Juno 2012 New Artist of the Year Award nominees: A Closer Look

Winning the New Artist of the Year at the Juno Awards is a coveted prize that is kept in good company.

Artists like Drake, Michael Bublé, Feist and Avril Lavigne have all taken home the award and 2012 is shaping up to be a year full of front-runners.

Let's take a look at the nominees for this year's New Artist of the Year at the 2012 Juno Awards.

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Alyssa Reid
Reid, 19, shot to fame after a video of her singing her own rendition of Justin Bieber's "One Less Lonely Girl" went viral on YouTube. She told Yahoo! Canada Music that she is excited to be nominated in this category and will be participating in the evening's live dance 'mixed tape' performance. "I have about a minute [to perform] and I have to make it a very good minute," Reid said by telephone. The singer will perform her hit 'Alone Again' and says, "I have done something special for it."

Alyssa Reid's "Alone Again"

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Dan Mangan
Mangan, 28, is an indie rock singer/songwriter from Smithers, British Columbia. He has been nominated in four categories at this year's Junos, including, Songwriter of the Year, Alternative Album of the Year, Video of the Year and, of course, New Artist of the Year. For him, performing his album "Oh Fortune" on the road was a special project because it gave him a different perspective on touring. He says, "It's no longer about reciting songs, it's more about living the moment and getting inside what's happening. It's about letting the music be a conduit for the exploration of whatever you are and whatever that moment is and the honesty of all of that."

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Diamond Rings
John O'Regan, professionally known as Diamond Rings, got his start in the indie-rock group, The D'urbervilles. After deciding to pursue a solo career, Diamond Rings released his debut full-length album, "Special Affections," in 2010 and toured with Swedish artist Robyn on her "Body Talk" tour. As an artist who takes risks, Diamond Rings has major plans for his new material, telling the National Post, "The first album [was] about wondering or questioning whether or not I can be a musician. I feel like 'Special Affections' is me talking myself through the process of making this record, in a way. And I can say the new stuff is simply a lot more about owning it."

JRDN
R&B artist JRDN is up for New Artist of the Year and R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. The former basketball player decided to pursue a career in music and wowed the Canadian public with his debut album, "IAMJRDN." Look for him to perform with fellow New Artist of the Year nominee, Alyssa Reid, during the live "mixed tape" performance this weekend.

JRDN's "U Can Have It All"

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Lindi Ortega
Ortega's "Little Red Boots" are made for walkin' and that's just what they'll do! The Pickering, Ont., musician has sung backup for The Killers' Brandon Flowers and is also nominated for Best Roots & Traditional (Solo) Album. Upon hearing of her double Juno nomination, Ortega said, "Oh, gosh! I'm very flattered about that, and it's definitely a different side of the coin for me." Adding, "Hopefully [the Junos] will get a few more Canadian folks to check me out . . . That's all I want out of this.''

Tune in on Sunday as the Juno Awards air live from Ottawa, Ontario and keep following Yahoo! Canada Music as your source for Juno news!

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