Alberta artists won in several categories at the 2026 Western Canadian Music Awards last week in Victoria, where the awards were held as part of BreakOut West. The event promotes and recognizes the independent music industry in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Yukon. Nearly a third of this year’s nominees across artistic and industry categories came from Alberta.

Among the Alberta winners was Edmonton’s Mbira Renaissance Band, led by Chaka Zinyemba. The group formed in 2013 and takes its name from the mbira, a traditional African instrument made of tuned metal keys mounted on a wooden board. The instrument is central to the band’s music.

“Before I even sat down after receiving the award, I had text messages from our producer and engineer, who wasn’t at the awards, but he had already found out … so he was full of congratulations,” Zinyemba said. “The band was pretty excited, surprised as well because I don’t think we expected to win right away on our first nomination.”

“It’s great recognition of the work that we’ve put in. Also great recognition of the talent that exists in Alberta,” Zinyemba added. The band released its first full-length album, *Roto*, this year, following a number of EPs over the past 13 years.

Zinyemba described the group’s sound as combining different musical influences. “(The band’s) music is cyclical and rhythmic at the same time … but what’s really niche about our band is that we have musicians who come in from different angles, and so it then becomes like a fusion sound,” he said. “At some point you’re hearing a bit of reggae, but at the same time some jazz, at the same time some traditional Zimbabwean Shona people pattern.”

Zinyemba said the WCMA Afrobeats Artist of the Year category is distinct from the traditional afrobeat genre, which describes a type of music from West Africa. BreakOut West says the award category “seeks to recognize artists that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent, highlighting regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions.”

The Mbira Renaissance Band is scheduled to perform one final live show this year on Friday at the South Common Rec Room.

Based on reporting by CTV News Edmonton.