It being the 150th birthday of the province of Ontario, it seemed only right that the OMDC – Ontario Music Development Corporation – put on a splashy reception for JUNO nominees based in the province. The dignitaries came out and speeches were made while the wine flowed and sliders and those mini quiches circulated while a sizeable crowd mingled.

The red carpet was hot with stars, publicists, photographers and media doing on the spot interviews. Sure it was a PR event for Ontario’s music funding agency, but the stellar attendance did highlight the depth of talent in the province.

The list of attendees was impressive, including The Strumbellas, nominated for JUNO Fan Choice Award, Single of the Year, and Group of the Year, and the Arkells, also nominated for Group of the Year along with Pop Album of the Year for Morning Report. Other nominees on hand –

Vocal Jazz Album of the Year:
Quiet Nights – Matt Dusk & Florence K

Instrumental Album of the Year:
Movements 1 – Blitz//Berlin; Bird’s Nest – The Fretless

Children’s Album of the Year:
I Believe in Little Things – Diana Panton; Big Yellow Tunes – Splash’N Boots

Classical Album of the Year, Solo or Chamber Ensemble:
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, OP. 71 TH14 – Stewart Goodyear

Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance:
Four Thousand Winter – Daniel Taylor, The Trinity Choir

Reggae Recording of the Year:
Sorry – Ammoye; Roll ‘Dem ft. Gappy Ranks – Dubmatix; Siren – Exco Levi; Who Feels It Knows – Jay Kartier

Contemporary Roots Album of the Year:
The Family Album – Matthew Barber & Jill Barber

Blues Album of the Year:
The Northern South Vol. 1 – Whitehorse; Ride The One – Paul Reddick; Monkey Brain – Sean Pinchin

World Music Album of the Year:
Okavango African Orchestra – Okavango African Orchestra; Nazar – Turkwaz; Dance of the Infidels – Nomadica

Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year:
Pacific Myth – Protest the Hero

The OMDC awards grants to music artists and music companies with the goal of supporting the music industry as a whole. Nowadays, musicians make most of their money by touring, yet touring is also prohibitively expensive, and as shows and venues get bigger, so do costs. Max Kerman of the Arkells explains, in a media release, “We’ve typically played in rock and roll clubs. OMF funding let us bring our shows to venues like Massey Hall and First Ontario Centre.”

The important thing is, the music biz gives back. Underneath the red carpet glamour, between live music venues, concert halls, the recording industry, festivals, and all the spin-off business, including tourist spending, it’s an industry that generates money and jobs.