Hot new Canadian artist Avril Lavigne leads the nominees for this year’s Juno Awards, with six nominations to her name, organizers announced Wednesday. The skater girl star will also perform at the awards gala in April.

Lavigne’s infectious hit, "Complicated," is up for Single of the Year, while her multi-platinum debut album Let Go is nominated for Album of the Year and Pop Album of the Year. Lavigne herself is up for Songwriter of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and the Juno Fan Choice of the Year award -- a new category sponsored by Doritos.

Lavigne, with her edgy skate-punk attitude and style, has been an overnight sensation and an unlikely media darling this year. "Complicated" has been blasting from radios around the world and has won her a gaggle of award nominations, including nods from the Grammy Awards, Brit Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and the Canadian Radio Music Awards. Just last month, Lavigne snapped up three MTV Asia Awards:

The host of this year's Juno Awards, country-pop superstar Shania Twain, is next in line for Juno nominations, with five nods, including Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and the Juno Fan Choice Award. Her album Up! is in the running for Album of the Year, and her catchy single "I'm Gonna Getcha (Good)" is up for Country Recording of the Year.

Perennial Juno favourite Our Lady Peace is also vying for Album of the Year for Gravity, their fifth studio album, which produced the hit "Somewhere Out There," up for Single of the Year. The Toronto-based rockers, who were surprised to find themselves shut out of the awards last year, are also up for Group of the Year, and Rock Group of the Year.

CTV once again broadcasts this year’s show, live from the Corel Centre in Ottawa-Gatineau on Sunday, April 6, 2003. The multi-talented Twain, who proudly holds seven Junos under her belt, will host and perform from her best-selling album at the awards gala.

For those planning to attend the awards ceremony, a great slate of entertainment is planned. Besides Twain, the diverse group of performers include Sam Roberts, Remy Shand, and Our Lady Peace and Lavigne.

Tickets for the Juno Awards go on sale Feb. 15 at noon ET through Ticketmaster outlets across the country.

Last year, CTV broadcast the Junos from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the Barenaked Ladies hosting. The awards gala was hailed as the most successful in the 31-year history of the awards show, with 1.4 million Canadians tuning in.

Among other nominees for this year’s awards is the always popular chanteuse Celine Dion, who’s accepted more than 20 Juno Awards in her career. Dion’s nominated for four awards, including Album of the Year from her latest oeuvre, A New Day has Come, her first album in two years, and Single of the Year for the album’s title track.

Winnipeg soulster Remy Shand also got four Juno nods for his debut album The Way I Feel , which garnered the hit crossover pop-R&B tune, Take a Message . And looking to scoop up four awards as well is hip-hop crooner, K-OS, who’s nominated for his album, exit .

Francophone folk-rock singer Daniel Bélanger is up for three awards including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Francophone Album of the Year for his album, Rever Mieux.

Jazz crooner Diana Krall, who scored three Junos in 2002, got two nods this year: One for her Live in Paris album, which is nominated for Best Vocal Jazz Album; and one for Artist of the Year.

Presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Juno Awards have been honouring the best in Canadian music since 1970. They were named in tribute to Pierre Juneau, the then-head of the CRTC, which implemented the Canadian Content Regulations.

Also announced Wednesday were this year’s inductees into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Singer/songwriter Tom Cochrane and Nettwerk Music Group CEO Terry McBride were selected as this year’s honourees.

As a member of the band Red Rider and as a solo artist, rock veteran Cochrane has recorded more than 15 albums and won seven Juno Awards and four SOCAN songwriting awards. Cochrane recently released a double-CD retrospective of his 20-plus year career, titled Trapeze. Cochrane also uses his success and popularity to help organizations such as World Vision Canada and the Parkinson Society Canada.

McBride’s work at Nettwerk helped launch the careers of Sarah McLachlan, the Barenaked Ladies, The Grapes of Wrath, Skinny Puppy, and most recently, treble charger.