better fairy tale to promote their city as a place where the arts can and do flourish.
“My kids are going to be excited if I run into Feist or Avril Lavigne,” Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier said at the beginning of the night.
Juno weekend was also a big one for Blue Rodeo, who picked up three awards, including group of the year, adult alternative album of the year (for Small Miracles) and video of the year for C'mon.
“It's sort of crazy, isn't it?” said Greg Keelor, noting that the band has been around for 24 years. “And the thing that sort of stays the same [over the years] is that it's always been a very supportive scene. People are always helping people out. And it hasn't been very musically competitive that way. People have always been more than willing to help each other. … So that's nice to see. That remains the same.”
Michael Bublé was named the Juno fan-choice award winner – the only award he took home. The winner is chosen by the fans and sponsored by a brand of corn chips.
“Wow. This is huge. Of course I'd like to thank you fans. Thank you Canada. You've really been beautiful for me. I'm so proud to be a Canadian,” he began his speech. “And I'd like to thank Doritos for making such tasty treats. Seriously sometimes when I eat them my fingers they go orange but it's worth it.” Later he added: “This is for all these people who said I couldn't vote for myself enough times to win.”
Ms. Lavigne and Céline Dion were both shut out, despite multiple nominations. Anne Murray was shut out as well, but she was one of the most sought-after stars in the room.
“If I meet Anne Murray, I'll probably not know what to say,” NDP Leader Jack Layton said.
For her part, Ms. Murray, dripping in diamonds supplied by Toronto jeweller Mark Lash, was thrilled to see how the Junos have grown over the years.
“My first Juno was in 1971 and it was just a dinner in a room. … There weren't many of us. The whole evening was over in an hour. And we have come a long way. This is very exciting. And it's become important.”
Ms. Murray attracted host Russell Peters's attention early in the evening.
“Anne Murray is here. Living legend,” he said in his opening monologue. “I'll be honest with you. I can't say anything bad about Anne Murray because I think I may have been conceived to her music.”
But Ms. Murray aside, Mr. Peters made it clear from the opening monologue that he wasn't going to tip toe his way through the evening.
“The Juno people have been treating me well. They've actually given me my own driver, Chad Kroeger,” he joked, in reference to the Nickelback singer's recent drunk-driving conviction. “We're gonna have to change the name of Nickelback to get your licence back.”
In a nod to Calgary, the award for country recording was part of the broadcast Sunday night. The winner was Paul Brandt, who the previous night had been honoured for his humanitarian work. “Oh, man. Thank you so much. Okay. I got a list. I want to thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, first and foremost,” he said.
On Saturday, Serena Ryder was named best new artist.
“There's no words to describe it. I just feel so, so honoured,” Ms. Ryder said.
Other winners on Saturday night, at the non-televised portion of Juno weekend, included Arcade Fire's Neon Bible for alternative album (the album also won for best artwork design); Finger Eleven's Them Vs. You Vs. Me for rock album and Belly's The Revolution for rap recording. Alex Cuba's Agua Del Pozo won for best world music album, Jully Black's Revival won for R&B/soul recording, and Measha Brueggergosman, who was playing host to the Saturday night event, won for classical album, vocal or choral performance, for Surprise.
“It felt shockingly emotional,” Ms. Brueggergosman said. “I thought I would be able to keep it together. But then your name is read and all of a sudden just this crazy electric ball of emotion and then you have to go up and talk.”
JUNO WINNERS
Single 1234, Feist
Album The Reminder, Feist
Pop album The Reminder, Feist
Group Blue Rodeo
New group Wintersleep
Country recording Paul Brandt
Juno fan choice award Michael Bublé
International album Good Girl Gone Bad, Rihanna
Artist Feist
New artist Serena Ryder
Songwriter Feist
Adult alternative album Small Miracles, Blue Rodeo
Alternative album Neon Bible, Arcade Fire
Rock album Them vs. You vs. Me, Finger Eleven
Vocal jazz album Make Someone Happy, Sophie Milman
Contemporary jazz album Almost Certainly Dreaming, The Chris Tarry Group
Traditional jazz album Debut, Brandi Disterheft
Instrumental album The Utmost, Jayme Stone
Francophone album L'échec du matériel, Daniel Bélanger
Children's album Music Soup, Jen Gould
Classical album, Solo or chamber ensemble Alkan Concerto for Solo Piano, Marc-André Hamelin
Classical album, Large ensemble or soloist(s) with large ensemble Korngold, Barber & Walton Violin Concertos, James Ehnes, Bramwell Tovey, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Classical album, vocal or choral performance Surprise, Measha Brueggergosman
Classical composition Constantinople, Christos Hatzis
Rap recording The Revolution, Belly
Dance recording All U Ever Want, Billy Newton-Davis vs. Deadmau5
R&B/soul recording Revival, Jully Black
Reggae recording Don't Go Pretending, Mikey Dangerous
Aboriginal recording The Dirty Looks, Derek Miller
Roots & traditional album, solo Right of Passage, David Francey
Roots & traditional album, group Key Principles, Nathan
Blues album Building Full of Blues, Fathead
Contemporary Christian/gospel album Holy God, Brian Doerksen
World music album Agua Del Pozo, Alex Cuba
Jack Richardson producer Joni Mitchell, Shine by Joni Mitchell
Recording engineer Kevin Churko, Black Rain by Ozzy Osborne
CD/DVD artwork design Neon Bible, Arcade Fire
Video C'mon, Blue Rodeo
Music DVD 666 Live, Billy Talent |