TORONTO - It will be ladies night at this year's Juno Awards, with Celine, Avril and Feist leading the nominees for the annual bash celebrating the best in Canadian music.
Quebec diva Celine Dion drew six nods after experimenting with a harder edge last year, while indie darling Feist and pop star Avril Lavigne each racked up five nominations for catchy albums that captured listeners both home and abroad.
The awards show will be hosted by comedian Russell Peters, with the funnyman freely admitting that he's never watched the Junos in his life.
"I hope to make it different -- like entertaining -- this year,'' quipped Peters, a Brampton, Ont., native who last week sold out two nights at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Performers will include Lavigne, Feist, Anne Murray and opera star Measha Brueggergosman.
Vancouver crooner Michael Buble also scored five nominations, while Montreal's Arcade Fire, Finger Eleven of Burlington, Ont., and Toronto's Blue Rodeo each earned three.
The best artist category includes Lavigne, Dion, Feist, Buble and Pascale Picard.
In an odd turn, Dion will compete against herself for album of the year, with her French disc, "D'elles'' up against her English disc, "Taking Chances.''
The unusual twist caught singer Dallas Green off-guard as he helped read out the nominees in a live telecast Tuesday, causing the Alexisonfire frontman to look up in puzzlement.
"I don't know if that's fair,'' Green said to laughter from an audience of musicians, label reps and press. "Can you have two in the same category?''
Dion is up against Lavigne for "The Best Damn Thing,'' Feist for "The Reminder,'' and Buble for "Call Me Irresponsible.''
Amid all the heavyweights, the year's breakout star is undoubtedly Feist, the Calgary-bred indie darling who exploded onto magazine spreads and best-of lists after her song, "1234'', was featured in an IPod commercial.
"Feist has had just such an outstanding year, all over the world, and she has really touched a nerve,'' said Junos producer John Brunton.
Feist, whose last album "Let It Die,'' two took Junos in 2005, is also up for four Grammys on Sunday and recently took home the prestigious Shortlist Prize, a U.S. music award akin to the U.K.'s Mercury Prize.
"I remember years ago, it was like once in a blue moon (that) Canadians would break out internationally,'' said Brunton.
"Now several do every year. It's really, really exciting.''
The accolades for Dion mark a return to the global spotlight for the powerhouse vocalist, who last December ended a four-year residency in Las Vegas.
The last time she won was in 1999 for her disc, "Let's Talk About Love.''
Lavigne, meanwhile, enters the race as a full-fledged pop star, with her latest disc featuring a largely upbeat collection fuelled by a cheerleader refrain on the summer hit, "Girlfriend.''
The Juno Awards will be handed out April 6 at Calgary's Saddledome and broadcast on CTV.
At the awards, Toronto band Triumph will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Band member Gil Moore said the '80s-era rockers were thrilled with the honours, which follows their induction into the Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame last year.
"When we started it was really the three musketeers, you know, you really have know idea where you're going,'' Moore said of the early days.
"You just sort of hope you're not going to hit the guardrail. You're so busy doing what you do, it's perpetual motion. You can't envision being successful really, much less (getting) a hall of fame or anything like that.''
Moore said he will reunite with his bandmates for a Swedish music festival in June, and possibly more shows.
Aside from being excited about Triumph, Peters said he was out of touch "with the Caucasian reality of this country'' and had no idea who Feist was.
The Canadian-born Indian comic, who routinely skewers racial stereotypes, introduced the fan choice award as "four French people and a Portuguese person.''
They are: Lavigne, Dion, Buble, Claude Dubois and Nelly Furtado.
"I know who Avril is, but I couldn't tell you any of her songs. She's a cute girl from Napanee. Is that bad that I don't know these things?'' he said later, offstage.
