TORONTO (CelebrityAccess) – The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) honored artists and industry leaders Saturday night (May 14) at the JUNO Opening Night Awards, which took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Co-hosted by Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe (The Block) and Ann Pornel (The Great Canadian Baking Show), the industry event saw the presentation of 41 JUNO awards, along with five performances and The Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award, the Humanitarian Award (Music Canada), and the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award (Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation).
Montreal’s pop/electronic sensation, Charlotte Cardin, took the lead this year with three awards: Single of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Pop Album of the Year. Chart-topping singer-songwriter The Weeknd followed with two awards for Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Both Charlotte Cardin and The Weeknd are nominated for this year’s TikTok JUNO Fan Choice Award, which will be presented at the 51st Annual JUNO Awards Broadcast.
One of the most admired voices in Canada’s Black entertainment community, Denise Jones was posthumously awarded the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award. Accepting the award on behalf of Denise were her two sons, Jesse and Jerimi. Three-time JUNO Award winner, Susan Aglukark, was recognized with the 2022 Humanitarian Award. Aglukark was honored for her commitment to improving the lives of children and youth in Northern Indigenous communities. Dallas Green was awarded the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award for his unwavering support and music education advocacy.
The evening’s celebrations spotlight Canada’s emerging and rising talent, with 24 first-time winners taking home JUNO awards. For a complete list of winners at the JUNO Opening Night Awards, go to Junoawards.ca.
Five cross-genre performances occurred during the awards, including Francophone Album of the Year nominee Roxane Bruneau; Alternative Album of the Year nominee Ruby Waters; Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class shortlist artist Jesse Gold; two-time JUNO Award nominees VALLEY and JUNO Award winner Allison Russell, who moved audiences with her In Memoriam tribute.
The 51st Annual JUNO Awards Broadcast will be live for the first time from outdoor venue Budweiser Stage in Toronto, broadcast and streamed live Sunday night (May 15) at 8 p.m. ET on CBC Gem, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos, and CBC Music’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.
