Donald Amero (born September 11, 1980) is a Canadian country and folk singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba.[1]
Don Amero | |
|---|---|
 Don Amero in 2022. | |
| Background information | |
| Born | September 11, 1980 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Genres | country, folk |
| Years active | 2007-present |
| Labels | MDM Recordings |
| Website | Official website |
Prior to launching his career as a musician, Amero worked as a hardwood flooring installer,[1] and unsuccessfully tried out for Canadian Idol in 2006.[2] He released his debut CD Change Your Life in 2006,[3] and left his flooring job in 2007.[1] The album garnered five Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award nominations, for best new artist, songwriter, folk or acoustic CD, album cover and producer/engineer.[4]
His second album, Deepening, followed in 2009. The album again garnered several Aboriginal Peoples Choice nominations,[5] and Amero won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year.[6] In 2010, he performed on the bill for APTN's Aboriginal Day Live concert,[7] and released his third album The Long Way Home.[8] The album won the awards for Best Folk Recording at the 2011 Native American Music Awards, and for Best Aboriginal Recording at the Western Canadian Music Awards.[9]
In 2012, he performed at a fundraising benefit concert for indigenous music pioneer Shingoose,[10] and released his fourth album Heart on My Sleeve. He also collaborated with Vince Fontaine of Eagle & Hawk in Indian City, a band whose album Supernation fused traditional First Nations music with experimental rock.[11] Amero won Male Entertainer of the Year, and Supernation won Best Pop Album, at that year's Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards.[12] Heart on My Sleeve garnered Amero his first Juno Award nomination for Aboriginal Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2013,[13] won the award for Best Folk/Acoustic Album at the 2013 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards,[14] and was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award.[15]
His fifth album, Refined, was released in 2015.[16] In the same year, he collaborated with country singer Brett Kissel on "Rebuild This Town", a song about cultural reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and other Canadians.[17][18]
At the Juno Awards of 2016, Refined garnered Juno Award nominations for Aboriginal Album of the Year and Adult Contemporary Album of the Year.[19]
In August 2018, Amero released his sixth album, Evolution, which launched him into the country music genre. In 2019, Amero released the single "Music Lover" to Canadian country radio.[20]
In September 2020, Amero released his extended play The Next Chapter.[21]
Discography
edit- Change Your Life (2006)
- Deepening (2009)
- The Long Way Home (2010)
- Heart on My Sleeve (2012)
- Refined (2015)
- Evolution (2018)
- Amero Little Christmas (2019)
- The Next Chapter (2020)
- Nothing Is Meaningless (2021)
- Six (2023)
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak positions |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country [22] | |||
| 2019 | "Music Lover" | 45 | The Next Chapter |
| 2020 | "Morning Coffee" | — | |
| "Wouldn't Be Home" | — | ||
| "Wasn’t the Dress" | 48 | ||
| 2021 | "You Can't Always Be 21" | — | Nothing Is Meaningless |
| "My Poor Mama" | 46 | ||
| 2022 | "Let You" (feat. Raquel Cole) |
28 | |
| "Ain't Too Late" | — | Six | |
| 2023 | "Go Girl" | — | |
| "Wheels Off" | — | ||
| 2024 | "Can't Fix This" | — |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Canadian Country Music Association | Album of the Year | Nothing is Meaningless | Nominated | [23][24] |
| 2023 | Canadian Country Music Association | Innovative Campaign of the Year | "Let 'Em Lie" Release Highlights (with Kyle McKearney) | Nominated | [25] |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Ready for a breakthrough". Winnipeg Free Press, December 29, 2012.
- ^ "Winnipeg-raised Idol judge has high hopes for city singers". Winnipeg Free Press, June 13, 2006.
- ^ "New Music". Winnipeg Free Press, January 20, 2007.
- ^ "'Toban musicians could dominate First Nations gala". Winnipeg Free Press, September 14, 2007.
- ^ "Sainte Marie leads nominations". Windsor Star, August 21, 2009.
- ^ "Joel Plaskett, former Ottawan tie for two awards each; Chris McKhool's solo project takes cake". Ottawa Citizen, November 22, 2009.
- ^ "Aboriginal Day Live is three events in one; Timing vital in co-ordinating performances from two sites". Victoria Times-Colonist, June 20, 2010.
- ^ "Singer Amero torn between the road and being home". Winnipeg Free Press, November 6, 2010.
- ^ "Manitoba artists leave their mark; Seven out of 19 categories won by 'Peg-based acts". Winnipeg Free Press, October 24, 2011.
- ^ "Musicians pull together for pioneer Shingoose after stroke". CBC Music, May 14, 2012.
- ^ "Vince Fontaine's Indian City scores seven nominations". Winnipeg Free Press, August 14, 2012.
- ^ "Aboriginal performers honoured". Winnipeg Free Press, November 3, 2012.
- ^ "Juno nominees". Regina Leader-Post, April 13, 2013.
- ^ "Manitobans take home hardware from APCMAs". Winnipeg Free Press, August 20, 2013.
- ^ "Local musicians vying for national folk awards". Winnipeg Free Press, September 27, 2013.
- ^ "Amero celebrating CD release at WECC". Winnipeg Free Press, April 15, 2016.
- ^ "Changing the national dialogue; Aboriginal celebration has travelled all over Canada". Edmonton Journal, June 18, 2015.
- ^ "Don Amero calls music an opportunity for education, reconciliation". Unreserved, January 10, 2016.
- ^ "Junos 2016: Complete list of Juno Award nominees". CBC News, February 2, 2016.
- ^ Don Amero. MDM Recordings, September 8, 2019.
- ^ Dagg, Nanci (October 1, 2020). "Multiple award-winning country music artist Don Amero has released a new album The Next Chapter on the heels of his other successes". Canadian Beats Media. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ References for Canada Country chart:
- Music Lover: "Billboard Canada Country National Airplay - Week of September 28, 2019". Billboard. September 28, 2019. Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- Wasn't The Dress: "Canada Country chart for January 16, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved January 11, 2021.(subscription required)
- My Poor Mama: "Canada Country chart for November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2021.(subscription required)
- Let You: "Canada Country chart for July 23, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2022.(subscription required)
- ^ "2022 CCMA AWARD NOMINEES". Canadian Country Music Association. 20 July 2022. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ "TENILLE TOWNES TAKES HOME FOUR WINS AT THE 2022 CCMA AWARDS PRESENTED BY TD". Canadian Country Music Association (Press release). Global News Wire. September 11, 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022.
- ^ "2023 CCMA Awards Nominees". Canadian Country Music Association. July 13, 2023. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.