VANCOUVER - Aaron Pritchett wants to get the word out: his native Vancouver is not just a rock 'n' roll town.
  
Though the city is perhaps best-known for such rock exports as Bryan Adams and Loverboy, the Juno-nominated Pritchett says country is alive and well in his hometown.

"Vancouver's always been stuck basically with the stereotype of a rock town," he said. "Vancouver's not known for being a country market, but just to the contrary, the country music scene here is quite vast, more vast than anybody would expect."

Pritchett points out that there's a myriad of country bars in the city -- which hosts the Juno Awards on Sunday (CTV, check local listings) -- and he says the scene is well-established.

"The country community in the Vancouver area has been alive for many, many years," he said.

Pritchett's "Thankful" landed a Juno nod for country recording of the year. It's his second nomination -- he was up in the same category for 2007's "Big Wheel."

He says the recognition was actually a bit sweeter the second time.

"It was a surreal feeling for that one, but this time around, it just feels a little more worthy to me, you know?" he said. "The first one I thought: `Wow, this is awesome, but my chances are nil.'

"But this one, I really feel like I have a shot at it."

Meanwhile, he's just soaking in the Juno weekend in his hometown.

The 27-year-old was one of the more competent players in Friday's Juno Cup hockey game, skating around with surprising speed in the musicians' upset shootout win over a team of retired NHLers.

He says he's planning on recording another album soon and mentions an ambitious tour plan that would see him visit Australia, Europe and Japan. But he also notes that he'd just as soon stick around Canada where he's comfortable.

"I always say this -- and they say you've gotta give up that story, but it's true -- if I couldn't release in other countries and Canada was my only option, I would not be upset about that at all.

"I've definitely carved out something here that has produced quite a career for me."