Award show’s 2017 edition boasts new talent, unforgettable legends
The 2017 Juno Awards in Ottawa were characterized by passionate performances and moving moments.
The awards broadcast, held at the Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday, was hosted by rock icon Bryan Adams and comedian Russell Peters. The co-hosts spent much of the night playfully ribbing each other, with Peters notably questioning Adams’ choice to perform 2015 single “You Belong to Me” instead of an older hit.
Of course, Adams’ rocking performance quickly proved the comedian wrong.
The highest honours of the weekend were awarded to Canadian legends Leonard Cohen and The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie.
The late Leonard Cohen was awarded Artist of the Year (which seems like a bit of an understatement) as well as Album of the Year for the excellent You Want it Darker.
Downie won Alternative Album of the Year as well as Songwriter of the Year for Secret Path, with The Hip taking home Rock Album of the Year as well as Group of the Year,
Downie’s touching pre-recorded acceptance speech placed a firm focus on Indigenous issues, while The Hip scored one of the night’s most memorable moments as they resisted the wrap-up music: “This is my arena, not yours!” declared guitarist Paul Langlois.
Later in the evening, alt-folk songstress Feist paid tribute to Cohen with a cover of his “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye,” which Cohen’s son Adam deemed “beautiful, touching, and understated.”
The younger Cohen, who was on-hand to accept awards on his father’s behalf, also revealed that he’d tried to recruit Feist to contribute vocals on You Want It Darker.
But those weren’t the only show-stopping moments at the 2017 Junos.
The broadcast was kicked off by a provocative number by A Tribe Called Red and experimental throat-singer Tanya Tagaq, followed by a fiery performance by Country Album of the Year nominee Dallas Smith. The “fire” here is literal as well as figurative, since the tattooed country-rocker utilized some wicked pyrotechnics.
Country-pop phenom Jess Moskaluke, who took home the award for Country Album of the Year, would later highlight Smith and herself as examples of the musical “diversity” of the genre.
Next up was the always-solid pop sensation Shawn Mendes, belting out his hit “Mercy.”
Eighteen-year-old Mendes, who is gaining a reputation as one of the nicest guys on the Canadian music scene, would later win the Fan Choice Award—his first ever Juno. The award was fitting, considering he credits “the energy of the fans” for motivating his performances.
.@ShawnMendes credits the “energy of the fans” for the power of his performances. #JUNOS pic.twitter.com/bd2nNQoieT
— Madison McSweeney (@MMcSw13) April 3, 2017
Alternative Album of the Year winners July Talk turned in an energetic performance of “Picturing Love,” which featured lead vocalists Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay making the most of the large stage.“You don’t even notice you’re playing,” reflected Dreimanis on their profile-raising performance. “You just black out. Not in a bad way.”
Another highlight of the broadcast was The Strumbellas performing their delightfully catchy folk-pop hit “Spirits.” In what may have been the biggest coup of the weekend, the self-described “quirky” group beat out Drake and the Weeknd for Single of the Year.
Lead singer Simon Ward even showed up shoeless to the post-awards scrum on Saturday, having been so assured of a loss that he removed them during the non-televised gala.
“My wife said, ‘You should put on your shoes,’ (but I said) ‘We’re not gonna win, it’s all good,’” he recounted.
“What we’ve heard is that, if you beat Drake you become Drake” –@thestrumbellas @The_Fulcrum #JUNOS pic.twitter.com/Jxuk4lfpNk
— Madison McSweeney (@MMcSw13) April 1, 2017
The two best performances on Sunday night came from Rock Album of the Year nominees Billy Talent, who paid tribute to Gord Downie during their incendiary performance of “Afraid of Heights,” and Arkells, who brought out a gospel choir to back them up on “Drake’s Dad.”
Drake’s real-life dad, who appeared in the video for the track, was unfortunately unable to witness the spectacle: “We actually invited Dennis (Graham) to be here, but he has to shoot a commercial,” explained lead singer Max Kerman.
The nostalgic but forward-looking tone of the ceremony was summed up by the evening’s final performance, which saw the night’s performers join Bryan Adams for a “Summer of ‘69” sing-along.
Overall, the 2017 Junos mixed spectacle with reflection, and struck a perfect balance between honouring Canadian legends while showcasing the potential of younger artists.
To see a full list of this year’s winners, please visit the Junos’ official website.
