The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CBC celebrated Canadaâs biggest night in music this evening at The 52nd Annual JUNO Awards Broadcast. Hosted for the second time by Hollywood superstar Simu Liu, the awards were broadcast from Rogers Place in Edmonton, nationwide on CBC TV, CBC Gem CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen and globally on CBCMusic.ca/junos. The first traveling JUNOS since 2019, the highly anticipated show opened with Calgary native and five-time JUNO Nominee, Tate McRae, making Albertans proud with her energetic performance of her pop-punk hit “she’s all i wanna be.”
Following his four major wins Saturday night at the 2023 JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Music Canada, The Weeknd becomes the second most awarded JUNO winner in history after adding Album of the Year* to his collection this evening. He has now amassed 22 wins in just a decade, breaking his tie with Bryan Adams while Anne Murray holds the top spot as the JUNOSâ most decorated artist with 25 awards.
âI am so honored to be recognized like this from my home country that I love so much. Iâm so humbled by all this and could never thank fans enough,â said The Weeknd in a statement.
Global phenomenon, singer, songwriter and producer, AP Dhillon, made JUNOS history tonight as the first artist to sing entirely in Punjabi on the JUNO Awards stage, performing his chart-topping hit âSummer High” to a cheering crowd.
Canada’s hottest rising stars also performed and took home some of JUNO Weekâs biggest awards. All first-time winners and musical collaborators, Banx & Ranx (Breakthrough Group of the Year* winners) together with Preston Pablo (Breakthrough Artist of the Year* winner) and RĂȘve (Dance Recording of the Year winner), had audiences out of their seats and dancing to the beat with a special mashup performance of their hit singles âHeadphones,â âCTRL + ALT + DELâ and âFlowers Need Rain.â Preston Pabloâs award was given out during tonightâs Broadcast while the others received theirs earlier in the weekend at the JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Music Canada.
Canadians were given the option to vote for the TikTok JUNO Fan Choice, which was awarded to Avril Lavigne. This marks the fourth time Avril has won the award bringing her total JUNO count to an impressive 10 awards.
From industry veterans to organizations and music legends, Canadaâs flourishing hip hop community came together for a collaborative performance shining a spotlight on the 50th anniversary of the genre. With involvement from ADVANCE, Canadaâs Black Music Business Collective, and the JUNO Rap Music Advisory Committee, the four-song medley was written and produced by award-winning artist and four-time JUNO Award Winner Kardinal Offishall, who hosted the segment alongside 2022 JUNO Award winner Haviah Mighty. Renowned recording artist Rich Kidd mixed the track, while veteran entertainer DJ Mel Boogie added her own unique spin to the music live on stage. The festivities began with Kardinal Offishall and hip hop pioneer Michie Mee performing her hit âJamaican Funk,” before launching into Dream Warriorsâ timeless âMy Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style.â Four-time JUNO Award winner Choclair followed with his fast moving beat âLetâs Rideâ and the showcase ended with TOBi serenading audiences with his lyrical rap single âFlowers.â The performance led into the presentation of Rap Album of the Year, which was awarded to TOBi, who wins in this category for the second time.
This evening’s broadcast included Nickelbackâs highly anticipated induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Presented by TD Group. Ryan Reynolds made a special virtual appearance to induct the group and celebrate the band for their incredible contributions to Canadian music, which included a greeting from Michael BublĂ© who congratulated the band. Edmonton Oilersâ Captain, Connor McDavid, was also part of the festivities joining the stage to honour the band in-person. To cap the evening, Nickelback performed a medley of their chart-topping and most iconic rock tracks including âRockstar,â âHow You Remind Me,â and “Animals.â Both their Induction and Performance were presented by TD Bank Group.Â
Four more longstanding Canadians artists will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2023, when the annual induction ceremony returns to Studio Bell, home to the National Music Centre on May 18. Renowned French Canadian singer Diane Dufresne, veteran jazz pianist Dr. Oliver Jones, country music superstar Terri Clark and rock legends Trooper will all be honoured for their astounding contributions to Canadaâs music history, live. Tickets go on-sale April 7, 2023 at the National Music Centre box office. More information on the event can be found HERE.
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MusiCounts recognized Canadian music educator, Jewel Casselman (Lakewood School, Winnipeg, MB), not only for her impact on students, but also their community and the music education field, through the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, presented by the CST Foundation. She is the first elementary school teacher to win this award and after an astonishing 34 year career, and will retire at the end of this school year.
The 2023 JUNO Awards featured four more spectacular performances including the long awaited return of fan favorites Alexisonfire, who shared their heartfelt ballad âSans Soleilâ after winning Rock Album of the Year* Saturday night. Aysanabee in collaboration with Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year nominees Northern Cree performed a moving and choral rendition of âWe Were Here,â while multi-platinum R&B powerhouse and tonightâs winner of Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year* Jessie Reyez spoke to fans with an electric and soulful performance of âMutual Friend,â the first track off her latest album. Two-time JUNO Award winner for Country Album of the Year* Tenille Townes took audiences on an emotional journey with two of her most powerful tracks, âWhere are Youâ and âThe Sound of Alone.â
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The evening’s impressive roster of notable presenters included actor and comedian Andrew Phung (Run the Burbs, Kimâs Convenience); nine-time JUNO Award winner Avril Lavigne; star of CBCâs Push Bean Gill; multi-platinum R&B powerhouse Jessie Reyez; TikTokâs KallMeKris; three-time JUNO Award nominee Lauren Spencer Smith; two-time JUNO Award winner Maestro Fresh Wes; 2023 JUNO nominated Digging Rootsâ ShoShona Kish; Minister of Canadian Heritage The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez; Global Music Album of the Year nominee Pierre Kwenders; and multi-Platinum-selling artist, music producer, and actor Tyler Shaw.
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Fans can see the complete list of winners and rewatch every performance and memorable moment from the 52nd Annual JUNO Awards broadcast on CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Gem.
For the first time ever, Toronto-based Songwriting Duo Good Grief hosted THE INNER CIRCLE: A SONGWRITERS’ SHOWCASE at The Drake Underground. The intimate event brought together on-stage some of this highly-sought-after Duo’s collaborators, to perform acoustic versions of their songs in a Songwriters’ Circle. Good Grief is comprised of Singer-Songwriters Bryn McCutcheon (also known as Bryn) and Kirstyn Johnson (also known as Aryss). After meeting a fateful Songwriters’ Camp, they’ve joined forces and have worked with some of the biggest emerging names including one of our faves, Lilyisthatyou.
Appearing at the event, which hopefully will launch into a Series, were Universal Music Canada Artists Reve and Sofia Camara, plus the amazing Ralph, whom we adore. Telling the audience the stories behind the songs, we got two rounds of songs from each of the special guests and Good Grief, including one round where the Artists performed their collaborations with the Duo. This was followed by individual sets from each McCutcheon and Johnson.
The City definitely needs more platforms to showcase emerging talent, test new material and of course, create a space for female voices in a supportive environment. This was just wonderful and most amazing of all, we got a chance to interact with these amazing Singer-Songwriters. Definitely an experience worth checking-out.
Some Snaps:
Highlights and performances:
Follow these Artists on IG for more:
Toronto-based Singer-Songwrtier RĂVE is back with yet another Banger and we’re loving it! Short, sweet and uplifting, she pays tribute to her idols growing-up, sampling Whitney Houston/Chaka Khan‘s “I’m Every Woman” in the chorus. Love this so much – the lush strings, the interpretation and the message -and are excited to hear more from this emerging act! There’s also a 12″ version released as well!
Pre-Save/Pre-Order “Whitney”: https://reve.lnk.to/music
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