TORONTO (CelebrityAccess) — The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced that music industry legend Ron Sakamoto will be the recipient of the 2022 Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award.
The award is intended to recognize individuals whose work has had a substantial impact to the growth and development of the Canadian music industry. The award is named after Walt Grealis, the noted Canadian publisher and co-founder of the Juno Awards.
Born and raised in Coaldale, Alberta, Sakamoto’s career as a concert promoter and manager has put him at the forefront of the Nation’s live music business, having worked with recording artists such as Shania Twain, The Guess Who, Bryan Adams, Bee Gees, KISS, and Keith Urban, among others.
“When you love what you do, you forget that you’re working,” said Ron Sakamoto. “I am so fortunate to have had such a fulfilling career working with both international acts and homegrown Canadian talent for the last 50 years. Year-over-year, it’s incredible to watch Canada’s country music scene evolve and make waves globally.”
Sakamota will be presented with the award at the 2023 JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Music Canada on Saturday, March 11.
Canadians from coast-to-coast can tune into the event livestream at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MT on Saturday, March 11 via CBCMusic.ca/junos, CBC Gem and CBC Music’s Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube pages.
Past winners of the Walt Grealis Award include Donald K. Tarleton, Gary Slaight, and CelebrityAccess’ own Larry LeBlanc.
CARAS also announced plans to induct Canadian rock legends Nickelback into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as part of the 2023 JUNO Awards.
Comprised of Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Ryan Peake and Daniel Adair, Nickelback has produced an impressive collection 23 chart-topping singles and more than 10 billion collective streams globally to date, on the strength of singles such as “Some Day”, “Savin’ Me”, and “How You Remind Me.”
“Returning home to Alberta, where everything started for us, is truly a full circle, milestone moment for the band,” said Chad Kroeger, Nickelback frontman. “We take so much pride in our Canadian roots and are extremely humbled by this honour.”
“A true Canadian success story, with 12 JUNO awards on their mantles already, Nickelback’s upcoming induction is a testament to the role they’ve played in shaping the country’s rock music history,” added Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards. ”For more than two decades, we’ve watched them grow from a local indie band to globally renowned rockstars. On March 13, we’ll acknowledge how exceptional this career trajectory really is.”
