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The Juno Awards
Juno Awards logo.svg
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. The awards were first known as the Gold Leaf Awards. The very first ceremony was held on February 23, 1970. It honored the best music from 1969. New members are also added to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the Juno Awards.

What are the Juno Awards?

The Juno Awards are named after 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). The Junos are like Canada's version of the Grammy Awards in the United States.

How the Junos Started

In 1964, a music magazine called RPM started asking its readers to vote for the best Canadian artists. They would announce the winners in December. But there was no big party or ceremony.

A record label owner named Stan Klees and RPM founder Walt Grealis wanted to change that. They decided to create a formal awards show. The first show was called the Gold Leaf Awards. It happened on February 23, 1970, in Toronto, Ontario.

Later that year, RPM asked readers for new names for the awards. Someone suggested "Juneau," to honor Pierre Juneau. He helped create rules that made sure Canadian radio stations played more Canadian music. This name was shortened to "Juno," and by 1971, the awards were officially called the "Juno Awards."

At first, the winners were announced before the awards night. But starting in 1974, the winners were kept secret until the ceremony. A group of music industry people formed a committee to help with the Junos. This group later became the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). CARAS took over running the Juno Awards in 1977.

Junos on TV

The Juno Awards were first shown on TV across Canada in 1975. CBC Television broadcasted the show until 2001. Then, the show moved to CTV Television Network from 2002 to 2017. Since 2018, the Junos have been back on CBC.

In 1978, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame was created. In 1979, the award trophy was officially named the Juno Award. Canada's Prime Minister at the time, Pierre Trudeau, even helped present an award!

Junos Through the Years

1980s and 1990s

In 1982, famous singer Joni Mitchell was added to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

For a while, the awards were held at different times of the year. In 1984, they were moved to December. But because fewer people were watching, CARAS decided to move the awards back to earlier in the year. So, the 1988 awards were postponed until March 12, 1989. This meant there was no ceremony in 1988.

In 1991, the Junos 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.

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

2000s and Beyond

In 2002, the Juno Awards moved from CBC to CTV. In 2006, the Junos were shown internationally for the first time on MTV channels. This meant about 250 million people could watch the show!

A new award, the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award, was created in 2006. It honors people who use their music to help others. Bruce Cockburn was the first artist to receive this award.

At the 2007 ceremony, host Nelly Furtado made history. She won every award she was nominated for, including Album of the Year and Artist of the Year.

In 2017, CARAS announced that the Junos would return to CBC. The goal was to promote Canadian music all year round. The 2020 event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. However, an online ceremony was held on June 29 instead.

The Juno Trophy

ShaniaTwainJunoAwardsMar2011
Shania Twain holds a 2011 Juno Award trophy.

Stan Klees designed the first Juno trophies in 1970. They were made of walnut wood and looked like a metronome, which is a tool musicians use to keep time. When the CBC started showing the awards in 1975, the trophies were made of acrylic but still kept the metronome shape.

Over the years, the trophy changed a little. It became smaller to make it easier to hold. In 2000, the trophy was redesigned because some people thought it didn't look good on TV. A new design was chosen, featuring a glass human figure with a spiral shape around it. This spiral was like a musical staff.

In 2010, a new trophy design was introduced. It was a solid crystal tower with a laser-engraved spiral figure inside. This new design is still used today.

How Winners are Chosen

The types of awards and their descriptions can change each year. This helps the Junos keep up with new trends in the music industry. For example, in 1964, there were 16 categories, but in 2017, there were 42!

Different judges from all over Canada's music industry help choose the winners each year. An advisory committee makes sure that all submitted songs and albums meet the rules for each award.

To be nominated, music must have been released within a specific time period. Canadian artists must have lived in Canada for at least six months of that period.

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

Once the nominees are announced, another round of voting happens to pick the winners. For the Juno Fan Choice Award, anyone can vote! But for most other awards, only CARAS members can vote. Special juries choose the winners for specific music genres. An accounting company checks all the votes to make sure everything is fair.

Juno Awards Ceremonies

The Juno Awards were only held in Toronto until 1991. Since then, the ceremonies have traveled all across Canada, from coast to coast. However, the provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and the Canadian Territories have not hosted the Junos yet. In recent years, the host cities often have many other events and festivals around the awards show.

