Back in December, when the list of 2013 Grammy Awards nominees dropped, some of Canada's biggest exports were absent from the list.

While some Canadians complained that Nickelback, Feist, and 18-year old pop prodigy and pot aficionado Justin Bieber were snubbed, the folks at Toronto-based indie label Dine Alone Records were doing a happy dance.

That's because the Canadian indie has three artists vying for a total of five awards at the Grammys — the Civil Wars (best song written for visual media, best country duo/group performance,) The Lumineers (best Americana album, best new artists,) and Marilyn Manson (best hard rock/metal performance).

Having a Grammy nominated artist on your roster is a boon, but label president and founder Joel Carriere is hesitant to take credit for his artist's success south of the border.

"For a Canadian independent label to have that many artists nominated it's certainly rare," Carriere tells Huffington Post Music Canada. "And that exposure opens a few doors for our label, but I'm more excited for the artists than I am for us. We are just a branch of the tree."

Dine Alone Records launched in 2005, and established itself with releases from homegrown acts such as City and Colour, Bedouin Soundclash, Yukon Blonde, Tokyo Police Club, and Hey Rosetta!.

Recently, the label has expanded signing a slew of international artists, including Billy Bragg, Kate Nash, Deer Tick, and the aforementioned Grammy nominated artists, for release in Canada.

Today the label is one of the most forward-thinking indies in Canada, and one of a few with money riding on the 2013 Grammy Awards. Carriere credits the agility of his small company for that success.

"Major labels have many bands and the larger acts take priority. A major just doesn't have as much time as we do to develop an act," he explains. "We maneuver quickly. We can sign bands and turn around and release a record in a month. That's not ideal, but it happens. If we have an idea, we just do it."

Look at The Lumineers. There was little buzz when Dine Alone released the Denver-based folk-rock group's self-titled debut in spring 2012. Nearly a year later, powered by that ubiquitous single "Ho Hey" and the tireless effort of Dine Alone's 15 employees, the record is already certified platinum in Canada, and sales remain swift.

The Lumineers passed up multiple offers for major label deals. Instead, they signed an artist-friendly deal with American indie Dualtone, and then licensed the album under similar terms to independents in other territories: Dine Alone in Canada, Inertia in Australia, and Decca Records for the rest of the world.

Drummer Jeremiah Fraites tells Spinner why he and his bandmates prefer working with smaller teams.

"It's just nice to work with people that are entirely engaged. You know, not just sitting in front of a computer and playing Angry Birds on their cell phones all day," he says with a laugh.

He feels that at larger labels, where there is a corporate mentality, employees are less inclined to go the extra mile.

"With these smaller labels, people work 12 or 15 hour days to ensure our records are in the stores, and that we're getting played at radio. We want to work with people that are as hungry as we are."

Not long ago, independent record labels had little commercial clout, but the industry is changing. Adele, who is probably this era's most successful recording artist, has never signed with a major. Her juggernaut sophomore effort "21" has sold over 26 million copies worldwide and earned her independent label, the U.K's XL Recordings, a reported $67 million in profits.

The music industry is evolving. Artists like The Lumineers and independent labels like Dine Alone Records are proving that artists don't need a Universal, Sony or Warner badge to attract mainstream success.

With the exposure from the Grammy nod, and the buzz surrounding the group's recent appearance on "Saturday Night Live," The Lumineers seem destined to usurp the roots rock throne from reigning kings, Mumford and Sons.

A win at the Grammy would certainly trigger a spike in record sales, and Carriere says his little label is ready to help the Lumineers face the challenges of big-time commercial success.

"Every year there is that breakout band, and we are proving that we can handle that type of success and do equally as well, or better than, more established labels," he says. "And that feels really good."

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• Carrie Underwood

  Country Solo Performance - "Blown Away" Best Country Song - "Blown Away"

• Frank Ocean

  Record of the Year - "Thinkin Bout You" Best New Artist Album of the Year - "Channel Orange" Best Urban Contemporary Album - "Channel Orange" Best Rap/Sung Collaboration - "No Church In The Wild" by Jay-Z & Kanye West Featuring Frank Ocean & The-Dream

• fun.

