The list of nominees for the ninth annual Vancouver Island Music Awards was released Friday.

The awards celebrate and help raise awareness of the Vancouver Island music scene.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e pretty spoiled here on the island in terms of the staggering amount of musical talent,B次元官网网址� said James Kasper, executive director and founder of the Vancouver Island Music Awards. B次元官网网址淭his yearB次元官网网址檚 crop of nominees certainly speaks to that. April 28 will be a special night, for sure.B次元官网网址�

The list of nominees includes:

Island Song of the Year: For Keeps, Woodsmen; Fueled By Consequence,  Spaceport Union; Daytime Carolina, Geoff Howe; Dust And Bones, Isobel Trigger; Man Of The Hour, Doug Folkins; Wide Awake, Riley Smith; Story, Bowler; Divine, Hazen Sage; The Swell, Kyle Truelove; WeB次元官网网址檙e Not Islands, Towers & Trees.

Island Live Act of the Year: Brodie Dawson, Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, Kytami, Coco Jaffro, Skellig.

Island Music B次元官网网址 of the Year: Red Rocking Chair, Qristina & Quinn Bachand; Beez Kneez, Annie Becker; End Of The World, Michael Wood Band; Love-In-Idleness, Versa; Hot Spot For A Hobo, Trent Freeman; Love Is A Con, The Ghostbirds.

Island Vocalist of the Year: Caroline Spence, Amy Cunningham, Annie Becker, Jillian Reece, Sean Hogan, Wil.

Island Songwriter of the Year: Kendall Patrick, Steph Macpherson, Annie Becker, Chris Ho, David Sinclair, David Essig.

Island Artist of the Year: Sean Hogan, Steph Macpherson, Chris Ho, Annie Becker, Qristina & Quinn Bachand, Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, The Sweet Lowdown.

A full list of nominees is online at islandmusicawards.wordpress.com.

The gala event takes place Sunday, April 28 at St.AndrewB次元官网网址檚 Presbyterian Church in Victoria. More information and early bird tickets (until March 1) are available at islandmusicawards.wordpress.com.