CASBY Awards
The CASBY Awards are a Canadian awards ceremony for independent and alternative music, presented annually by Toronto, Ontario radio station CFNY, currently branded as 102.1 The Edge. CASBY is an acronym for Canadian Artists Selected By You.
The awards were first presented in 1981 under the name U-Knows, a pun on Canada's mainstream Juno Awards. The concept was developed by David Marsden, the program director at CFNY at the time, when he heard the Juno nominations announced on CBC radio, and included was Long John Baldry — who was newly resident in Canada but had already been in the music business for almost 20 years — as most promising vocalist.[1]
They were renamed the CASBYs in 1985, after a listener contest.[2] The 1985 ceremony, hosted by Carole Pope and Paul Shaffer,[3] also marked the first time that the awards were broadcast nationally by CBC Television.[2] In the first year, voter ballots were distributed exclusively by the Canadian music magazine Graffiti.[4] In later years the awards expanded the distribution, printing ballots in a number of major market daily newspapers across Canada.[4]
The 1987 ceremony featured a rare public performance by XTC,[5] although their performance was videotaped in advance of the ceremony.[6] That year's awards were also marred by several organizational snafus, including the wrong winner being initially announced for Album of the Year.[6]
Winners
1980s
1981
- Album of the Year: Teenage Head, Frantic City
- Single of the Year: Martha and the Muffins, "Echo Beach"
- Group of the Year: Teenage Head
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Carole Pope (Rough Trade)
- Male Vocalist of the Year: B.B. Gabor
1982
- Album of the Year: Bruce Cockburn, Inner City Front
- Single of the Year: Blue Peter, "Chinese Graffiti"
- Group of the Year: Martha and the Muffins
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Carole Pope (Rough Trade)
- Male Vocalist of the Year: B.B. Gabor
1983
- Album of the Year: Rough Trade, Shaking the Foundations
- Single of the Year: The Payolas, "Eyes of a Stranger"
- Group of the Year: Spoons
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Carole Pope (Rough Trade)
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Leroy Sibbles
1984
- Album of the Year: Parachute Club, Parachute Club
- Single of the Year: Men Without Hats, "The Safety Dance"
- Group of the Year: Parachute Club
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Lorraine Segato (Parachute Club)
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Paul Humphrey (Blue Peter)
1985
- Album of the Year: Parachute Club, At the Feet of the Moon
- Single of the Year: Spoons, "Tell No Lies"
- Group of the Year: Parachute Club
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Jane Siberry
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Bruce Cockburn
- Most Promising Non-Recording Group: Chalk Circle
- Most Promising Group of the Year: Pukka Orchestra
1986
- Album of the Year: Jane Siberry, The Speckless Sky
- Single of the Year: Images in Vogue, "In the House"
- Group of the Year: Images in Vogue
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Luba
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Bruce Cockburn
- Most Promising Group: Chalk Circle
- International Album of the Year: Peter Gabriel, So
1987
- Album of the Year: Parachute Club, Small Victories
- Single of the Year: Luba, "How Many Rivers to Cross"
- Group of the Year: Parachute Club
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Luba
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Corey Hart
- Most Promising Group: The Pursuit of Happiness
- Best Non-Recording Act: Basic English
- International Album of the Year: Paul Simon, Graceland
1988
- Album of the Year: Robbie Robertson, Robbie Robertson
- Single of the Year: Blue Rodeo, "Try"
- Group of the Year: Blue Rodeo
- Female Vocalist of the Year: k.d. lang
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Robbie Robertson
- Most Promising Group: The Razorbacks
- International Album of the Year: INXS, Kick
1989
- Album of the Year: Jeff Healey, See the Light
- Single of the Year: Jeff Healey, "Angel Eyes"
- Group of the Year: Blue Rodeo
- Female Vocalist of the Year: k.d. lang
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Jeff Healey
- Most Promising Group: Sons of Freedom
- International Album of the Year: Fine Young Cannibals, The Raw & the Cooked
1990s
1990
- Album of the Year: The Tragically Hip, Up to Here
- Single of the Year: The Tragically Hip, "New Orleans Is Sinking"
- Group of the Year: The Tragically Hip
- Female Vocalist of the Year: Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies)
- Male Vocalist of the Year: Gordon Downie (The Tragically Hip)
- Most Promising Group: Skydiggers
- International Album of the Year: Sinéad O'Connor, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
1991
- Favourite Album: Crash Test Dummies, The Ghosts That Haunt Me
- Favourite Song: Crash Test Dummies, "Superman's Song"
- Favourite Group/Artist: Barenaked Ladies
- Most Promising Female Vocalist: Sarah McLachlan
