Under wraps no more, the Oshawa Music Awards have announced this year’s nominees!
Marking its fifth year celebrating music in Durham Region, the 2022 OMAs are set to take place Thursday, Sept. 29, and will honour artists across multiple categories — including Songwriter of the Year, Album of the Year, Emerging Artist or Band of the Year, Durham Song of the Year, and Music Teacher of the Year.
Launched in 2018, previous Oshawa Music Award recipients include Shawn Mendes, Crown Lands, Tania Joy, Three Mile Islanders, Zaftig, Skye Wallace, Hollowsage and Mogens Galberg; returning winners Lindsay Schoolcraft and Gal George Gjurin are also up for 2022 nods.
“Our list of 2022 nominees demonstrates once again that Durham Region is front row to so many incredibly talented artists,” OMA co-director Julius Allan Rondilla says. “Our arts scene is home to some of the nation’s best.”
“While celebrating and supporting local artists is important every year, and the reason we founded the OMAs in the first place, the 2022 award ceremony continues to hold special significance given the hurdles musicians have faced over the past years,” OMA director Thao Nghiem adds. “Despite it, our creative industry is thriving and we were honoured to receive many wonderful submissions for the 2022 award season.”
In its ongoing commitment to supporting local artists, the OMAs recently offered an unprecedented deadline extension, allowing musicians additional time to gather their submissions amidst the aftermath of the pandemic and its rippling impact. Further, the 2022 Oshawa Music Awards will again distribute Lifetime Achievement and Industry Leader awards, marking distinct work within the local community. Recipients of those awards will be announced soon.
2022 Official Nominees & Recipients
Artist or Band of the Year
Excuses Excuses | Far From Perfect
Jadea Kelly | Driveway
Lindsay Schoolcraft | New World
Single of the Year
Excuses Excuses | Far From Perfect
Jadea Kelly | Happy
Valdii | 3 Years (Casino Stereo Remix)
Songwriter of the Year
Cameron Tania | Helium
Dead Defined | Rise and Stall
Hunter Sheridan | Ambrose
Music Video of the Year
The Crease Rule w/ Production Haus | Ed Was Honest
Delon Om and BenAnthony Lavoz w/ Delon Om | Delequente (Delinquinte)
BUSM w/ The North Brothers | Smile
Emerging Artist or Band of the Year
Anthony Brown | This is Anthony Brown
Cameron Tania | Helium
Delon Om and BenAnthony Lavoz | Delequente (Delinquinte)
Album of the Year
Tania Joy | I Will Stand
Valdii | The Mirror
Wayne Madder | Unconditional
Durham Song of the Year
Cameron Tania | Helium
Gal George Gjurin | Shine
Music Producer of the Year
Dsymphony | Delequente (Delinquinte)
Gal George Gjurin | Shine
Lindsay Schoolcraft | Stolen Light
Music Teacher of the Year
Amanda de Boer
Durham Girls Choir
Emily Snellings
Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourites across all categories, save for Music Producer of the Year and Music Teacher of the Year. Public voting is officially open via theomas.ca, and will close Aug. 9.
The 2022 Oshawa Music Awards will take place Thursday, Sept. 29, and are proudly presented by Durham Region Economic Development and Tourism, 360insights, Spark Centre, Trent University Durham GTA, and Durham College.
Get more information on the Oshawa Music Awards at their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
