Daniel Lanois is no stranger to the world of award ceremonies.
As the producer of albums by Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, U2 and Brian Eno, he's won countless trophies.
But this year's Grammy Awards will be a little more special than usual.
He received two nominations for his solo work, and he also shares U2's album of the year nod for How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
"I guess it holds a special place in my heart," the Quebec-born musician said recently of being recognized for Belladonna, an instrumental album.
The celebrated maestro joins a small but acclaimed contingent waving the Maple Leaf at the annual awards bash, to be held next Wednesday in Los Angeles.
The show features performances by Kelly Clarkson, Madonna with Gorillaz, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and Faith Hill.
Leading contenders for awards include Mariah Carey, Kanye West and John Legend, with eight nominations each.
What it lacks in size, the Canadian clique makes up for in variety with representation in pop, rock, polka, jazz, comedy, video and soundtrack.
The group includes rock luminary Neil Young, who's competing for two awards based on his acclaimed country-rock album Prairie Wind; comedy star Rick Moranis, who has a chance at some hardware in the best comedy album category for Agoraphobic Cowboy; and Howard Shore, who is in the running for best score soundtrack album for The Aviator, which featured performances by Montreal natives Martha and Rufus Wainwright.
And there'll be plenty of attention cast on Canada's first-time Grammy nominees the Arcade Fire and Michael Buble.
In addition to a nomination, Buble will be a presenter at the TV show, alongside Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher.
"I've watched her a lot. I hope she's not that tall. I don't want to have to wear my heels," quipped the Vancouver native, nominated for best traditional pop vocal album for his CD It's Time.
The 28-year-old crooner is facing his idols - Tony Bennett, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon and Johnny Mathis.
"So I've got a chance?" joked Buble, who will be recording a duet with Bennett during Grammy week. "I'm keeping my fingers crossed."
Turning serious he added: "When you're nominated against iconic stars it really is a huge thing to be nominated. They can never take that away from me."
With swooning fans, friends like David Foster (who received a separate nom for his arrangement work on Buble's album), over four million in sales and sold-out tours around the globe, Buble wasn't all that much of a Grammy surprise.
The Arcade Fire recognition was a bit more unexpected, given the Grammy tendency to follow radio hitmakers. Perhaps Grammys voters will be swayed by the outfit's rabid following which includes the likes of David Bowie and U2's Bono.
It was "surreal" to be nominated for two Grammys, said Arcade Fire publicist Martin Hall from Durham, North Carolina where Merge Records has its headquarters. The tiny label took a chance on the Montreal band, releasing Funeral in 2004.
"It's incredibly, incredibly flattering," he said. "From the first time we heard the demo we were like 'This is amazing.' But we didn't necessarily know that it's the kind of thing that's going to get play on commercial radio."
The band, fronted by husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, will compete against Beck, Death Cab For Cutie, Franz Ferdinand, and the White Stripes for best alternative album. Their song Cold Wind, written for the Six Feet Under soundtrack, is also up for an award.
"They're all from major labels. We're not used to being on that roll call," said Hall.
Hall says the publicity-shy band, which resembles an orchestra thanks to its inclusion of violas, cellos and horns, will attend the show but are trying hard to remain under the radar.
"They've been offered covers of magazines and they've said 'We don't want to do that right now. We want to disappear for a while and come back when we have something new to say, both in general and in the form of a new record.' "
Some other Canadians in the running on Grammy night:
- Sarah McLachlan's video for World On Fire is competing for best short form music video. The video was made with just $15 - the cost of a blank video tape - of her $150,000 budget in order to donate the remaining cash to charity.
- Montreal-born composer Galt MacDermott for best music show album for a new version of Hair. He won a Grammy for the same album back in 1968.
- Walter Ostanek's Time Out For Polkas and Waltzes is up for best polka album, marking the 19th Grammy for the St. Catharines, Ont., native. He's won three times.
- Winnipeg rapper Fresh I.E. is up for best rock gospel album for his CD Truth Is Fallin' In The Streetz. He was nominated in the same category two years ago.
- Toronto-born trumpeter Kenny Wheeler is nominated for best jazz instrumental for his album What Now, which features Dave Holland, Chris Potter and John Taylor.