Celeigh Cardinal nominated in two categories for JUNO awards

Originally from Grande Prairie and currently based in Edmonton, singer-songwriter Celeigh Cardinal has made her mark on Edmonton’s music scene. From performing at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival in 2022, to being on stage with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) in 2024, Cardinal is an established musical persona in the city.

In 2020, Cardinal won the JUNO award for Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year for her sophomore album, Stories from a Downtown Apartment. This year, she’s nominated in two categories for her 2024 album, Boundless Possibilities — Adult Contemporary Album of the Year, and Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year.

“[The nominations are] pretty incredible. As an Indigenous artist, it’s always nice to have recognition beyond just an Indigenous category. So that made it another level of being special,” Cardinal said.

“I’ve never been somebody who fits into a particular genre,” Cardinal says

Five years after her first JUNO win, Cardinal explained how her “voice” and “stories” have changed.

“I’ve never been somebody who fits into a particular genre … [the music] is a uniquely ‘me’ genre. A sort of mishmash of everything.”

She also detailed how Boundless Possibilities was meant to be a “completely different album.” However, in 2020 she “experienced a tremendous amount of grief” that influenced her songwriting.

“I realized that I had never really known grief until 2020. And that changed me. It changed the songs to being about sort of a deep sorrow. But also a lot more hope and a lot more [of] a different kind of love.”

“It’s nice to be recognized for the work that you’ve done,” Cardinal says

Cardinal’s JUNO nominations and wins are not the only recognition she’s received. She’s also been nominated for and won awards at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, the Western Canadian Music Awards, and more. She detailed how special it is to be nominated for songwriting.

“People know about the JUNO awards and a big part of awards is that it gives you clout. It’s a currency to make a better living as an artist. It’s kind of the unfortunate part of it, but also as somebody who’s won an award, it’s nice to be recognized for the work that you’ve done.”

She also described the “sacrifice” she had to endure to get to where she is today.

“I’m a single mom. So the sacrifice that my son made, [and] that my mother made. And so for everybody it’s a recognition for all the work that’s been put in, in a tangible way.”

In terms of upcoming projects, Cardinal will be releasing a live-recorded EP of cover songs. Most recently, she released a cover of Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” She will also be performing at the Indigenous Empowerment Fashion Collective as part of the Edmonton Indigenous Fashion Week(end) (EIFW) event from March 21 to March 22.

Cardinal will be attending the JUNOs in Vancouver on March 30. The show will be available to watch live on CBC and CBC Gem.