Big Dave McLean, Boy Golden among Juno nominees from Manitoba

Several Juno award statues sit in the photo room before the awards show, Sunday, April 2, 2017 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Several Manitoba musicians and groups are among the nominees for Canada’s highest musical honours.

The Juno Awards released their 2025 nominees on Tuesday. Spread out among the categories were several Manitoba musicians nominated for their works.

Big Dave McLean, a long-time blues stalwart in Winnipeg, was nominated for Best Blues Album of the Year for “This Old Life.” McLean, a member of the Order of Canada, has been nominated in the category multiple times, most recently in 2020. He previously won in 1992 for “Saturday Night Blues.”

Loreena McKennitt, another Order of Canada appointee, was nominated for Best Traditional Roots Album of the Year for her live album “The Road Back Home.” McKennitt has previously won Junos in the Best Roots/Traditional Album category in 1992 and 1994.

Previous winner Jocelyn Gould is nominated once again in the Solo Jazz Album of the Year category for her album “Portrait of Right Now.”

Boy Golden, the stage name of Winnipeg musician Liam Duncan, received a nomination in the Contemporary Roots Album of the Year category for his second full-length album “For Eden.”

In the Adult Alternative Album of the Year category, The Secret Beach was nominated for its latest album “We were born here, what’s your excuse?” The group is fronted by Manitoba musician Micah Erenberg.

Other local artists nominated include James Ehnes for Classical Album (solo) and Jordan St. Cyr for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album.

The full list of nominees can be found online.

The awards will be handed out March 30.