Portage la Prairie’s own Dagan Aymont, founder of Badlands Promotions Inc. and a stalwart champion of Manitoba’s hard rock and metal scene, is riding high after scoring a coveted role as a judge for the 2025 Juno Awards.
The local promoter, known for organizing the fan-driven Manitoba Loud Music Awards, joined a national panel to help crown the year’s best Metal/Hard Music Album—an opportunity he calls “absolutely amazing” for both his career and his small-city roots.
From local stages to national judging
Aymont’s journey to the Junos began with his grassroots work through Badlands Promotions, which hosts the annual Manitoba Loud Music Awards—a fan-nominated event celebrating the province’s hardest-hitting artists.
Last November, the CARAS team (the organization behind the Junos) reached out, impressed by his dedication.
“They contacted me and said I’d be good to judge one of their categories,” Aymont recalls.
After applying in December, he was selected to help evaluate submissions for the Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year.
The process wasn’t for the faint of heart. Judges analyzed albums holistically, scrutinizing composition, artistry, and even album art.
“I actually had to look at little things like the flow of the album, the album art, the composure, and how well-crafted it was,” he says. “It was really different from just picking my favourite band.”
A certificate of pride, and a push for the future
Though the judging process was entirely online and unpaid, Aymont received an official certificate commemorating his role—a memento he plans to frame once life slows down.
“It’s tucked away in the envelope still, protected,” he laughs. “But it’ll be on my wall.”
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The experience has only fueled his ambitions. Already brainstorming collaborations with bands he discovered during judging, Aymont confirms he’d jump at the chance to return.
“I would definitely apply again. The exposure to all these calibres of musicians was incredible,” he says. “There are bands I’ve promoted, bands I’ve seen at festivals—it was super neat to see them all on that list.”
Small-city hustle, national recognition
For Aymont, the Juno nod isn’t just personal—it’s a win for Portage la Prairie’s music community.
“I’m just some guy from a little city that’s barely a city,” he says with humility. “But being recognized by something like the Junos? It felt really good. It validates the hard work I do.”
Between promoting shows, piercing part-time, and now judging Canada’s biggest music awards, Aymont remains grounded in his mission: amplifying heavy music’s heartbeat, one riff at a time.
As his certificate awaits its frame, one thing’s clear—Portage’s loudest promoter is just getting started.
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