Charlotte Cardin and The Weeknd were among the big winners at the Juno Opening Night Awards in Toronto on Saturday, as more than 40 awards were handed out in a variety of categories.
Broadcast live from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the ceremony was hosted by CBC’s The block host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe and Canadian comedian Ann Pornel. The second night of the Juno Awards will take place on Sunday night and will be broadcast live on CBC.
Montreal’s Cardin picked up three awards, including Single of the Year, Pop Album of the Year for Phoenix and artist of the year. Cardin also had the most nominations of the night.
“This is very special to me,” he said after winning the artist of the year award. “I will continue to work very hard.”
“It’s the most beautiful gift. There are no words to describe that feeling. I put out that album feeling very, very proud,” she said of her sophomore release.
Toronto singer-songwriter Mustafa, who won a Juno for Alternative Album of the Year for when the smoke risesaccepted his award acknowledging the loss of his friends in the Regent Park neighborhood.
“I wrote a record about death, I wrote a record about loss,” he said, adding that it was important to him to document this loss. He also pointed out that he is the first black Muslim winner of this category and why we should rethink “firsts.”
“Being the first of something now should be criticized rather than celebrated.”
The artist added that he is in good company within the Canadian songwriting community. “I feel so privileged to come from a legacy, or to be in a nation that has a legacy of great songwriting.”
Toronto’s The Weeknd won two awards, taking home Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year for take my breath and songwriter of the year.
The evening also featured performances by several 2022 Juno Award nominees: Roxane Bruneau, Ruby Waters, Allison Russell and indie band Valley, as well as Jesse Gold, an artist on the Allan Slaight Juno Master Class 2021-22 final list.
Honoring Canada’s Pioneers
It was also a night to recognize some of Canada’s most prolific names in music. Denise Jones, who passed away in 2020, was honored with the 2022 Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for championing Canada’s Afro-Caribbean culture.
Her sons Jerimi and Jesse, who accepted the award on her behalf, noted that their mother was the true embodiment of hope and was the reason the Junos introduced a reggae category in 1985.
“My brother and I stand before you tonight as testimonials to what love, guidance and wisdom pouring into young people looks like,” Jeremi said.
Juno Award-winning Inuk artist Susan Aglukark received the Humanitarian Award and told CBC News her songwriting and singing were healing.
Aglukark, who grew up in Nunavut, also started the Arctic Rose Foundation, bringing guest artists into schools and creating spaces for northern Inuit, First Nations and Métis children to make art in after-school programs.
“I just know how lucky I’ve been. This wasn’t the plan when I moved here, and look!”
A diverse list of winners
This year’s Juno nominees list was among the most diverse in history, with a handful of newly minted winners taking the podium to accept their awards.
R&B artist Savannah Ré won traditional R&B/soul recording of the year for the second time in a row; the category was only introduced in 2021.
She pointed to Canadian singer-songwriters Melanie Fiona and Deborah Cox as women who have helped her throughout her career.
“I am a huge fan of these women and they have been nothing but open and welcoming, so I will always do the same. I will always pay.”
Garth Prince, Namibian-Canadian musician whose album falling in africa won for children’s album of the year, grew up under apartheid in South Africa.
Songs inspired by that experience resonate with Canadians and people around the world who are losing their language and culture to colonialism, he said.
In previous Juno Awards, there was only one category for indigenous music. That award has now been split into two: one for traditional and one for contemporary.
DJ Shub, the first winner in the latter category, is an alumnus of the electronic group A Tribe Called Red.
The Mohawk artist said that his new album war club uses recordings of drummers and singers from their traditional territory, the Six Nations of the Great River.
Kairo McLean, 13, took home Reggae Recording of the Year for his album now easy. The young musician said his plan is to keep making music and “improve from here.”
“It’s really thanks to people like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh… also my dad. He’s a bass player.”
Below is a full list of winners:
Pop Album of the Year
Phoenix, charlotte cardin
Reggae Record of the Year
now easyKairo McLean
Jazz Album of the Year (Group)
Worldviewavatar
Album cover of the year
Mykael Nelson, Nicolas Lemieux, Albert Zablit
Contemporary R&B Record of the Year
take my breathWeekend
Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year
war clubDJ Shub
Jazz Album of the Year (Solo)
Change of plansWill Bonness
Classic Album of the Year (Solo Artist)
enargeiaEmily D’Angelo
Jack Richardson Producer of the Year
WondaGurl
Revelation group of the year
Monowhales
Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year
there is greater lovethe dream of colors
Classic Album of the Year (Large Ensemble)
sol-faL’Harmonie des saisons, directed by Eric Milnes with Hélène Brunet
single of the year
Without sensecharlotte cardin
Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award
denise jones
Comedy Album of the Year
grandma’s girl 姥姥的孩子, Andrea Jin 金玉琪
Dance Recording of the Year.
Cautionkaytranada
Children’s Album of the Year
falling in africaPrince Garth
Instrumental Album of the Year
that great distanceDavid Myles
Musicounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award
dallas green
Alternative Album of the Year
when the smoke risesMustafa
Classic composition of the year.
TapestryKeiko Devaux
Traditional R&B/Soul Record of the Year
24 hoursSavannah Re
rock album of the year
Sisters Not Twins (The Professional Lovers Album)Beaches
Vocal Jazz Album of the Year
Now pronouncing: Caity Gyorgy
International Album of the Year
SourOlivia Rodrigo
World Music Album of the Year
kalasoafrican soul sister
Adult Alternative Album of the Year
inward and forwardhalf moon race
Humanitarian Award
Susana Aglukark
Country Album of the Year
What is life?Brett Kissell
Francophone Album of the Year
Impossible to aimPirate heart
Traditional Roots Album of the Year
Burning jolly flagMary Dunn
Adult Contemporary Album of the Year
The art of falling apartserena ryder
Blues Album of the Year
open roadColin James
Classic Album of the Year (Small Ensemble)
Beethoven: Sonatas for violin and piano/Sonatas for violin no. 1, 2, 3 and 5Andrew Wan and Charles Richard-Hamelin
Recording Engineer of the Year
Kourkoutis Hill
Rap Single of the Year
BOLDCharmaine
Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year
bleed the futureArchspira
Electronic Album of the Year
heaven oasisToR
music video of the year
easy on me (Adele), Xavier Dolan
songwriter of the year
Weekend
Contemporary Roots Album of the Year
outer childallison russell
Underground Dance Single of the Year
shadows in the dark with Elliot Moss HNTR
Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year
khakifawn wood
Artist of the Year
charlotte cardin
Watch the 2022 Juno Awards at 8 p.m. ET on May 15 at CBCmusic.ca/junos, CBC Music Facebook, CBC Music Twitter, CBC Music YouTube, CBC Music TikTok Y CBC Gem.
Reference-www.cbc.ca