Northwestern Ontario will have some representation at the 2023 Juno Awards following the nomination of Aysanabee.
He’s being nominated under the Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year category for his debut album Watin, which was released this past November.
Born Evan Pang, he reclaimed his grandfather’s surname as an adult, additionally Watin was his grandfather’s first name.
A member of the Sandy Lake First Nation, Aysanabee grew up just outside of Thunder Bay, in Kaministiquia and began pursuing his own original music during the pandemic.
Prior to his nomination he toured the Northwest in December, as one of the main acts of the CP Holiday Train.
The Junos are set to be awarded on March 13th.