The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CBC celebrated a golden anniversary this evening at the 50th Annual JUNO Awards Broadcast, Canada’s biggest night in music. The awards were broadcast nationwide on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen and globally on CBCMusic.ca/junos. The highly anticipated event featured show-stopping performances from some of the country’s brightest music stars and appearances from the nation’s most recognizable personalities.
Both new and notable artists were celebrated for their excellence and took home some of JUNO Weekend’s most prized awards. Following his three major wins announced Friday night at the 2021 JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Music Canada, The Weeknd also won Artist of the Year Presented by SiriusXM Canada and Album of the Year Presented by Music Canada during the broadcast, taking home an impressive total of five JUNO Awards this year. This brings his overall total to fifteen JUNO Awards, making The Weeknd the sixth most awarded artist in JUNO history.
Global superstar Justin Bieber walked away with the award for Pop Album of the Year Presented by CBC Music for his record-breaking album Changes and graced viewers with a knockout performance of his hit “Somebody”.
Shawn Mendes took home the coveted JUNO Fan Choice Presented by Freedom Mobile. For the first time this year, Canadians were given the option to vote on TikTok as the official voting platform. This marks the third time Mendes has won JUNO Fan Choice, bringing his total JUNO count to an impressive 11 awards.
One of Canada’s most buzzworthy talents, R&B singer Savannah Ré, took home Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year Presented by ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective for her single “Solid”, and emerging soulful singer-songwriter JP Saxe was awarded Breakthrough Artist of the Year Presented by FACTOR, The Government of Canada and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters. Saxe alsoperformed his song “Like That” and was then joined by multi-platinum recording artist and songwriter Julia Michaels with a beautiful performance of the hit song “If The World Was Ending.”
The Tragically Hip received the 2021 Humanitarian Award Presented by Music Canada, awarded to them by rock icons Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of RUSH. The band also performed alongside indie-pop star Feist with a rare rendition of “It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken.”
The night included an extremely memorable induction of legendary singer-songwriter and adored Canadian personality, Jann Arden into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, inducted by Canada’s songbird Anne Murray, and presented by TD Bank Group. Arden was honoured for her musical excellence, which has had an immeasurable impact on Canada’s music scene during the span of her 30-plus-year career. Fans were delighted with a moving performance of her hit “Good Mother” from Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre in Calgary.
Dr. Mary Piercey-Lewis from Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit, Nunavut was awarded the 2021 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award Presented by Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation.
In celebration of 50 years of Canadian music, the evening also featured spectacular performances from R&B-pop artist and three-time 2021 nominee Ali Gatie, who performed at the JUNOS for the first time alongside two-timeJUNO Award nominee Tate McRae. Now four-time JUNO Award winner Jessie Reyez, who won Music Video of the Year on Friday night gave a soulful performance of her hits “Do You Love Her” and “Before Love Came To Kill Us” and JUNO Award winner William Prince entertained viewers with six-time JUNO Award winner Serena Ryder, performing “The Spark”.
During a special celebration and tribute to the 30th anniversary of the JUNO Rap Recording of the Year category, hip hop pioneer Michie Mee, two-time JUNO Award winner Maestro Fresh Wes joined four-time JUNO Award winner Kardinal Offishall and two-time JUNO Award winner, multiple JUNO Award nominee and R&B/Soul artist Jully Black, eight-time JUNO Award nominee NAV, and 2019 Polaris Music Prize winner Haviah Mighty, in a special performance and presentation that paidhomage to the influence the genre has had on the Canadian rap scene.
The evening’s stellar roster of notable presenters included: actor and comedian Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience, Run the Burbs); TikTok sensations The Basement Gang; Indigenous activist and Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Buffy Sainte-Marie; Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson; Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Gordon Lightfoot; Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy; record producer, DJ, and winner of the 2021 JUNO for Dance Recording of the Year KAYTRANADA; legendary R&B and soul singer Liberty Silver; Arkells’ lead singer Max Kerman; 14-time JUNO Award winner Michael Bublé; country music artist Paul Brandt; multi-platinum singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan; Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee and country music icon, Shania Twain; Minister of Canadian Heritage The Honourable Steven Guilbeault;Nunavut’s first JUNO Award winning Inuk artist Susan Aglukark and Canadian actor, producer and Freedom Mobile’s spokesperson Will Arnett.
Fans can rewatch every performance and memorable moment from the anniversary broadcast, on CBC Gem, and CBC Music’s and The JUNO Awards social channels.
The 2021 JUNO Awards Broadcast is produced by Insight Productions in association with CBC and The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). Executive Producers are John Brunton for Insight Productions, Allan Reid and Mark Cohon for CARAS and Lindsay Cox is Executive Producer/Creative, Insight Productions. For CBC, Sally Catto General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content;Susan Taylor is Executive in Charge of Production and Development, Factual Entertainment; Steve Jordan is Senior Director, CBC Music; Lisa Clarkson is Executive Director, Business & Rights and Content Optimization; Maya Kane is Executive Director, Communications, Marketing, Brand & Research.
Award Sponsors: Traditional R&B / Soul Recording of the Year Presented by ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective, Pop Album of the Year Presented by CBC Music, Breakthrough Artist of the Year Presented by FACTOR, The Government of Canada and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters, JUNO Fan Choice Presented by Freedom Mobile, Album of the Year Presented by Music Canada, Humanitarian Award Presented by Music Canada, Artist of the Year Presented by SiriusXM Canada and Canadian Music Hall ofFame Inductee Award Presentation Presented by TD Bank Group
