Memorial is set to steal the show when the 2009 Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council hands outs its annual awards next month on the St. John’s campus.

Finalists were announced on April 8 during a news conference at the university’s Research Centre for the Study of Music, Media and Place (MMaP).

Duo Concertante – made up of Professor Tim Steeves and Dr. Nancy Dahn who teach in Memorial’s School of Music – have been named a finalist for the Artist of the Year. The pair perform classical chamber music. They released their fourth studio album, It Takes Two, recently.

The other two finalists in the category include filmmaker Justin Simms and screenwriter and performer Sherry White, a graduate of Sir Wilfred Grenfell College’s theatre program.

Music educator and performer Rob Power and musician and teacher Christina Smith – both who teach in the School of Music – are finalists for the 2008 Arts in Education award in recognition for their contribution to arts in education in Newfoundland and Labrador. Writer and youth activist Robin Grant, who graduated from Memorial with an Arts degree, is also a finalist.

Meanwhile, percussionist, composer and teacher Curtis Andrews and choral conductor Kellie Walsh, who also teach music at Memorial, have been named finalists for the Emerging Artist honour.

Tickets for the Awards Show and Gala are now on sale at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre Box Office. They are $20 each with proceeds going to the Cultural Assistance Plan for Emergencies (CAPE) Fund.

The awards gala takes place on Saturday, May 2, at 8 p.m., at the Reid Theatre in the Arts and Administration Building.

Memorial is a sponsor of this year’s awards.

The show will be hosted by actor Phil Churchill and directed by Danielle Irvine, both graduates of Memorial.