COMPILED BY BRITTANY HOBSON

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Belly-aching good time

Winnipeg’s about to get hilarious come April.

The Winnipeg Comedy Festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary from April 3 to 10. The festival has been extended in honour of celebrating comedy in Winnipeg for 15 years. The festival is kicking off with American stand-up comedian Louie Anderson, who has starred in Life with Louie and did a brief stint hosting Family Feud.

Other shows include a “Born This Way” show hosted by Brent Butt from Corner Gas called, “Customs and Interrogations.” It’s a show that celebrates first and second generation Canadians and their families. Another show of note is “All Geek to Me,” a nerd-approved show.

The festival will close on April 10 with the “Best of the Fest” program.

Tickets are at winnipegcomedyfestival.com

Canadian music shines

The race to the Juno Awards finish line has The Weeknd, Drake and Justin Bieber sweating for the top spot.

Earlier this month, the 2016 Juno nominees were announced with three major Canadian artists vying for the top prize. The Weeknd, Drake and Justin Bieber were all nominated for Artist of the Year. Out of the 40 categories, The Weeknd is nominated in six, and Drake and Justin Bieber are tied with five nominations each.

Some local artists that are celebrating nominations include: singer-songwriter Don Amero, noise rock trio KEN Mode and blues artist Big Dave McLean.

The 2016 Juno Awards takes place in Calgary on April 3 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The magic lives on

The Boy Who Lived will see another day in print.

An eighth book in the Harry Potter series has been announced for release on July 31.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II picks up 19 years after Voldemort was defeated. The story follows Potter at his job at the Ministry of Magic and his youngest son’s struggles “with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted.”

The book is written by original series author J.K. Rowling, and contributing authors Jack Thorne and John Tiffany.