16th annual Indie Award winners announced

The 16th annual Indie Awards were handed out once again this year during Canadian Music Week in a ceremony hosted by Indie88’s Raina Douris at the Phoenix Concert Theatre. The awards celebrated the best of the year’s independent bands from both Canada and abroad and featured performances by Group of the Year winners The Strumbellas and Single of the Year winners Wintersleep among others.

2016 INDIES NOMINEES * Winners are in bold

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

CARLY RAE JEPSEN – EMOTION (604 RECORDS)
GRIMES – ART ANGELS (4AD/CRYSTAL MATH)
MAJICAL CLOUDZ – ARE YOU ALONE? (ARTS AND CRAFTS)
TOBIAS JESSO JR. – GOON (ARTS AND CRAFTS)
VIET CONG* – VIET CONG (FLEMISH EYE) *Currently known as Preoccupations

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

ARKELLS – ”LEATHER JACKET” (ARKELLS MUSIC INC./UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA)
COLEMAN HELL – “2 HEADS” (604 RECORDS)
JOCELYN ALICE – “JACKPOT” (DISRUPTOR RECORDS/SONY MUSIC CANADA)
THE STRUMBELLAS – “SPIRITS” (SIX SHOOTER RECORDS)
WINTERSLEEP – “AMERIKA” (DINE ALONE RECORDS)

GROUP OF THE YEAR 

BADBADNOTGOOD (INNOVATIVE LEISURE)
METRIC (METRIC MUSIC INTERNATIONAL INC./UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA)
THE STRUMBELLAS (SIX SHOOTER RECORDS)
WHITEHORSE (SIX SHOOTER RECORDS)
YOUNG EMPIRES (PIRATES BLEND RECORDS/SONY MUSIC CANADA)

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

CARLY RAE JEPSEN (604 RECORDS)
CITY AND COLOUR (DINE ALONE RECORDS)
GRIMES (4AD/CRYSTAL MATH)
LIGHTS (LIGHTS MUSIC INC./UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA)
YOAN (PRODUCTIONS J)

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR 

CITY AND COLOUR (DINE ALONE RECORDS)
HAYDEN (ARTS AND CRAFTS)
TOBIAS JESSO JR. (ARTS AND CRAFTS)
WHITEHORSE (SIX SHOOTER RECORDS)
YOUNG EMPIRES (PIRATES BLEND RECORDS/SONY MUSIC CANADA)

ABORIGINAL ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR

A TRIBE CALLED RED (PIRATES BLEND RECORDS/SONY MUSIC CANADA)
BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE (TRUE NORTH RECORDS)
CITY NATIVES (UNSIGNED)
DREZUS (DREZUS MUSIC)
TANYA TAGAQ (SIX SHOOTER RECORDS)

ALTERNATIVE ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR

DESTROYER (MERGE)
HALF MOON RUN (INDICA RECORDS/GLASSNOTE MUSIC)
MAC DEMARCO (CAPTURED TRACKS)
THE ZOLAS (LIGHT ORGAN RECORDS)
YUKON BLONDE (DINE ALONE RECORDS)

ELECTRONIC/DANCE ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR

A-TRAK (LAST GANG RECORDS)
BRAIDS (FLEMISH EYE)
KEYS N KRATES (DIM MAK)
POMO (HW&W/ULTRA MUSIC CANADA)
PURITY RING (LAST GANG RECORDS)

FRANCOPHONE ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR 

CHOCOLAT (GROSSE BOITE)
GALAXIE (LA MEUTE)
LA BRONZE (KARTEL MUSIK)
LOUIS-JEAN CORMIER (SIMONE RECORDS)
MARIE-PIERRE ARTHUR (SIMONE RECORDS)

POP ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR 

COLEMAN HELL (604 RECORDS)
DAN TALEVSKI (EONE MUSIC CANADA)
JOCELYN ALICE (DISRUPTOR RECORDS/SONY MUSIC CANADA)
RIA MAE (RIA MAE MEDIA/SONY MUSIC CANADA)
TYLER SHAW (TYLER IP/SONY MUSIC CANADA)

RAP/R&B ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR

DANIEL CAESAR (INDEPENDENT)
JAZZ CARTIER (SAFE & SOUND)
JOHN RIVER (INDEPENDENT)
SONREAL (BLACK BOX)
SPEK WON (INDEPENDENT)

ROCK ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR

DILLY DALLY (BUZZ RECORDS)
HEY ROSETTA! (HR MUSIC INC./SONIC RECORDS)
MONSTER TRUCK (DINE ALONE RECORDS)
THE ELWINS (HIDDEN PONY RECORDS)
THE GLORIOUS SONS (BLACK BOX)

SINGER-SONGWRITER ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR

BASIA BULAT (SECRET CITY RECORDS)
DAN MANGAN (ARTS AND CRAFTS)
LINDI ORTEGA (GRAND TOUR RECORDS/LAST GANG)
PATRICK WATSON (SECRET CITY RECORDS)
THE WEATHER STATION (OUTSIDE MUSIC)

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR

ALABAMA SHAKES (CADENCE MUSIC/ATO RECORDS)
COURTNEY BARNETT (MOM + POP)
MAJOR LAZER (MAD DECENT)
MUMFORD & SONS (GLASSNOTE MUSIC)
NATHANIEL RATELIFF AND THE NIGHT SWEATS (BOTTLENECK MUSIC/CONCORD MUSIC GROUP)