Juno Awards Dates and Locations
Year Date Venue City Host(s) Network Ref.
1970 23 February St. Lawrence Hall Toronto George Wilson None
1971 22 February
1972 28 February Inn on the Park
1973 12 March CBC Radio
1974 25 March None
1975 24 March Canadian National Exhibition Paul Anka CBC Television
1976 15 March Ryerson Polytechnic Institute John Allan Cameron
1977 16 March Royal York Hotel David Steinberg
1978 29 March Harbour Castle Hilton David Steinberg
1979 21 March Burton Cummings
1980 2 April
1981 5 February O'Keefe Centre Frank Mills with Ginette Reno/Ronnie Hawkins with Carroll Baker/Andrea Martin with John Candy
1982 14 April Harbour Castle Hilton Burton Cummings None
1983 5 April Burton Cummings and Alan Thicke CBC Television
1984 5 December Exhibition Place Joe Flaherty and Andrea Martin
1985 4 November Harbour Castle Hilton Andrea Martin and Martin Short
1986 10 November Howie Mandel
1987 2 November O'Keefe Centre
1988 Not held
1989 12 March O'Keefe Centre Toronto Andre-Philippe Gagnon CBC Television
1990 18 March Rick Moranis
1991 3 March Queen Elizabeth Theatre Vancouver Paul Shaffer
1992 29 March O'Keefe Centre Toronto Rick Moranis
1993 21 March Celine Dion
1994 20 March Roch Voisine
1995 26 March Copps Coliseum Hamilton This Hour Has 22 Minutes cast
1996 10 March Anne Murray
1997 9 March Jann Arden
1998 22 March General Motors Place Vancouver Jason Priestley; Shari Ulrich & Bill Henderson (off-air awards hosts)
1999 7 March Copps Coliseum Hamilton Mike Bullard
2000 12 March SkyDome Toronto The Moffatts
2001 4 March Copps Coliseum Hamilton Rick Mercer
2002 14 April Mary Brown's Centre St. John's Barenaked Ladies CTV Television Network
2003 6 April Corel Centre Ottawa Shania Twain
2004 4 April Rexall Place Edmonton Alanis Morissette
2005 3 April MTS Centre Winnipeg Brent Butt
2006 2 April Halifax Metro Centre Halifax Pamela Anderson
2007 1 April Credit Union Centre Saskatoon Nelly Furtado
2008 6 April Pengrowth Saddledome Calgary Russell Peters
2009 29 March General Motors Place Vancouver
2010 18 April Mary Brown's Centre St. John's Various
2011 27 March Air Canada Centre Toronto Drake
2012 1 April Scotiabank Place Ottawa William Shatner
2013 21 April Brandt Centre Regina Michael Bublé
2014 30 March MTS Centre Winnipeg Classified, Johnny Reid, and Serena Ryder
2015 15 March FirstOntario Centre Hamilton Jacob Hoggard
2016 3 April Scotiabank Saddledome Calgary Jann Arden and Jon Montgomery
2017 2 April Canadian Tire Centre Ottawa Bryan Adams and Russell Peters
2018 25 March Rogers Arena Vancouver Michael Bublé
2019 17 March Budweiser Gardens London Sarah McLachlan
2020 29 June N/A Virtual Odario Williams and Damhnait Doyle CBC Gem
2021 6 June Rebel Nightclub Toronto Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe CBC Television
2022 15 May Budweiser Stage Simu Liu
2023 13 March Rogers Place Edmonton
2024 24 March Scotiabank Centre Halifax Nelly Furtado
2025 30 March Rogers Arena Vancouver

