With performances from Charlotte Cardin, Nelly Furtado, Karan Aujla, and more
On March 24, the highly-anticipated JUNO Awards presented their 53rd celebration of Canadian music, hosted at the stunning ocean-front Halifax Scotiabank Arena.
Adored and highly-acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter, Nelly Furtado, opened the ceremony with a captivating performance, highlighting and celebrating some of her most popular hits such as “Maneater”, “Say it Right” and “Fly like a Bird”. The audience seemed to be full of energy as awards began to commence, and performances continued to impress.
While many awards, such as alternative and contemporary album of the year, were presented the day before, the live show via livestream on March 23rd the most popular awards, such as album of the year and artist of the year, were saved for the main show on Sunday.
A stand-out performance from the breakout all-girl rock band, The Beaches, energized crowds with hit song “Blame Brett”. The group later went on to take home the “Group of the Year” award as well as the “rock album of the year” award.
Performances included Canadian-Punjabi star Karan Aujla, indie-rock breakthrough artist of the year; Ottawa-born singer-songwriter Talk; and the big winner of the night, Charlotte Cardin, who all took the stage and did not disappoint. The crowds were lively and loud ultimately leaving audiences and viewers with an optimistic feeling for future Canadian music.
While the star did not attend, the recent fan-favourite Calgary-born, Tate McRae took home “Single of the Year” for her hit song “Greedy”. This song was McRae’s most commercially successful single to date. McRae was also the coveted artist of the year.
At only 20 years old, McRae’s second studio album, Think Later was released in 2023, and drastically shifted McRae’s career past Canadian borders and into international stardom, earning her a generous five nominations, and two wins at the JUNOS.
The pop star potentially represents a new era of Canadian pop music, with tones of heartbreak, honesty, and empowerment, many are calling her the Canadian pop-princess, referencing Britany Spears’s iconic pop discography and performances.
While the JUNOS successfully highlighted the vast, beautiful, and seemingly endless plethora of Canadian musical talent, it’s impossible to ignore the American contrast. Bigger, better, and brighter– America is not short of extravagant celebrations of music from the iHeartRadio, Much Music Awards, VMAs, and so many more.
In this light, the JUNOS pale, missing the extravagant and over-the-top nature that American music awards shows tend to be characterized by. This is likely because of the difference in popularity between American music celebrations and the JUNOS.
However, is this truly bigger, better and brighter? Surely bigger, but better might be shortsighted. The 53rd JUNOS were a burst of energy, brimming with talent, creativity, and Canadian artistry. It’s possible the over-the-top nature of American music celebrations may be a distraction from the real purpose: celebrating music.
What many are coining the “fast-fashion” effect of the music industry, the exponentially growing use and functions of social media, might be threatening the integrity and artistry of music. Music is being created and thrown at radios and streaming platforms at a faster rate than ever before. This begs the question: is it possible to preserve the integrity of music in this era?
Performance-focused, and missing the common extravagance of American awards shows, the JUNOS served as a reminder as to the variety and vast nature of music, promoting Canadians to commemorate talent of our own and celebrate music for what it is meant to be art.
