EDMONTON, CANADA (CelebrityAccess) – The Canadian Recording Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) paid tribute to artists and industry veterans Saturday (March 11) at the 2023 JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Music Canada, at the Edmonton Convention Centre. The event included five performances and the presentation of 41 JUNO awards, along with the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award and the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award.
Canada’s “starboy” The Weeknd took home four awards: Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Top Album of the Year. The Canadian icon has now amassed 21 wins in just over 10 years, surpassing Celine Dion and tying Bryan Adams as the second most decorated JUNO Award winner of all time. If he wins any of the awards on Monday night’s broadcast, he will push past Adams and be second only to Anne Murray, who has 25 JUNO Awards.
Country Music manager and promoter Ron Sakamoto was awarded the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for his contributions to music and the artists who create it. Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) was presented with the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award for his role in the MusiCounts TD Community Music Program, which sent $3.9 million to community groups and non profits since 2013.
Five performances elevated the evening: Alberta pop songstress and 2023 nominee for Breakthrough Artist of the Year Presented by FACTOR, The Government of Canada and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters Devon Cole; this year’s co-winner for Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year Presented by CBC Music, Dylan Sinclair; Instrumental Album of the Year nominee Jean-Michel Blais; and 2023 winner’s of Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year, The Bearhead Sisters. Corb Lund along with The Sadies, who took home the JUNO for Adult Alternative Album of the Year* and Shannon Johnson from The McDades, who were nominees for Traditional Roots Album of the Year, took the stage performing the late Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds,” during the In Memoriam tribute.
The 52nd Annual JUNO Awards Broadcast will air live across the country from Rogers Centre in Edmonton on Monday (March 13) at 8 pm EST on CBC Gen, CBC Listen, and globally CBCMusic.ca/junos.