Live Performances and Hall of Fame

Since 1975, when the CBC started televising the Junos, live music performances have been a big part of the show. The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was started in 1978. Many famous artists have performed at the Junos or been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Juno Awards Performances/Canadian Music Hall of Fame Inductee(s)
Year Date Performers
1975 24 March Paul Anka, Susan Jacks, Andy Kim, Diane King, Anne Murray, The Stampeders
1976 15 March Caroll Baker, Dan Hill, Valdy
1977 16 March Caroll Baker, Keith Barrie, André Gagnon, Patsy Gallant, Lavender Hill Mob, Colleen Peterson/ Al Cherney, THP Orchestra, Ian Tyson
1978 29 March Burton Cummings, Lisa Dal Bello, Patsy Gallant, The Good Brothers, Dan Hill, Robbie and Cheryl Ray, Rush, Grant Smith, Oscar Peterson, Guy Lombardo
1979 21 March Claudja Barry, Chilliwack, Burton Cummings, Nick Gilder, Ginette Reno/Boss Brass, Touloise, Gino Vannelli, Ronnie Prophet/Myrna Lorrie/Mercey Brothers/Roxanne Goday
1980 2 April Caroll Baker, Burton Cummings, France Jolie, Gordon Lightfoot, Frank Mills, Murray McLauchlan, Carole Pope, Rough Trade, Max Webster
1981 5 February Caroll Baker, Patrice Black, John Candy, Ronnie Hawkins, Andrea Martin, Frank Mills, Powder Blues Band, Ginette Reno, Graham Shaw, Diane Tell, Shari Ulrich
1982 14 April Liona Boyd, Chilliwack, Burton Cummings, B. B. Gabor, Ronnie Hawkins, Rough Trade, Rovers
1983 5 April Claude Dubois, Family Brown, Gordon Lightfoot, Loverboy, The Nylons, David Roberts, The Spoons
1984 5 December The Parachute Club, Honeymoon Suite, Jane Siberry, Bob Schneider, Platinum Blonde, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Sherry Kean, Diane Tell, Véronique Béliveau
1985 4 November David Foster, Bryan Adams, Tina Turner, k.d. lang, Lube, Canadian Brass, Kim Mitchell, Liberty Silver
1986 10 November Corey Hart, Luba, Honeymoon Suite, Glass Tiger, Gordon Lightfoot, Kim Mitchell, Martine St. Clair, Liberty Silver, Glen Ricketts, Billy Newton-Davis, Kenny Hamilton, Erroll Starr
1987 2 November Gino Vannelli, The Nylons, Rock and Hyde, Lube, Gowan, Celine Dion, The Partland Brothers, Erroll Starr, Kim Richardson
1988 No awards
1989 12 March Tom Cochrane and Red Rider, Crowded House, Glass Tiger, Jeff Healey Band, Colin James, k.d lang and the Reclines, Rita MacNeil, The Band, Blue Rodeo
1990 18 March Cowboy Junkies with special guest Lyle Lovett, Jeff Healey Band (with special guests), Maestro Fresh-Wes, Kim Mitchell, Alannah Myles, Rod Stewart, Milli Vanilli
1991 3 March Alias, Blue Rodeo, Celine Dion, MC Hammer, Colin James, The Northern Pikes, Michelle Wright, Prairie Oyster, Leonard Cohen tribute featuring Aaron Neville, Suzanne Vega and Jennifer Warnes
1992 29 March Bryan Adams, Tom Cochrane, Crash Test Dummies, George Fox, Ofra Harnoy, Loreena McKennitt, Sarah McLachlan, Ian & Sylvia Tyson tribute featuring Blue Rodeo, Molly Johnson, Kashtin, Andy Maize, Neil Osborne, Jane Siberry
1993 21 March Barenaked Ladies, Leonard Cohen, Celine Dion, Kaleefah, Rita MacNeil, Michelle Wright, One Smokin’ Hot All-Star Jazz Band Star-Studded Tribute to Anne Murray, The Tragically Hip (taped performance from Australia)
1994 20 March Blue Rodeo, Celine Dion, Kanatan Aski, James Keelaghan, Colin Linden, Lawrence Martin, The Rankin Family, Snow, Roch Voisine
1995 26 March Barenaked Ladies, Crash Test Dummies, Celine Dion, David Foster, Charlie Major, Sarah McLauchlan, Moist, Prairie Oyster, Ashley MacIsaac, Colin James and The Little Big Band, Quartette Hall of Fame tribute to Buffy Sainte-Marie
1996 10 March k.d. Lang, Alanis Morissette, Our Lady Peace, Jann Arden, The Rankin Family, Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, Tom Cochrane
1997 9 March Paul Brandt, Terri Clark, Celine Dion, Maynard Ferguson, Taro Hakase, I Mother Earth, Moe Koffman, Amanda Marshall, Ashley MacIsaac, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Moist
1998 22 March Jann Arden, Denna Crott Trio, Econoline Crush, Diana Krall, Leahy, Sarah McLachlan, Ron Sexsmith, Shania Twain
1999 7 March Barenaked Ladies (via satellite from Australia); Jesse Cook with Bill Katsioutas; Arturo Avalos, Maury Lafoy and Davide Direnzo; Deborah Cox, Celine Dion featuring Hamilton Children's Choir; Colin James and the Little Big Band; Love Inc. featuring Deborah Cox; Natalie McMaster, The Moffatts, Bruno Pelletier, The Philosopher Kings, Rascalz featuring Choclair, Kardinal Offishal, Thrust, Checkmate, Sloan
