Drake, Michael Buble, Tobias Jesso Jr. among Canadian Grammy winners
Drake, Michael Buble, Tobias Jesso Jr. among Canadian Grammy winners
TORONTO -
Canadian pop favourites Michael Bublé and Drake each have a shiny new Grammy on their shelves, while singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. has two, thanks in part to Harry Styles.
The trio of homegrown talents were among the highlights of a historic Grammy Awards on Sunday that had a few Canadian surprises.
One of them came as Styles' "Harry's House" won album of the year, an announcement made on the live broadcast by a fan from Sudbury, Ont. named Reina, who seemed as stunned as anyone, her voice cracking as she revealed his name.
The great-grandmother had appeared earlier in the night to defend Styles' album in a roundtable discussion of super fans where each made a case for why their artist should take the top prize.
Styles beat out Beyoncé's "Renaissance," a favourite in the category, after she had smashed the record for the most-decorated artist earlier in the night.
His victory proved to be one for Jesso Jr. too, giving the North Vancouver native his second Grammy for co-writing the album's track "Boyfriends."
Already, Jesso Jr. had won the inaugural songwriter of the year, non-classical award, recognizing creators who penned some of the year's standout pop tunes.
He took the opportunity of his first Grammy to celebrate the introduction of the new songwriting award.
"I think this is a big win for everyone — this is not just for me, this is for them," he told the audience at the pre-broadcast ceremony where most Grammys are handed out.
Drake won best melodic rap performance for his appearance on Future's "Wait for U," while Vancouver crooner Michael Bublé's "Higher" was named best traditional pop vocal album.
Neither of them attended, in Bublé's case because he was on tour overseas.
“I honestly feel this is the best album I’ve ever made, making the recognition from the Academy members that much more meaningful,” he tweeted after the fifth win of his lifetime.
Other big Canadian winners included Montreal conductor and pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin who added two Grammys to his collection.
Nézet-Séguin took home best opera recording for "Blanchard: Fire Shut Up In My Bones," and best classical solo vocal album for "Voice Of Nature - The Anthropocene."
He had to skip the Grammys, however, because of a previously scheduled performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra on Sunday afternoon. But he still managed to sneak away after his concert to celebrate bringing his career tally to three wins.
"Of course there were bubbles," he said by phone.
"It was not a huge party, but it’s always special to feel like your work is noticed and recognized this way."
And two Canadians were part of the team that pocketed a best jazz instrumental album Grammy for "New Standards Vol. 1."
Matthew Stevens, a Toronto-born guitarist and co-producer on the project, shared the win with jazz pianist and composer Kris Davis, who was born in Vancouver and grew up in Calgary.
Davis, a first-time winner, called the accomplishment "surreal" personally, but also "monumental" for the project, which is an effort by the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, where she teaches.
She said the goal of "New Standards" was to "give space to women composers and performers through the book and album."
"It’s very meaningful for women at this moment," Davis added.
Other notable Canadian wins include one for Toronto drummer Larnell Lewis, a member of Snarky Puppy. The Brooklyn jazz fusion band landed best contemporary instrumental album for "Empire Central," their fifth Grammy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2023.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office has announced that after nearly 24 hours of Liberal attempts to block it from happening, Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford will testify about foreign interference.
A 15-year-old is facing a number of charges, including attempted murder, after two staff members were stabbed at a high school in Bedford, N.S., Monday morning.
A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded by her 6-year-old student said it has changed her life and she has vivid memories and nightmares about that day.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has just released a new report and its alarming conclusions are a must-read for anyone who cares about what kind of planet we’re going to leave to our kids, writes former NDP Leader Tom Mulcair.
Gwyneth Paltrow's trial is set to begin on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.
Razak Iyal was given a warm embrace as he officially became a Canadian citizen, more than six years after nearly freezing to death walking across the Canada-United States border in Manitoba.
March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day and to mark the occasion a Canadian organization launched a campaign showcasing older people living with the condition.
A 15-year-old is facing a number of charges, including attempted murder, after two staff members were stabbed at a high school in Bedford, N.S., Monday morning.
Rescuers have yet to recover any additional bodies from the wreck of a fire in Old Montreal last week. As of Tuesday morning, there were still six people missing. The body of one victim, a woman, was extracted on Sunday.
March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day and to mark the occasion a Canadian organization launched a campaign showcasing older people living with the condition.
New Brunswick's finance minister is scheduled to table a provincial budget Tuesday as the government grapples with problems in health care and housing and the effects of a population surge.
