Russell Peters - Recently voted the No. 1 fan favourite performer of the past 25 years at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival, Peters has been doing stand-up comedy for 18 years and has built an impressive body of work. He has been featured at Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, HBO’s Aspen Comedy Festival, the Edinburgh Comedy Festival and many others across the globe.

Peters has been nominated for four Gemini Awards. His TV appearances include two, one-hour Comedy Now! specials on CTV and The Comedy Network as well as CBC’s Comics! He had a recurring role in the Gemini-nominated Canadian sitcom Lord Have Mercy! and hosted his own BBC chat show Network East Late, where he interviewed both South Asian and mainstream artists and personalities. His movie credits include the comedy Quarter Life Crisis, My Baby’s Daddy and the martial arts flick Tiger Claws III.

Aaron Lines - A family man at heart, acclaimed country music artist Aaron Lines was born and raised in Fort McMurray, Alberta. With four albums to-date since his debut Love Changes Everything in 2001, Lines has garnered four JUNO Award nominations and won two CCMA Awards for Male Artist of the Year and Rising Star Award in 2003. He has recorded hits such as “Waitin’ on the Wonderful” and “The Lights of my Hometown”, which in 2005 and 2006 were the most-played songs on Canadian country radio. Additionally, “You Can’t Hide Beautiful” became a Top 3 song and No. 1 video in the U.S. Lines’ latest album, Moments That Matter, reflects not only his heartfelt lyrics in songs like the title track and “Somebody’s Son”, but it also reflects his playful side with songs like “Let’s Get Drunk and Fight” and the No. 1 hit “Cheaper to Keep Her”.

Anne Murray - Anne Murray's most recent album, Duets: Friends & Legends, is a collection of her hits re-recorded as duets with some of her favourite women of song including; Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Nelly Furtado, Jann Arden, Sarah Brightman, k.d. lang, and Anne's daughter, Dawn Langstroth. Duets: Friends & Legends, Anne’s 35th album to-date, went double platinum in just six weeks and debuted at No. 4 on the Top 200 Soundscan Chart in Canada, making it her highest debut in over 20 years. Recognized worldwide as one of Canada's most enduring national treasures, Anne's signature voice has graced the airwaves with a catalogue of hits, such as "A Little Good News", "You Needed Me", "Love Song", "Could I Have This Dance" and of course, "Snowbird". Anne Murray has garnered countless accolades and awards over the course of her illustrious career, including four Grammy Awards and numerous Country Music Association Awards. With 24 JUNO Awards, Anne still holds the record for the most Juno's awarded to an artist. Over her forty-year career Anne has sold in excess of 50 million albums.

Avril Lavigne - Avril Lavigne rocketed straight to superstardom, at just 17 years old, when she released her debut album, Let Go, in 2002. No.1 hit singles "Complicated," "Sk8ter Boi" and "I'm With You" helped the album sell more than 16 million copies worldwide, garnering eight Grammy nominations and four JUNO Awards (including Album of the Year and New Artist of the Year). Her follow up, Under My Skin (2004), entered U.S., Canadian, and U.K. charts at No. 1, and collected three more JUNO Awards along the way. Avril’s most recent album, The Best Damn Thing, is considered her best yet. She was involved in every aspect of the album’s production from writing to recording. The lead single, “Girlfriend,” instantly became an international anthem spawning versions in Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese, to name a few.

Feist - Feist’s already legendary album, The Reminder, continues to astound listeners, having sold over one million copies worldwide. The hit single “1234” is one of the most popular downloaded songs and videos since being featured in a commercial for the iPod nano. Feist recently garnered four 2008 Grammy nominations, but long before her international breakthrough success, she was the Canadian indie-rock poster girl with solo albums including Open Season (2006) and Let it Die (2004), which garnered her two JUNO Awards for New Artist of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year. She was also a member of Broken Social Scene, contributing to four of the group’s albums from 2000-2005.

Finger Eleven - Finger Eleven rocketed back into the music limelight with the introduction of their latest musical creation, Them vs. You vs. Me, released in March 2007. The album’s first single, “Paralyzer,” was an instant success becoming a multi-format, No. 1 hit in Canada and the U.S. with an accompanying No. 1 video on MuchMusic’s Top 30 Countdown. The phenomenal reception enabled the band to break the Rock Radio record for most consecutive weeks at No. 1, contributed to the album’s Platinum plus certification and positioned them at No. 10 on Billboard’s Top 100. Finger Eleven was invited to perform at the 2008 New Year’s Bash in Times Square and has also performed atop the CHUM building roof for the MMVAs along with appearances on programs such as Canada AM, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Live with Regis & Kelly. The band continues their wave of success with a second No. 1 track on Rock Radio and a second No. 1 video on MuchMusic from the single “Falling On.” The band’s third release, “I’ll Keep Your Memory Vague,” is currently in the Top 10 and still growing.

