Why the Juno Awards matter to artists: Just ask William Prince, Caity Gyorgy or Loud Luxury

Have you ever wondered about the impact being nominated for — or winning — a Juno Award has on an artist’s career?

Well, wonder no more: it turns out it can be quite substantial.

For example, when Caity Gyorgy won the Vocal Jazz Album of the Year last year at the 50th anniversary of the awards show that celebrates Canadian recording artists, the benefits of her victory didn’t take long to manifest.

“It changed my life,” said Gyorgy (pronounced “George”), who won following her first-time nomination for her album “Now Pronouncing: Caity Gyorgy.”

“I’ve been able to book a lot more performances across Canada and in the U.S., and I just came back from Mexico. What I’ve noticed is that every time I’ve been announced through these gigs by the promoters and venues, they always start with, ‘We are promoting Juno Award-winning Caity Gyorgy.’

“It’s definitely added a huge sense of validity to my music and me as an artist.”

Aside from the added bookings, there has been another bottom-line benefit to Gyorgy’s stature as a Juno Award winner.

“Almost every single show that I’ve played since winning the Juno has been sold out,” said Gyorgy, who will compete in the same category this year for her sophomore album “Featuring” when the Junos are presented in Edmonton on March 13.

Gyorgy has also been surprised to be told how much she’s artistically motivated the private students she tutors vocally.

“So many people have told me, ‘Oh, this is so great that you’ve won with original music. Now I want to write original music,’” she said. “For me, that’s the most inspiring part, especially to inspire young women to write and record albums.”

First-time Juno nominee Francois Klark has yet to experience the benefits associated with an awards nomination, but the Adult Contemporary Album of the Year contender says the fact that he’s in pretty heavy company for his category is offers great validation.

“All those years of hard work where it feels like you don’t know where you going or if you’re going in the right direction, the Juno nomination is a nod from your peers and the industry that serves as a little reminder that you’re doing OK,” said Klark, who was born in South Africa and started his musical journey in 2017.

“It’s a little bit of a relief and inspiration to keep going.”

And while he’s not bullish about his chances of winning due to Michael Bublé’s Grammy-winning “Higher” being in his category,Klark will at least stage a performance during the Juno Week JunoFest concert series that weekend in Edmonton … and perhaps gain a collaborative opportunity or two.

“I’m looking forward to hearing some of the other artists in concert and maybe working with them as a writer or a producer,” Klark said.

Of course, one of the prime positions you can achieve via the Junos is a spot on the two-hour program, as was the case for London, Ont., electronic artists Loud Luxury when they won their first of two Junos in their hometown in 2019. Hosted by actor Simu Liu, this year’s ceremony will be nationally broadcast on CBC and available via its other digital media platforms.

While the duo of Andrew Fedyk and Joe De Pace were already a known entity through hits like “Body” by the time the Junos rolled around (capturing the award for Dance Recording of the Year), they said their performance on the show with singer Brando and the Western Mustang Band helped clarify public understanding about the type of music they create.

“I don’t think that electronic music is one of the best understood genres,” said Fedyk, whose outfit won Group of the Year in 2020 and is again nominated for Dance Recording this year for “These Nights” featuring Kiddo.

“To put it in a public space the way the Junos did made sense across all generations. To people of an older age — my parents for example — it helped them understand why the music we’re doing matters and how it makes sense.

“That aspect was really important. That cemented pop culture for us.”

It’s important to note that all the magical moments that can change a musician’s career don’t necessarily happen on camera.

Allan Reid, president and CEO of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the Juno Awards, recalls the 2017 “In Memoriam” segment at the Juno Gala Dinner and Awards portion of the weekend that forever changed the life of William Prince.

Reid said booking agent Julien Paquin recommended Prince sing a song he wrote called “Breathless” during the “In Memoriam” and the organization took him up on the offer.

“William’s voice is just stunning, a beautiful baritone bass,” said Reid. “He performed the song and, at the end, received a rousing ovation, because the song really resonated with everyone in the room.”

Reid attended the Western Canadian Music Awards a few months later and was approached by Prince’s manager, Nathalie Kleinschmit, who thanked him for changing her client’s life.

Kleinschmit told Reid that the moment Prince walked off the stage after performing “Breathless,” she had been besieged by offers from numerous labels to get involved with the singer/songwriter’s career.

Prince, who won Contemporary Roots Album that year for his debut album, “Earthly Days,” ended up signing a worldwide recording and publishing deal with Glassnote Records, home to Mumford & Sons, Phoenix, the Strumbellas and others.

“Here was William, from the Peguis First Nation, couch surfing at his sister’s house in Winnipeg, trying to make ends meet as a young father, and suddenly he was able to consider home ownership and get rid of his personal debt,” Reid said. “He also bought a Gibson guitar that he was eyeing and wrote five songs on it over the next two weeks.”

Reid said Kleinschmit told him, “For some people, the awards are seen as ephemeral and intangible. For William, the impact of the Junos is real, very raw and inspiring.”

Concluded Reid: “The Junos can put wind in your sails as an artist.”

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