- Most Promising Male Vocalist: Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies)
- Next Big Thing: Bourbon Tabernacle Choir
- Most Outstanding Musician: Bruce Cockburn
1992
- Favourite Album: The Grapes of Wrath, These Days
- Favourite Song: The Grapes of Wrath, "I Am Here"
- Favourite Group/Artist: Barenaked Ladies
- Favourite Female Vocalist: Sarah McLachlan
- Favourite Male Vocalist: Gordon Downie (The Tragically Hip)
- Special Achievement Award: Teenage Head
1995
- Favourite New Album: Our Lady Peace, Naveed
- Favourite New Song: Our Lady Peace, "Naveed"
- Favourite Artist: Our Lady Peace
1996
- Favourite New Album: I Mother Earth, Scenery and Fish
- Favourite New Song: I Mother Earth, "One More Astronaut"
- Favourite New Artist: Limblifter
2000s
2003
- Favourite New Artist: Three Days Grace
- Favourite New Single: Billy Talent, "Try Honesty"
- Favourite New Album: Sam Roberts, We Were Born in a Flame
- Favourite New Indie Release: The Salads, Fold A to B
- Lifetime Achievement Award: The Pursuit of Happiness
2004
- Favourite New Artist: The Trews
- Favourite New Single: Billy Talent, "River Below"
- Favourite New Album: Billy Talent, Billy Talent
- NXNE Favourite Indie Band: Alexisonfire
2005
- Favourite New Artist: Arcade Fire
- Favourite New Single: Bedouin Soundclash, "When the Night Feels My Song"
- Favourite New Album: Arcade Fire, Funeral
- NXNE Favourite New Indie Release: BOY, Every Page You Turn
2006
- Favourite New Artist: City and Colour
- Favourite New Single: Billy Talent, "Devil in a Midnight Mass"
- Favourite New Album: Billy Talent, Billy Talent II
- NXNE Favourite New Indie Release: Alexisonfire, Crisis
2007
- Favourite New Artist: Attack in Black
- Favourite New Single: Alexisonfire, "Boiled Frogs"
- Favourite New Album: Finger Eleven, Them vs. You vs. Me
- NXNE Favourite New Indie Release: Attack in Black, Marriage
2008
- Favourite New Artist: Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker
- Favourite New Single: Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, "Hollow Point Sniper Hyperbole"
- Favourite New Album: Tokyo Police Club, Elephant Shell
- NXNE Favourite New Indie Release: City and Colour, Bring Me Your Love
2009
- Favourite New Artist: Arkells
- Favourite New Single: City and Colour, "Sleeping Sickness"
- Favourite New Album: Metric, Fantasies
- NXNE Favourite New Indie Release: Metric, Fantasies
2010
- Favourite New Album: Three Days Grace, Life Starts Now
- Favourite New Artist: Hollerado
- Favourite New Single: Alexisonfire, "The Northern"
- NXNE Favourite New Indie Release: Tokyo Police Club, Champ
- Favourite Edge Session: Silversun Pickups
2011
- Favourite New Album: The Sheepdogs, Learn & Burn
- Favourite New Artist: The Sheepdogs
- Favourite New Single: City and Colour, "Fragile Bird"
- NXNE Favourite New Indie Release: The Sheepdogs, Learn & Burn
- Favourite Edge Session: Mumford & Sons
2012
- Favourite New Album: Big Wreck, Albatross
- Favourite New Artist: Monster Truck
- Favourite New Single: Big Wreck, "Albatross"
- NXNE Favourite New Indie Release: Metric, Synthetica
- Favourite Edge Session: Metric
2013
- Favourite New Album: Mother Mother, The Sticks
- Favourite New Artist: Walk off the Earth
- Favourite New Single: City and Colour, "Thirst"
- Favourite Sugar Beach Session: Hollerado
2014
- Favourite New Album: High Noon - Arkells
- Favourite New Artist: July Talk
- Favourite New Single: Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, "Advanced Basics"
- Favourite Sugar Beach Session: City and Colour
2015
- Favourite New Record: Mother Mother, Very Good Bad Thing
- Molson Canadian Favourite New Artist: Coleman Hell
- Favourite New Song: Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, "Shipwreck"
- Favourite Sugar Beach Session: Metric
References
- ↑ "U-Know awards make the move into the big time". The Globe and Mail, April 20, 1985.
- 1 2 "A festive air to CASBYs' launch". The Globe and Mail, April 25, 1985.
- ↑ "Shaffer, Pope hosts of awards show". The Globe and Mail, March 21, 1985.
- 1 2 "CASBY music awards to return". Ottawa Citizen, April 2, 1986.
- ↑ "Casby show brings XTC out of hiding". The Globe and Mail, June 19, 1987.
- 1 2 "The CASBYs turn into a comedy of many errors". The Globe and Mail, June 22, 1987.
- ↑ "Three Days Grace, Billy Talent win Casbys". The Toronto Star. November 27, 2003. p. A29.
The Casby Awards, local station 102.1 the Edge's annual, fan-voted salute to Canadian "modern rock," gave a tip of the hat last night to several promising new acts. Norwood, Ont., natives Three Days Grace were deemed favourite new artist, Toronto's Billy Talent took favourite single for the hit "Try Honesty" and Montrealer Sam Roberts scored favourite album for his debut full-length, We Were Born In A Flame. Favourite indie release went to Toronto's the Salads for Fold A To B. Veterans the Pursuit of Happiness, who scored the late-'80s hit "I'm An Adult Now," were given a lifetime-achievement award. The band reunited to perform at the Casby ceremony at Kool Haus alongside Iggy Pop, the Dears, Sum 41, Pilate, Gob and the Salads.
- ↑ The 2015 Edge CASBY Awards