Toronto — A white Motown singer from Winnipeg, a soul singer who counts Prince among his fans, and a politically conscious rap artist from suburban Toronto took home awards at the Urban X-Posure Awards on Wednesday.

Remy Shand, Motown Record's newest star, was selected best new artist. His self-produced debut album, The Way I Feel, skyrocketed him to fame in Canada and the United States this past year.

Soul singer Glenn Lewis won best R&B/soul recording for the song, Don't You Forget It, from his 2002 album World Outside My Window. The Toronto-based singer won a Juno award earlier this year for the same song.

But it was rapper K-OS, raised in Whitby, Ont., and Trinidad, whose single Heaven Only Knows earned two awards, one for best hip hop/rap recording, at the fourth annual awards show presented by the Urban Music Association of Canada.

Kevin Brereton and Russell Klyne took home best songwriter for penning the hit song, which appears on K-OS's debut album, Exit.

The awards gala, held at downtown's Phoenix Concert Theatre, was hosted by former MuchMusic VJ Master T. Rapper Choclair, hip hop groups Ghetto Concept and Swollen Members and jazz singer Sean Oliver performed at the event.

Jazz giant Oscar Peterson, 77, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award, given to individuals whose careers span at least 15 years. The Montreal-born pianist began playing professionally in 1942. He has played with many of the genre's greatest including Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington.

"Jazz is the original urban music and [Peterson] is a living legend in the field," Tony Sutherland, UMAC president, said.

Toronto rapper Maestro and Ed Matwawana of the African Nova Scotian Music Association each received special achievement awards. Maestro, who used to go by the name Maestro Fresh Wes, is credited with helping to pave the way for Canadian rap artists after being the first rapper to perform at the Juno Awards. Halifax-born Matwawana, bandleader of Afro-Musica, was selected for his work promoting urban music in the Maritimes.

Best music video went to Little X for Kardinal Offishall's Ol' Time Killing. X, born in Brampton, Ont., has directed music videos for some of the industry's leading hip hop and R&B stars including Alicia Keys, Jay-Z and Nelly.

Best spoken word recording went to Montreal's Nah-ee-lah for Free Dome, and best reggae recording went to 2002 Juno winner Blessed for Can't Say No More. Toronto's The New Deal, the progressive breakbeat house trio who performed last year at Moby's Area One and this year at the World Electronic Music Festival, won best electronic recording.

UMAC, formed in 1996, is dedicated to the domestic and international promotion, education and development of Canadian urban music.