The nominees for the 2nd Annual Canadian Independent Music Awards were announced today. "The Indies," as they're known, are a presentation of Corus Entertainment Inc. and will be the official kick-off public event for Canadian Music Week, which runs from February 27 to March 3.

The awards will be presented at ceremonies at the Steam Whistle Brewery Roundhouse (255 Bremer Blvd., Toronto, ON) at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27. Tickets for the event, priced at $20.00, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets (416-870-8000) or on the web at www.ticketmaster.com. The awards event will include performances by a number of the nominated artists, and will be hosted by Dean Blundell and Danger, the morning show radio personalities on New Rock Edge102 in Toronto. The event will be webcast by theiceberg.com and televised at a later date on EdgeTV.

"The Canadian independent music scene in Canada continues to expand," said Neill Dixon, who heads Canadian Music Week. "Hundreds of artists in all the different genres of music are forced to make and market their own recordings as part of their path to success," he added. "It's not easy, but a significant number of artists have been able to break through from this hectic, competitive environment. We created the Indie Awards to recognize the best of Canada's independent artists and encourage the growth of their careers."

The Indies will also host the presentation the Galaxie Rising Star Award, with a cash prize of $2,000. Galaxie, CBC's Continuous Music Network, presents the award as part of a music development program dedicated to encourage and promote new musical talent across the country.

Also featured as part of the awards is Future Shop's Future Star award, the culmination of a talent search run through the Future Shop chain. The winner receives an artist-development package from Universal Music Canada.

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The Indie Awards are made possible by Sympatico.ca, Corus Entertainment Inc., Brawd Clothing, eye Weekly, Edge TV, New Rock Edge 102, Galaxie, Future Shop, Healey Disc Manufacturing and Steam Whistle Brewery.

A WORD ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
Sympatico-Lycos (www.sympatico.ca) is a leading Canadian web communications company and provides Canadians a comprehensive Internet experience combining world-class Internet technology and applications including search, community, personalization and a wealth of Canadian content. Sympatico-Lycos is part of Bell Globemedia Interactive, which is a sister division to CTV and The Globe and Mail within the Bell Globemedia family. Sympatico-Lycos is owned by Bell Globemedia and Lycos Inc.

Brawd Clothing and H.A.S.H. Jeans, rising stars on the indie scene, celebrate the groove, style and spirit of Canadian Independent Musicians.

For more information, please contact
Linda Woods, Siren Promotions linda@sirenpromotions.com 416.532.3440
Bobbi Beeson, Siren Promotions bobbibeeson@earthlink.net 416.693.6489

2002 CANADIAN INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES

MAJOR INDIE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
By Divine Right - Good Morning Beautiful
Hayden - Skyscraper National Park
Ron Sexsmith - Blue Boy
Sarah Harmer - You Were Here
Shocore - Devil Rock Disco

ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Crush - Here
Knacker - Snapshot
Ron Hawkins & The Rusty Nails - Crackstatic
Blend - Symbiotic
Tuuli - Rock Star Potential

BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR
David Rotundo & The Blue Canadians - Blowin' for Broke
Harry Manx - Dog My Cat
Lester Quitzau - So Here We Are
Paul Reddick & The Sidemen - Rattlebag
Rita Chiarelli - Breakfast at Midnight

COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Colin Amey - What My Heart Don't Know
Doc Walker - Curve
Sean Hogan - Late Last Nite
Steve Fox - Small World
The Crzeros - El Nino

DANCE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Elissa - The Light
Gavin Froome - Post & Beam
The Underdog Project - It Doesn't Matter
Vince Fontaine - Woogie
YUG - You Don't Really Love Me

ELECTRONICA ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Ashen & Walker - Common Ground
LAL - Corners
Manitoba - Start Breaking My Heart
Moonstarr - Dupont
Rise Ashen -Boreal Dubworks

FOLK/ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
David Francey - Far End of Summer
Fred Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels - Live In Santa Cruz; Ralph's Last Show
Kyp Harness - All Her Love
The Brothers Cosmoline - Songs of Work and Freedom
The Fables - A Time
Nicky Mehta - Weather Vane

FRANCOPHONE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Mara Tremblay - papillons
Julie Doiron - desormais
Melanie Renaud - ma liberte
Les Architekts - le Plan
Miccalaureat - bachelier du hip-hop canadien

JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Barry Elmes Quintet -The Five Minute Warning
Brigitte LeClerc - Fratata
Chris Tarry - Of Battles Unknown Mysteries
Junction - Self Portrait
Springer & Duocommon - Two Weeks from Everywhere

METAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Bucket Truck - Waiting to Talk
Ghoulunatics - King on the Undead
Malefaction - Crush the Dream
Quo Vadis - Passage in Time
The End - Transfer Trachea Reverberations From Point

POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Garrity - A Day Away
I.D. - Identically Different
Mary Simon - Before I Fall
Mir - Invisible Science
Tariq - While You¹re Down There

URBAN ALBUM OF THE YEAR
2 Rude - 2 Rude Rudimental 2;222 Mark of the Beats
Buck 65 - Language Arts Part 3
G Stokes - Here and Now
Sean Oliver - Solitaire
Tef & Don - In From the Cold

WORLD ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Alpha Yaya Diallo - The Journey
Beyond The Pale - Routes
Bomba - lo que bomba te da
Mattapat - Petit Fou
Raphael Geronimo - Rumba Calzada Volume 3

CHILDRENS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Cowboy Bob - Buckaroo Roundup
Dini Petty - Queen Bear and the Bumblebee
Jack Grunsky - Jack In The Box #1
Razzmatazz - Suitcase Full of Songs
Susan Hammond - A Classical Kid¹s Christmas

CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Brett Polegato - To a Poet
James Ehnes - Bruch Concertos
James Ehnes - French Showpieces
Karina Gauvin - Exsultate, Jubilate
Scott St. John - Salon Parisien OF THE YEAR 2 Rude Buck 65 Language Arts Part 3 G Stokes Here and Now Sean Oliver Solitaire Tef & Don In From the Cold WORLD ALBUM OF THE YEAR Alpha Yaya Diallo The Journey Beyond The Pale Routes Bomba lo que bomba te da Mattapat Petit Fou Raphael Geronimo¹s Rumba Calzada Volume 3 CHILDRENS ALBUM OF THE YEAR Cowboy Bob Buckaroo Roundup Dini Petty Queen Bear and the Bumblebee Jack Grunsky Jack In The Box #1 Razzmatazz Suitcase Full of Songs Susan Hammond A Classical Kid¹s Christmas CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR Brett Polegato To a Poet James Ehnes Brunch Concertos James Ehnes OSQ Karina Gauvin Exsultate, Jubilate Scott St. John Salon Parisien