The 2023 Juno Awards kicked off Saturday in Edmonton, where 40 awards are being handed out to Canada’s top musical artists.
The ceremony — which comes ahead of Monday night’s main event, a live broadcast hosted by Marvel actor Simu Liu — was emceed by Run The Burbs star and co-creator Andrew Phung and CBC Music radio host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe.
Tenille Townes, who won the evening’s first award — country album of the year for Masquerades — spoke backstage, recalling the first time she attended the Juno Awards 19 years ago as an audience member. She said she dreamt of being onstage one day.
“[I] watched and just dreamed of how cool it could be to be a part of the show someday, so I’m feeling all the full-circle vibes,” she said.
Other early winners included Montreal singer-songwriter Rêve, and producer duo Banx and Ranx.
“I was waiting for that!” she said of her fellow Montreal musicians. “We’re so freaking proud of each other. And they just took home a Juno. So we love, we love that.”
Saturday’s festivities include performances from artists Dylan Sinclair, Devon Cole, Jean-Michel Blais and the evening opened with a performance by The Bearhead Sisters. The in memoriam segment of the show will feature a joint performance from Corb Lund, The Sadies and Shannon Johnson.
CBC News will be updating this story with winners throughout the evening.
Country album of the year:
Tenille Townes, Masquerades
High Valley, Way Back
Jade Eagleson, Honkytonk Revival
Orville Peck, Bronco
The Reklaws, Good Ol’ Days
Underground dance single of the year:
Greg Gow, I Knew Techno
Bensley, Debonair
Blond:ish and Cameron Jack, Aye Aye
Fred Everything, The Time Is (Now)
Tiga, Easy
Jazz album of the year:
Renee Rosnes, Kinds of Love,
Ernesto Cervini, Joy
Lauren Falls, A Little Louder Now
Luis Deniz, El Tinajon
Rafael Zaldivar, Rumba
Adult alternative album of the year:
The Sadies, Colder Streams
Altameda, Born Losers
Basia Bulat, The Garden
Dan Mangan, Being Somewhere
The Weather Station, How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars
Dance recording of the year:
Rêve, Ctrl + Alt + Del
Bob Moses and Kasablanca, Afterglow
Grimes, Shinigami Eyes
Loud Luxury feat. Kiddo, These Nights
Rezz, Spiral
Contemporary roots album of the year:
The Bros. Landreth, Come Morning
Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, O Glory
Fortunate Ones, That Was You and Me
Shakura S’Aida, Hold on to Love
The East Pointers, House of Dreams
International album of the year:
Harry Styles, Harry’s House
Ed Sheeran, =
Lil Nas X, Montero
Taylor Swift, Midnights
Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)
Contemporary Indigenous artist or group of the year:
Digging Roots, Zhawenim
Aysanabee, Watin
Indian City, Code Red
Julian Taylor, Beyond the Reservoir
Susan Aglukark, The Crossing
Breakthrough group of the year:
Banx & Ranx
Harm & Ease
Rare Americans
Tommy Lefroy
Wild Rivers
Traditional Indigenous artist or group of the year:
The Bearhead Sisters, Unbreakable
Cikwes, kâkîsimo ᑳᑮᓯᒧᐤ
Iva & Angu, Katajjausiit
Joel Wood, Mikwanak Kamôsakinat
Northern Cree, Ôskimacîtahowin: A New Beginning
Adult contemporary album of the year:
Michael Bublé, Higher
Francois Klark, Adventure Book
Jann Arden, Descendant
Marc Jordan & Amy Sky, He Sang She Sang
Tyler Shaw, A Tyler Shaw Christmas
Classical album of the year (small ensemble):
Elinor Frey and Rosa Barocca, conducted by Claude Lapalme, Early Italian Cello Concertos
Andrew Balfour and musica intima, Nagamo
ARC Ensemble, Hemsi: Chamber Works
Collectif9, Vagues et ombres
Suzie LeBlanc, Marie Nadeau-Tremblay, Vincent Lauzer, and Sylvain Bergeron, De la cour de Louis XIV à Shippagan! Chants traditionnels acadiens et airs de cour du XVIIe siècle
Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award:
Ron Sakamoto
Reggae recording of the year:
Kirk Diamond, Kairo McLean and Finn feat. Kairo McLean, Reggae Party
Ammoye, Water
Celena, Like a Star
Exco Levi, Jah Love
Kairo McLean, In the Streets
Classical album of the year (solo artist):
Philip Chiu, Fables
Bruce Liu, Winner of the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition Warsaw 2021
David Jalbert, Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
Isabel Bayrakdarian, La Zingarella: Through Romany Songland
James Ehnes, Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Classical album of the year (solo artist):
Philip Chiu, Fables
Bruce Liu, Winner of the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition Warsaw 2021
David Jalbert, Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
Isabel Bayrakdarian, La Zingarella: Through Romany Songland
James Ehnes, Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Traditional roots album of the year:
Pharis & Jason Romero, Tell ‘Em You Were Gold
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves, Hurricane Clarice
Le Vent du Nord, 20 printemps
Mama’s Broke, Narrow Line
The McDades, The Empress