Gord Bamford - From singing at community functions in Lacombe, Alberta, to opening shows for Tim McGraw and Kenny Rogers, Gord Bamford is hailed as one of the young guns of “honest” country. In 2000, Gord released his debut album, God’s Green Earth, and spent considerable time in Nashville, crafting his songwriting abilities with country music’s best, including Steve Fox, Tim Taylor and Byron Hill, who would eventually co-produce his second album, Life is Good (2003). Hill and Bamford penned several Top 20 radio hits, including honky-tonk kickers “Joe’s Place” and “The Watering Hole” to great love songs such as “I Would For You” and “We’re All Cowboys.” With a 2008 JUNO Award nomination for Country Recording of the Year, Bamford’s third album, Honkytonks and Heartaches, features the Top 10 hit singles “Blame It On That Red Dress” and “Stayed ‘Til Two”.

Hedley - Hedley's 2005 self-titled album was the most successful domestic rock debut release of the year and reached nearly double-platinum status in Canada, churning out hits including “321”, “On My Own” and “Trip”. With a successful album under their belt and two years touring North America, their most recent release, Famous Last Words (Universal Music Canada), shows an edge, a purpose and a defined personality that only comes from experience and development. The album’s hit lead single “She's So Sorry”, followed by the gospel-tinged piano ballad "For The Nights I Can't Remember” and reggae nod “Never Too Late” shows off their versatility and fierce no-holds-barred attitude. Hedley has been nominated for a total of six JUNO Awards since 2006, including Group of the Year at The 2008 JUNO Awards..

Jann Arden - Calgary’s very own Jann Arden continues to be an icon of the Canadian entertainment industry. In February 2007, Arden released her ninth album, Uncover Me, a collection of her favorite songs, including the Top 10 singles “At Seventeen” and “Son of a Preacher Man”. Uncover Me debuted at No.1 on the Digital SoundScan Chart and was certified platinum in April 2007. Among the list of many critically acclaimed and platinum-selling albums includes the two-times platinum, Greatest Hurts (2001), two-times platinum, Happy? (1997), and the five-times platinum, Living Under June (1994). Arden has continued to tour at an unstoppable pace. Her 2007 Uncover Me Tour, visited 23 cities, performing 31 shows to sold-out crowds across Canada, becoming one of North America’s most successful tours that year. This past summer, Arden returned to the U.S. with Canadian crooner Michael Bublé and continues to add more concert dates into 2008 .With nine CDs, 17 Top 10 singles, a substantial collection of industry-related awards and honors including a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame and eight JUNO Award wins, Arden is also busy with acting, writing, producing and charity work (including national spokesperson for Kids Help Phone and active supporter of World Vision).

Johnny Reid - Scotland native, but Canadian-bred, Johnny Reid brings a unique perspective to country music. Performing in pubs at a young age, Reid mixed traditional Irish and Scottish folk music with his parents’ musical influences, including Charlie Rich, Etta James, Chuck Berry and Joe Cocker. By the age of 17, Reid moved to Canada, where he attended Bishop’s University, playing football by day and performing his music in the local bars by night. After graduation, Reid toured across Canada and travelled to Nashville to further build his repertoire of original songs and released his debut, Born to Roll, in 2005. The first single from the album, the infectious “You Still Own Me,” reached Top 15 on country radio while the video reached Top Five on Country Music Television, and the chart-topping hit “Missing An Angel,” received the No. 1 Song Award from SOCAN. The album also garnered five nominations and three wins for Johnny at the 2006 CCMA Awards. His most recent release, Kicking Stones, has gone gold in Canada, selling more than 50,000 copies, and garnered a 2008 JUNO Award nomination for Country Recording of the Year.

Jully Black - Jully Black’s much-anticipated sophomore album, Revival, released by Universal Music Canada, serves as a shining reflection of who she is, where she is, and how she got there. Produced by Black Eyed Peas’ drummer Keith Harris (Busta Rhymes, Fergie, Mary J. Blige and Michael Jackson), the album’s lead single “Seven Day Fool” was a No.1 hit song and video in Canada, and also includes the feel-good tunes “DJ Play My Song” and “My Baby”. The multi-talented R&B songstress penned 10 of the album’s 11 songs and has written for numerous artists including Destiny's Child and Nas. She is also a television personality and regular correspondent on CTV’s eTalk, a motivational speaker for various charities and youth organizations, and has shared the stage with the likes of Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Bon Jovi and Josh Groban. Black is nominated for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year and Single of the Year awards at The 2008 JUNO Awards.

