Juno Awards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Juno Awards
Logo for the Juno Awards
Presented by	The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Country	Canada
First awarded	23 February 1970; 55 years ago (1970-02-23) (as Gold Leaf Awards)
Television coverage
Network	CBC (1975–1987, 1989–2001, 2018–present) CTV (2002–2017)

The Juno Awards, often called the Junos, are special prizes given out by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. They celebrate amazing achievements in Canada's music industry. Think of them like Canada's version of the Grammy Awards in the United States. The Junos are one of the biggest yearly entertainment award shows in Canada, alongside the Canadian Screen Awards. During the ceremonies, new members are also welcomed into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

History of the Juno Awards

The Juno Awards started out with a different name. They were first called the RPM Gold Leaf Awards. This name came from RPM Magazine, which used to announce the winners.

How the Junos Began

The very first awards ceremony happened on February 23, 1970. It honored music artists from 1969. The trophy looked like a metronome, which is a tool musicians use to keep time.

Later that year, the awards changed their name. They were renamed in honor of Pierre Juneau. He was the first head of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). He also used to be the president of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Pierre Juneau strongly believed in rules that made sure Canadian music was played on the radio. This helped Canadian musicians get noticed. The name "Juneau" was shortened to "Juno," and by 1971, they were officially called the "Juno Awards."

Growing Up: The 1970s and 1980s

From 1970 to 1973, the winners were announced before the awards night. But starting in 1974, the winners were kept secret until the actual Juno ceremonies. Music industry leaders then formed a group to manage the awards. This group later became the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) in 1977. CARAS has been in charge of the Junos ever since.

The Juno Awards were first shown on TV across Canada in 1975. They were broadcast on CBC Television. The main ceremonies stayed on CBC until 2001. Then, they moved to CTV Television Network (CTV) from 2002 to 2017. The show returned to CBC in 2018 and has been there since.

The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was created in 1978. In 1979, the award trophy was officially named the Juno Award. Even the Prime Minister of Canada at the time, Pierre Trudeau, helped present an award that year.

In 1982, famous singer Joni Mitchell was welcomed into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

The 1990s and 2000s

In 1991, the Juno Awards were held in Vancouver. This was the first time the show took place outside of Toronto. That year, a new award category for rap music was also added.

For the first time, the 1995 Awards were open to the public. They were held in Hamilton and celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Junos. To mark this special occasion, a big music collection called Oh What a Feeling: A Vital Collection of Canadian Music was released. It had 77 songs by Canadian artists from the 1960s to the 1990s. This collection sold over one million copies!

In 2002, the Juno Awards moved their TV broadcast from CBC to CTV. In 2006, the Junos were shown internationally for the first time. They were broadcast on MTV2 in the United States and other MTV channels around the world. This meant about 250 million people could watch the show!

The Allan Waters Humanitarian Award was started in 2006. It honors people who do great things for others. The first artist to receive this award was Bruce Cockburn. At the 2007 ceremony, host Nelly Furtado made history. She was the first person nominated for many awards to win every single one she was up for. This included the top awards like Album of the Year and Artist of the Year.

On April 18, 2017, it was announced that the ceremonies would return to CBC. The goal was to promote Canadian music all year long. The 2020 event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. However, it was later replaced by an online ceremony on June 29. On March 7, 2025, all honors given to Buffy Sainte-Marie were taken back by CARAS. This happened after she confirmed she was not a Canadian citizen.

The Juno Trophy

Shania Twain holds a 2011 Juno Award trophy.

The very first Juno trophies were made by Stan Klees in 1970. They were made of walnut wood and looked like a metronome. When CBC started showing the awards on TV in 1975, the trophy was made from acrylic instead of wood. It still kept its metronome shape. Over the years, the trophy was made a bit smaller to be easier to hold. It also had small changes to its design, like a special symbol for the 25th anniversary in 1996.

In 2000, the trophy was redesigned. A new trophy was chosen. It featured a glass human figure with a spiral shape around it. This spiral looked like a musical staff, which is used to write music. The new trophy stood on an aluminum base.

In October 2010, CARAS showed off another new award design. This new design, used from 2011 onwards, was a solid crystal tower. Inside the crystal, there was a laser-engraved image of a spiral-wrapped human figure. It looked similar to the previous trophy.

How Juno Winners Are Chosen

The types of awards and their descriptions can change each year. This happens as the music industry changes. In 1964, there were 16 award types. By 2017, there were 42!

Who Can Be Nominated?

Judging panels are different every year. They include people from various parts of the music industry and from all over Canada. A special committee checks each award type. They make sure all submitted music meets the rules.

To be nominated, music must have been released during a specific time period. This period usually lasts for 13 to 14 months. It ends in mid-November before the awards show. For example, for the 2010 Juno Awards, music released from September 1, 2008, to November 13, 2009, was eligible. Musicians or their teams send their music to CARAS for the right award categories. Most awards can only go to Canadians. These are people who have lived in Canada for the last six months of the eligibility period. They must be Canadian by birth, passport, or immigration status.

How Voting Works

After the submission period ends, CARAS members vote to create a list of nominees for most categories. For awards like Album of the Year and International Album of the Year, sales numbers help decide the nominees. For others, like New Artist of the Year or Rock Album of the Year, sales and a jury vote are used.

