Charlotte Cardin leads with three awards
24 first-time winners take home a coveted JUNO statuette
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) honoured artists and industry leaders at the helm of Canada’s music scene tonight at the 2022 JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Ontario Creates, which took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Co-hosted by Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe (CBC Music’s The Block) and Ann Pornel (The Great Canadian Baking Show), the renowned industry event saw five show-stopping performances and the presentation of 41 JUNO Awards, along with The Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award, the Humanitarian Award Presented by Music Canada and the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award Presented by Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation.
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS AT THE 2022 JUNO OPENING NIGHT AWARDS PRESENTED BY ONTARIO CREATES INCLUDING BIOGRAPHIES AND IMAGES, GO TO WWW.JUNOAWARDS.CA.
Montreal’s pop-electro sensation, Charlotte Cardin took the lead this year with three awards: Single of the Year Presented by Live Nation Canada, Artist of the Year Presented by SiriusXM Canada 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 Presented by SOCAN. 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.
Denise Jones, one of the most influential voices in Canada’s Black entertainment community, 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 Presented by Music Canada. Aglukark was honoured for her commitment to improving the lives of children and youth in Northern Indigenous communities. Dallas Green was named the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award Presented by Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation with the award for his dedicated support of MusiCounts and music education.
The evening’s celebrations put a spotlight on Canada’s emerging and rising talent with 24 first-time winners taking home JUNO awards. The list includes Allison Russell (Contemporary Roots Album of the Year), Afrikana Soul Sister (Global Music Album of the Year), Andrea Jin 金玉琪 (Comedy Album of the Year Presented by SiriusXM Canada), Archspire (Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year), Avataar (Jazz Album of the Year – Group), Caity Gyorgy (Vocal Jazz Album of the Year), Charmaine (Rap Single of the Year Presented by ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective), DJ Shub (Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year Presented by Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada), Emily D’Angelo (Classical Album of the Year – Solo Artist), Fawn Wood (Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year), Garth Prince (Children’s Album of the Year), Hill Kourkoutis (Recording Engineer of the Year), HNTR (Underground Dance Single of the Year), Kairo McLean (Reggae Recording of the Year), MONOWHALES (Breakthrough Group of the Year Presented by FACTOR, The Government of Canada and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters), Maria Dunn (Traditional Roots Album of the Year), Mustafa (Alternative Album of the Year Presented by CBC Music), Olivia Rodrigo (International Album of the Year), TOR (Electronic Album of the Year) and Will Bonness (Jazz Album of the Year – Solo).
Along with Cardin, artists from La Belle Province came out on top in several categories including Andrew Wan and Charles Richard-Hamelin (Classical Album of the Year: Small Ensemble), Coeur de pirate (Francophone Album of the Year), Half Moon Run (Adult Alternative Album of the Year Presented by Sonos), L’Harmonie des saisons, conducted by Eric Milnes, feat. Hélène Brunet (Classical Album of the Year: Large Ensemble), Keiko Devaux (Classical Composition of the Year), Mykaël Nelson, Nicolas Lemieux and Albert Zablit (Album Artwork of the Year), KAYTRANADA (Dance Recording of the Year) and Xavier Dolan (Music Video of the Year).
Five eclectic performances scored the evening: 2022 Francophone Album of the Year nominee Roxane Bruneau; Alternative Album of the Year Presented by CBC Music nominee Ruby Waters; 2021/2022 Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class short list artist, Jesse Gold; two-time JUNO Award nominees VALLEY and 2022 JUNO Award winner Allison Russell (Contemporary Roots Album of the Year), who moved audiences with her In Memoriam tribute.
The 2022 JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Ontario Creates are available to rewatch on-demand via CBC Gem or CBCMusic.ca/junos.
The 51st Annual JUNO Awards Broadcast will be live for the first time from outdoor venue Budweiser Stage in Toronto, broadcast and streamed live across Canada at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC Gem, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos, and CBC Music’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.
