Vince Fontaine and Don Amero earn WCMA nominations

Vince Fontaine and Don Amero have earned nominations for the Aboriginal Recording of the Year at the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards. The nominees were announced by the Western Canadian Music Alliance on June 30.

Fontaine’s solo disc is entitled Songs for Turtle Island and it includes eight tracks from the Eagle & Hawk bandleader.

Amero is in the running with his third release, entitled The Long Way Home.

Cris Derksen, Feenix, Colette Trudeau, and Black Rain round out the list of nominees in the Aboriginal category.

In 2011, the WCMAs make their first appearance in Whitehorse, Yukon. The annual awards gala heads to the Yukon Arts Centre on October 23, when winners in all 28 artistic categories will be announced. Industry winners will be named at a brunch on October 22 at The Westmark Hotel.

The awards gala is the pinnacle event of BreakOut West -- held October 20 to 23, 2011. The event features a conference and three-day music festival with 50 showcasing acts in addition to the two awards shows. BreakOut West presents an incredible opportunity for emerging and established artists to be a part of the western Canadian music community. Participating artists and other music professionals have the chance to meet key industry stakeholders creating the opportunity for a new wave of exciting industry developments from record deals to international tours.

For a complete list of 2011 WCMA nominees, please visit www.breakoutwest.ca.