Nunavut's Jerry Cans nominated for 2 Canadian Folk Music Awards

Northern musicians have secured five nominations in this year's Canadian Folk Music Awards, with two going to Nunavut's The Jerry Cans.

The Jerry Cans are nominated in the Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year category for their album Aakuluk. Other nominees in the category include Buffy Sainte-Marie, Digging Roots, Laura Vinson and Free Spirit, and Yellowknife's Miranda Currie, for Up in the Air.

The Jerry Cans are also nominated for the Oliver Schroer Pushing The Boundaries award, which celebrates innovation in creating new folk sounds. The N.W.T.'s Dana Sipos is also nominated in that category for Roll Up the Night Sky. 

Sarah MacDougall, who's originally from Sweden but lives in Whitehorse, is nominated in the Contemporary Singer of the Year category for her album Grand Canyon.

The Jerry Cans, known for their unique mix of Inuktitut alt-country, Inuit throat singing and reggae, previously won in the Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year category in 2013 for their first album.

"Last time we were nominated for the Canadian Folk Music Awards I was in shock and I didn't expect it, and this time around it feels the same way," says Nancy Mike.

"I'm still a bit nervous and excited and not sure how to feel, but we're all super excited."

Mike says this second album is personal.

"I feel very connected to it because it reminds me of my late father."

Lead singer Andrew Morrison says this time they'll be going to the awards ceremony.

"Two years ago, we had no illusions of us winning and we didn't go, unfortunately," Morrison says.

"But then we won and so there was this very awkward moment of them announcing our news and none of us were there, 'cause Nunavut's a long way away!"

The Canadian Folk Music Awards ceremony will be held Nov. 8 in Edmonton.