A grand jury heard from a potential final witness Monday in the investigation into Donald Trump as law enforcement officials accelerated security preparations in advance of a possible indictment and as fellow Republicans staked out positions in a criminal probe expected to shake up the 2024 presidential race.
The Biden administration is putting out the word that expected stopovers in the United States by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen would fall in line with recent precedent and should not be used as a pretext by China to step up aggressive activity in the Taiwan Strait.
A 72-year-old American imprisoned more than a year in Saudi Arabia over tweets critical of the Saudi crown prince was back with family members in Riyadh on Tuesday, but it wasn't clear whether the kingdom will drop a travel ban to allow him to return home to Florida.
Spain's leftist coalition government faces a no-confidence vote brought by the nation's far-right Vox party as lawmakers on Tuesday debated the motion, which has little chance of succeeding.
A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded by her 6-year-old student said it has changed her life and she has vivid memories and nightmares about that day.
Paris police said Tuesday that 234 people were arrested overnight in the capital mostly for setting fire to garbage in the streets, after France's parliament adopted a divisive bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 that was pushed through by President Emmanuel Macron.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office has announced that after nearly 24 hours of Liberal attempts to block it from happening, Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford will testify about foreign interference.
In an effort to keep the foreign interference story at the forefront, and to do an apparent end run around the Liberal filibuster blocking one study from going ahead, the Conservatives forced the House to spend Monday debating a motion instructing an opposition-dominated House committee to strike its own review.
A new report that looks at the prevalence of marketing to children inside grocery stores and restaurants suggests regulation is needed to help reduce unhealthy food temptations.
Health Canada has launched a new toll-free number, 1-844-POISON-X, or 1-844-764-7669, to help people across the country access critical medical advice related to poisonings more easily.
Experts say a growing number of people are seeking out platelet-rich plasma therapy to treat COVID-19-related hair loss. But how well does the treatment actually work?
TikTok on Tuesday rolled out updated rules and standards for content and users as it faces increasing pressure from Western authorities over concerns that material on the popular Chinese-owned video-sharing app could be used to push false information.
A Vancouver parent has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against the makers of Fortnite, saying the popular video game is designed to be “as addictive as possible” for children.
Gwyneth Paltrow's trial is set to begin on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.
Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne were among the 'John Wick: Chapter 4' stars honouring Lance Reddick, their co-star who died unexpectedly last week, at the film's Los Angeles premiere.
Public screenings of a slasher film that features Winnie the Pooh were scrapped abruptly in Hong Kong on Tuesday, sparking discussions over increasing censorship in the city.
The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday it is assessing Sri Lanka's governance in the first case of an Asian country facing scrutiny for corruption as part of a bailout program.
Stock markets rose in Europe and Asia on Tuesday ahead of a Federal Reserve decision on another possible interest rate hike amid worries about global banks.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is trying project calm after regional bank failures, saying the U.S. banking system is 'sound' but additional rescue arrangements 'could be warranted' if any new failures at smaller institutions pose a risk to financial stability.
The 2023 World Happiness Report identifies the happiest nations, those at the very bottom of the happiness scale and everything in between, plus the factors that tend to lead to greater happiness.
March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day and to mark the occasion a Canadian organization launched a campaign showcasing older people living with the condition.
A deadly fire that swept through a building in Old Montreal on Thursday where several apartments were being used as Airbnb units is raising safety concerns about short-term rental properties. Here are several steps guests can take to protect themselves.
The NCAA changed its setup for the women's tournament this season, trimming the traditional four regional sites to two. Seattle and Greenville -- a city of 71,000 in South Carolina about halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina -- will each host eight teams before sending the winners on to Dallas for the Final Four.
Three misdemeanour charges were filed Monday against the son of Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Danny Briere after a video posted on social media showed him and another Mercyhurst University athlete pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a staircase.
More than 1,200 youth basketball players sang and danced their way into Frank Crane Arena on Sunday night for the opening ceremony of the Junior All Native Tournament.
U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints from Honda Civic drivers that their steering can stick, causing a momentary increase in effort and increasing the risk of a crash.
The 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170 will deliver 1,025 horsepower from its 6.2-litre supercharged V-8, and the automaker says it will be the quickest production car made.
For many electric vehicles, there is no way to repair or assess even slightly damaged battery packs after accidents, forcing insurance companies to write off cars with few miles - leading to higher premiums and undercutting gains from going electric.