Measha Brueggergosman - Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman has emerged as one of the most magnificent performers and vibrant personalities of the day. In addition to a highly acclaimed sold-out recital at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall, she has appeared in solo recitals at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Edinburgh and Verbier festivals, as well as in concert performances with leading orchestras across North America and Europe. On the opera stage, Brueggergosman has bowed in Dialogues des Carmélites (Vancouver Opera), Dead Man Walking and Turandot (Cincinnati Opera), and in Aeneas in Karthago (Staatsoper Stuttgart). Her extraordinary versatility, intuitive musicality, and radiant star quality have yielded an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Her first recording on the label, Surprise, was released to critical acclaim in Autumn 2007.

Michael Bublé - 2007 was another landmark year for Michael Bublé. His album Call Me Irresponsible topped international charts on the strength of his self-penned No. 1 hit "Everything" and his subsequent tour saw him playing to sold-out arenas and theatres including London, Paris, New York and Sydney. Following up his previous two 143/Reprise bestsellers, 2003’s self-titled debut and 2005’s multi-platinum follow-up, It’s Time, Michael Bublé's worldwide sales are in excess of 10 million records. Call Me Irresponsible boasts more of Bublé’s buoyant, modern interpretations of standards from a variety of eras including songs by such greats as Leonard Cohen, Eric Clapton, Cy Coleman and others. Bublé has achieved critical acclaim and international success as a Grammy-nominee and five-time JUNO Award winning artist. In 2006, he swept the JUNO Awards with wins for Single of the Year, Pop Album of the Year, Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for It’s Time.

Paul Brandt - Paul Brandt is known as the voice of country music in Canada. Growing up in Airdrie, Alberta, he has been singing since the age of 13, and began making trips to Music City USA – Nashville, Tennessee – where he was offered a development deal. His debut album, Calm Before the Storm, was recognized as Billboard magazine’s Best-Selling New Male Artist Album in 1996, and spawned such hits as “My Heart Has A History” and “I Do”, which was the first song to chart No.1 by a male Canadian country artist since the days of Hank Snow. Brandt went on to record seven more hit albums over the last 10 years, winning countless Country Music Awards and six JUNO Awards to-date, setting this multi-platinum selling artist apart as the most-awarded male Canadian country artist in history. Paul Brandt will be the recipient of the inaugural Allan Waters Humanitarian Award at this year’s JUNO Awards and also received a 2008 JUNO Award nomination for Country Recording of the Year for his album, Risk.

Sarah Brightman - Genre-defying Sarah Brightman has achieved spectacular crossover success and established herself as the world’s best-selling soprano of all time. Her newest album, Symphony, brought Brightman her highest chart debuts ever in both Canada (No. 4) and the U.S. (No. 13) this year. Symphony offers an enchanting and exhilarating experience for the senses. Many first fell in love with Brightman during her successful stage career, when she starred in hit musical productions like The Phantom of the Opera. She has since released several gold and platinum albums, such as Time to Say Goodbye (which included the title’s best-selling duet with tenor Andrea Bocelli), La Luna, Classics and Harem. Her exquisite voice and undeniably electrifying stage presence have resulted in massive record-breaking tours and sales of more than 26 million albums and two million DVDs. Brightman is one of the most trailblazing entertainers, effortlessly transcending and blending musical styles from pop, rock, and Broadway show-stoppers, to operatic and classical arias.

Shane Yellowbird - Growing up within the rodeo lifestyle in Hobbema, Alberta, Shane Yellowbird was a typical cowboy. He began singing when a speech therapist suggested he sing his sentences to help him with his stuttering problem. Not only did this cure his speech impediment, but he developed a great love for music. In just a few short years, Yellowbird has gone from quietly pursuing a fine arts degree at Red Deer College to becoming a rising country music star. In November of 2006, he released his debut, Life is Calling My Name, which won three Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards including Best New Artist, Single of the Year (“Beautiful Concept”) and Best Video (“Beautiful Concept”). Yellowbird was named the Chevy Trucks Rising Star of the Year at the 2007 Canadian Country Music Awards and the hit “Pickup Truck” became his first Top Five song on the Canadian Country Singles chart. He is nominated for a 2008 JUNO Award for Country Recording of the Year.