  Best Pop Vocal Album - "Some Nights" Record of the Year - "We Are Young" Best New Artist Album of the Year - "Some Nights" Song of the Year - "We Are Young" Best Pop Duo/Group Performance - "We Are Young"

• The Black Keys

  Record of the Year - "Lonely Boy" Album of the Year - "El Camino" Best Rock Performance - "Lonely Boy" Best Rock Song - "Lonely Boy" Best Rock Album - "El Camino" Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical - Dan Auerbach

• Mumford & Sons

  Album of the Year - "Babel" Best Rock Performance - "I Will Wait" Best Rock Song - "I Will Wait" Best Americana Album - "Babel" Best Song Written For Visual Media - "Learn Me Right (From Brave)" Best Long Form Music Video - "Big Easy Express"

• Jack White

  Album of the Year - "Blunderbuss" Best Rock Song - "Freedom At 21" Best Rock Album - "Blunderbuss"

• Kelly Clarkson

  Best Pop Vocal Album - "Stronger" Record of the Year - "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" Best Pop Solo Performance - "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"

• Gotye

  Record of the Year - "Somebody That I Used To Know" Best Pop Duo/Group Performance - "Somebody That I Used To Know" Best Alternative Music Album - "Making Mirrors"

• Taylor Swift

  Record of the Year - "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" Best Country Duo/Group Performance - "Safe & Sound" Best Song Written For Visual Media - "Safe & Sound (From The Hunger Games)"

• Blake Shelton

  Country Solo Performance - "Over"

• Ronnie Dunn

  Country Solo Performance - "Cost of Livin" Best Country Song - "Cost Of Livin'"

• Eric Church

  Country Solo Performance - "Springsteen" Best Country Song - "Springsteen"

• Dierks Bentley

  Country Solo Performance - "Home"

• Hunter Hayes

  Best New Artist Country Solo Performance - "Wanted" Best Country Album - "Hunter Hayes"

• The Lumineers

  Best New Artist Best Americana Album - "The Lumineers"

• Alabama Shakes

  Best New Artist Best Rock Performance - "Hold On"

• Florence + The Machine

  Best Pop Vocal Album - "Ceremonials" Best Pop Duo/Group Performance - "Shake It Out"

• Maroon 5

  Best Pop Vocal Album - "Overexposed" Best Pop Duo/Group Performance - "Payphone"

• P!nk

  Best Pop Vocal Album - "The Truth About Love"

• Adele

  Best Pop Solo Performance - "Set Fire To The Rain [Live]"

• Carly Rae Jepsen

  Song Of The Year - "Call Me Maybe" Best Pop Solo Performance - "Call Me Maybe"

• Miguel

  Song Of The Year - "Adorn" Best R&B Performance - "Adorn" Best R&B Song - "Adorn" Best Urban Contemporary Album - "Kaleidoscope Dream"

• Ed Sheeran

  Song Of The Year - "The A Team"

• Katy Perry

  Best Pop Solo Performance - "Wide Awake"

• Rihanna

  Best Pop Solo Performance - "Where Have You Been" Best Rap/Sung Collaboration - "Talk That Talk" Best Short Form Music Video - "We Found Love"

• LMFAO

  Best Pop Duo/Group Performance - "Sexy And I Know It"

• Avicii

  Best Dance Recording - "Levels"

• Calvin Harris

  Best Dance Recording - "Let's Go"

• Skrillex

  Best Dance Recording - "Bangarang" Best Dance/Electronica Album - "Bangarang" Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical - "Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix)"

• Swedish House Mafia

  Best Dance Recording - "Don't You Worry Child"

• Al Walser

  Best Dance Recording - "I Can't Live Without You"

• Steve Aoki

  Best Dance/Electronica Album - "Wonderland"

• The Chemical Brothers

  Best Dance/Electronica Album - "Don't Think"

• Deadmau5

  Best Dance/Electronica Album - "> Album Title Goes Here <"

• Kaskade

  Best Dance/Electronica Album - "Fire & Ice"

• Michael Bublé

  Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album - "Christmas"

• Carole King

  Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album - "A Holiday Carole"

• Paul McCartney

  Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album - "Kisses On The Bottom" Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package - "Ram - Paul McCartney Archive Collection (Deluxe Edition)" Best Historical Album - "Ram - Paul McCartney Archive Collection (Deluxe Edition)"

• Coldplay

  Best Rock Performance - "Charlie Brown" Best Rock Album - "Mylo Xyloto"

• Bruce Springsteen

  Best Rock Performance - "We Take Care Of Our Own" Best Rock Song - "We Take Care Of Our Own" Best Rock Album - "Wrecking Ball"

• Anthrax

  Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance - "I'm Alive"

• Halestorm

  Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance - "Love Bites (So Do I)"

• Iron Maiden

  Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance - "Blood Brothers"

• Lamb of God

  Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance - "Ghost Walking"

• Marilyn Manson

  Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance - "No Reflection"

• Megadeth

  Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance - "Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)"

• Muse

  Best Rock Song - "Madness" Best Rock Album - "The 2nd Law"

• Fiona Apple

  Best Alternative Music Album - "The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do"

• Björk

  Best Alternative Music Album - "Biophilia"

• M83

  Best Alternative Music Album - "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming."

• Tom Waits

  Best Alternative Music Album - "Bad As Me"