2000 12 March Barenaked Ladies, Choclair, Our Lady Peace, Great Big Sea, Diana Krall, Chantal Kreviazuk, Amanda Marshall, Prozzäk, Sharon Riley & Faith Chorale, The Moffatts
2001 4 March Jann Arden, Baby Blue Soundcrew, Jully Black, Terri Clark, Choclair, Deborah Cox, Dream Warriors, Lara Fabian, Nelly Furtado, Ghetto Concept, Sarah Harmer, Maestro, Michie Mee, Snow, SoulDecision, The Guess Who, The Moffatts, Rascalz, Treble Charger, Barenaked Ladies (via satellite)
2002 14 April Barenaked Ladies, Nelly Furtado, Great Big Sea, Diana Krall, Amanda Marshall, Alanis Morissette, Nickelback, Shaggy, Sum 41, Swollen Members
2003 6 April Avril Lavigne, Blue Rodeo, Our Lady Peace, Remy Shand, Sam Roberts, Shania Twain, Swollen Members, Tom Cochrane
2004 4 April Barenaked Ladies, Billy Talent, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Michael Bublé, Kathleen Edwards, Finger Eleven, Nelly Furtado, Ben Heppner, In Essence, Avril Lavigne, Aaron Lines, Sarah McLachlan, Nickelback, Simple Plan, Three Days Grace, Whitefish Jrs.
2005 3 April Randy Bachman, Billy Talent, Burton Cummings, Feist, Fresh I.E., k-os, Chantal Kreviazuk, k.d lang, Kalan Porter, Nathan, Simple Plan, Sum 41, The Tragically Hip, The Wailin’ Jennys, The Waking Eyes
2006 6 April Bedouin Soundclash, The Black Eyed Peas, Broken Social Scene, Bryan Adams, Buck 65, Coldplay, Divine Brown, Hedley, Massari, Michael Bublé. Nickelback
2007 1 April Nelly Furtado, Alexisonfire, City and Colour, DJ Champion, Three Days Grace, Tragically Hip, k-os, Billy Talent, Gregory Charles
2008 6 April Avril Lavigne, Feist, Finger Eleven, Hedley, Jully Black, Measha Brueggergosman, Paul Brandt, Aaron Lines, Shane Yellowbird, Johnny Reid, George Canyon, Gord Bamford, Anne Murray, Sarah Brightman, Jann Arden, Michael Bublé
2009 29 March Nickelback, Divine Brown, Crystal Shawanda, Great Big Sea, Simple Plan, The Stills, Bryan Adams with Kathleen Edwards, Sam Roberts, City and Colour, ECCODEK, Sarah McLachlan, Serena Ryder, Hawksley Workman, Gord Downie
2010 18 April Justin Bieber, Drake, Billy Talent, Blue Rodeo, Michael Bublé, Great Lake Swimmers, K'naan, Classified, Metric, Johnny Reid
2011 27 March Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Chromeo, Down With Webster, Hedley, Johnny Reid, Sarah McLachlan
2012 1 April Blue Rodeo, City and Colour, deadmau5, Feist, Hey Rosetta!, Anjulie, Dallas Green, Sarah McLachlan and Jim Cuddy, K'Naan with Simple Plan
2013 21 April Coachella, Carly Rae Jepsen, Michael Bublé, Serena Ryder, Billy Talent, The Sheepdogs, Hannah Georgas, Classified with David Myles
2014 30 March Arcade Fire via pre-taped segment, Tegan and Sara, OneRepublic, Sarah McLachlan, The Sheepdogs with Matt Mays and Tim Hicks and Travis Good, Classified, Serena Ryder, Robin Thicke, Walk Off The Earth, Brett Kissel, Dean Brody, Gord Bamford
2015 15 March Arkells, deadmau5, Hedley, Kiesza, Lights, Magic!, Shawn Mendes, Alanis Morissette, Sam Roberts Band
2016 3 April Buffy Sainte-Marie, Lights, Alessia Cara, Bryan Adams, Coleman Hell, Dean Brody, Dear Rouge, Scott Helman, Shawn Hook, Shawn Mendes, The Weeknd, and Whitehorse
2017 2 April Alessia Cara featuring Zedd, Arkells, A Tribe Called Red, Billy Talent, Bryan Adams, Dallas Smith, July Talk, Ruth B., Shawn Mendes, The Strumbellas, and Sarah McLachlan.
2018 25 March Sarah Harmer, Kevin Hearn and City and Colour; Arkells, Daniel Caesar, Diana Krall with guest Michael Bublé, Felix Cartal, Jessie Reyez, Lights, Shawn Hook, The Jerry Cans, Arcade Fire, Northern Touch Allstars: Rascalz, Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall, Thrust and Choclair; Barenaked Ladies and Steven Page with original member Andy Creeggan joined by friends Jann Arden, Jim Cuddy, The Jerry Cans, City & Colour, Eric McCormack
2019 17 March Arkells, Bahamas, NAV, Sarah McLachlan, Cœur de pirate and Loud, Corey Hart, Jeremy Dutcher with Blake Pouliot, Loud Luxury and The Reklaws.
2020 29 June Alessia Cara, iskwē, Neon Dreams and The Dead South
2021 6 June Justin Bieber, JP Saxe and Julia Michaels, Michie Mee, Maestro Fresh Wes, Kardinal Offishall, Jully Black, Nav, Jann Arden, Ali Gatie with Tate McRae, William Prince with Serena Ryder, Jessie Reyez, The Tragically Hip with Feist
2022 15 May Arkells, Tesher, Lauren Spencer-Smith, Haviah Mighty, Charlotte Cardin, Mustafa, Avril Lavigne, DJ Shub & Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Deborah Cox, bbno$ and Arcade Fire
2023 13 March Tate McRae, AP Dhillon, Tenille Townes, Alexisonfire, Aysanabee with Northern Cree, Bank & Ranx with Preston Pablo, Rêve, Jessie Reyez, Michie Mee, Dream Warriors, Choclair, TOBi and Nickelback

