1996 ABORIGINAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Denny Family - Mi'kmaq Chants
- Eagle Feather - No Boundaries
- Sarah Michael - Flowers in Bloom
- Sons of Membertou - Wapna'kik
- Lee Cremo - The Champion Returns WINNER
1996 ACADIAN RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Cayouche - Le vieux hippy
- Isabelle et la Bête - Pays De Barbarie
- Various - Musique de la Nouvelle Acadie
- Zéro Celcius - Contes due coude
- Annick Gagnon - River of Love WINNER
1996 ALTERNATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Hardship Post
- Jale
- Rebecca West
- Super Friendz
- Sloan WINNER
1996 BLUEGRASS RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Bluegrass 4
- Crooked Stovepipe
- Exit 13
- Rustic Harmony
- Ray Legere WINNER
1996 CHILDREN'S RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Heather and Eric
- Les Habitants
- Razzmatazz for Kids
- Roland et Johnny
- Duncan Wells WINNER
1996 CLASSICAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- David MacDonald - Organ Works
- Ian Hominick - Sigsmund Thalberg
- Michel Cardin - S.L. Weiss
- Peter Allen - Haydn: Piano Sonatas
- Saint John String Quartet - Glazunov and Shostakovitch WINNER
1996 COUNTRY RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Bruce Guthro
- Cindy Church
- Rankin Family
- Rita MacNeil
- Stompin' Tom Connors WINNER
1996 ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
- Ashley MacIsaac
- Barra MacNeils
- Laura Smith
- Rankin Family
- Great Big Sea WINNER
1996 FACTOR RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Great Big Sea - Up
- Modabo - Modabo
- Rankin Family - Endless Seasons
- Sandbox - Bionic
- Laura Smith - B'tween the Earth and My Soul WINNER
1996 FEMALE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Doris Mason
- Holly Cole
- Kim Stockwood
- Rita MacNeil
- Laura Smith WINNER
1996 GROUP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Great Big Sea
- Irish Descendants
- Modabo
- Sandbox
- Rankin Family WINNER
1996 INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Lee Cremo
- Ray Legere
- Richard Wood
- Tracey Dares
- Dave MacIsaac WINNER
1996 JAZZ RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Jeri Brown
- Jerry Granelli
- Kirk MacDonald
- Maritime Jazz Orchestra
- Goodspeed and Staples Quartet WINNER
1996 MALE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Al Tuck
- Bob Snider
- Bruce Guthro
- Ron Bourgeois
- Dave MacIsaac WINNER
1996 POP/ROCK RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Great Big Sea
- Kim Stockwood
- Laura Smith
- Sloan
- Barra MacNeils WINNER
1996 ROOTS / TRADITIONAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
- Debbie Adshade - The Thunder God's Wife
- Great Big Sea - Up
- Rankin Family - Endless Seasons
- The College of Piping and Celtic Arts - Ancestral Voices - Celtic Christmas
- Dave MacIsaac - Nimble Fingers WINNER
1996 SONG OF THE YEAR
- Rankin Family - You Feel the Same Way Too
- Rawlins Cross - Long Night
- Laura Smith - Shade of Your Love
- Sandbox - Curious
- Lennie Gallant - Peter's Dream WINNER
1996 SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
- Lennie Gallant - Peter's Dream WINNER
1996 VIDEO OF THE YEAR
- Bob Snider - Darn Folksinger
- Laura Smith - Shade of Your Love
- Rawlins Cross - Reel n Roll
- Sloan - People of the Sky
- Rankin Family - You Feel the Same Way Too WINNER