Once the nominees are announced, another round of voting happens to pick the winners. The Juno Fan Choice Award is special because the public can vote for it. Voting for this award closes after the first hour of the TV show. For most other categories, only CARAS members can vote. Winners in specific music styles or special categories are chosen by special CARAS juries.

Juno Awards Ceremonies

The Juno Awards events were only held in Toronto until 1991. Since then, the ceremonies have traveled all across Canada. They have been held on both the East and West coasts. However, the provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and the Territories have not yet hosted the Junos. In recent years, the host cities often have many other events and festivals around the awards week.

Live Performances at the Junos

Since 1975, when the CBC started showing the Junos on TV, live music performances have been a big part of the show. The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was also started in 1978. Here are some of the artists who have performed and those who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Juno Award Categories

The Juno Awards have many different categories. Some awards are for all types of music, while others are for specific styles.

General Awards

These awards are not limited to one type of music:

• The Artist of the Year award goes to the best individual performer.
• The Group of the Year award is given to the best music group.
• The Album of the Year award celebrates a full music album. It goes to the performer, featured artists, songwriters, and/or the production team.
• The Single of the Year award is for the songwriter(s) of one song.
• The Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year award is for a new artist or group. They must have released their first recording that made them publicly known during the past year.

Other awards are given for performances and production in specific music styles. There are also awards for things like album artwork and music videos. Special awards are given for artists who have made long-lasting contributions to the music industry. The names of some awards have changed over the years. For example, in 2003, many awards changed from "Best..." to "... of the Year."

Since 2015, only a few awards are presented during the main TV show. These include Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Fan Choice Award. The Minister of Canadian Heritage often presents the Breakthrough Artist and Breakthrough Group awards.

In 2016, two new awards were added for roots music. This was to make sure different styles of roots music didn't compete in the same category.

Awards by Music Style

Here are some of the different music styles that have their own Juno Awards:

• Pop
  • Pop Album of the Year
• Dance/Electronic
  • Dance Recording of the Year
  • Underground Dance Single of the Year
  • Electronic Album of the Year
• Contemporary Instrumental & Composing
  • Instrumental Album of the Year
• Rock
  • Rock Album of the Year
  • Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year
• Alternative & Contemporary
  • Alternative Album of the Year
  • Adult Alternative Album of the Year
  • Adult Contemporary Album of the Year
• R&B
  • Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
  • Contemporary R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
• Rap
  • Rap Single of the Year
  • Rap Album/EP of the Year
• Country
  • Country Album of the Year
• Jazz
  • Jazz Album of the Year – Solo
  • Jazz Album of the Year – Group
  • Vocal Jazz Album of the Year
• Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music
  • Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year
• Canadian Roots
  • Contemporary Roots Album of the Year
  • Traditional Roots Album of the Year
  • Blues Album of the Year
• Reggae
  • Reggae Recording of the Year
• Global Music
  • Global Music Album of the Year
• Children's
  • Children's Album of the Year
• Comedy
  • Comedy Album of the Year
• Engineering Field
  • Recording Engineer of the Year
• Production Field
  • Producer of the Year
• Songwriting
  • Songwriter of the Year
  • Songwriter of the Year (Non-Performer)
• Classical
  • Classical Composition of the Year
  • Classical Album of the Year – Solo
  • Classical Album of the Year — Small Ensemble
  • Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble
• Music Video/Film
  • Video of the Year
• Francophone
  • Francophone Album of the Year
• Indigenous
  • Traditional Indigenous Artist of the Year
  • Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year
• South Asian Music
  • South Asian Music Recording of the Year
• Other
  • Album Artwork of the Year
  • Juno Fan Choice Award
  • MusiCounts Teacher of the Year

Past Juno Categories

Some award categories are no longer given out:

• Juno International Achievement Award (1992-2000)
• Juno Award for International Entertainer of the Year (1989-1993)
• Juno Award for Best Selling Single (1975-1993)
• Juno Award for Music DVD of the Year (2004-2013)
• Juno Award for Traditional Jazz Album of the Year (1977-2014)
• Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo (1989-2015)
• Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Group (1989-2015)
• Breakthrough Artist of the Year & Breakthrough Group of the Year (1974-2024)
• International Album of the Year (1975-2024)

Juno Week Events

Before the main awards weekend, many events happen in the host city. This is called "Juno Week." Different places in the city host various activities throughout the week. Some of these events include:

• Juno Cup: A fun ice hockey game where musicians play against former National Hockey League players. This game raises money for MusiCounts. MusiCounts is a charity run by CARAS that supports music education.
• Juno Fan Fare: A chance for fans to meet their favorite Canadian artists.
• Juno Songwriters' Circle: Canadian songwriters share their stories and play their songs in a cozy setting. This also supports MusiCounts.
• JUNOfest: A music festival that shows off local artists at different venues in the host city.

Juno TV

Juno TV started in January 2013. It's an online channel that features videos and old content about the Juno Awards. It also highlights nominated artists and Canadian celebrities like Alanis Morissette, The Weeknd, Lights, and Rush. Juno TV adds new content every week, so there's always something to watch all year long.

See also

In Spanish: Premios Juno para niños

• Canadian Country Music Association
• Music of Canada
• Canadian hip hop
• Canadian rock
• Canadian content
• Category:Canadian rock music groups
• Category:Canadian musical groups
• List of Canadian musicians
• Category:Music festivals in Canada
• Category:Canadian record labels