Juno Award Categories

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

  • The Artist of the Year award goes to the best solo performer.
  • The Album of the Year award is for the best full music album. It honors the performer, songwriters, and production team.
  • The Single of the Year award is given to the songwriters of a single song.
  • The Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Breakthrough Group of the Year awards are for new artists or groups who are just starting to become famous.

Other awards celebrate different music styles, like pop, rock, hip hop, and country. There are also awards for things like album artwork and music videos. Special awards are given to people who have made a big impact on the music industry over many years.

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

In 2016, two new categories were added for folk and roots music: Contemporary Roots Album of the Year and Traditional Roots Album of the Year. This helps make sure different types of roots music don't compete against each other.

Music Genre 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: Instrumental Album of the Year
  • Rock: Rock Album of the Year, Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year
  • Alternative: Alternative Album of the Year, Adult Alternative 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
  • Francophone: Francophone Album of the Year
  • Indigenous: Traditional Indigenous Artist of the Year, Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year
  • International: International Album of the Year

Other Awards

  • Composing: Instrumental Album of the Year
  • Engineering: Recording Engineer of the Year
  • Production: Producer of the Year
  • Songwriting: Songwriter of the Year
  • 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
  • Artwork: Album Artwork of the Year
  • Education: MusiCounts Teacher of the Year

Juno Week Events

Before the main awards show on the weekend, there are several fun events held in the host city. This is called "Juno Week." These events include:

  • Juno Cup: A hockey game where musicians play against former National Hockey League players. It raises money for MusiCounts, a charity that supports music education.
  • Juno Fan Fare: A chance for fans to meet their favorite Canadian artists.
  • Juno Songwriters' Circle: Songwriters share their stories and play their music in a smaller, more personal setting. This also supports MusiCounts.
  • JUNOfest: A music festival that features local artists performing at different places around the host city.

Juno TV

Juno TV started in 2013. It's a digital channel that shows videos and old clips about the Juno Awards and Canadian artists. You can find new content every week, all year long.

See also

Kids robot.svg 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
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