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 various categories.
Broadcast live from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the ceremony was hosted by CBC’s The block host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe and Canadian actress Ann Pornel. The second night of the Juno Awards will take place on Sunday evening and will be broadcast live on CBC.
Montrealer Cardin won 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.
“It’s so special to me,” she said after winning Entertainer of the Year. “I will continue to work so hard.”
“It’s the greatest gift. There are no words to describe that feeling. I released this album feeling very, very proud,” she said of her second release.
Toronto singer-songwriter Mustafa, who won a Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year for When the smoke risesaccepted his award recognizing the loss of his friends in the Regent Park area.
“I wrote a file on the death, I wrote a file on the loss,” he said, adding that it was important for him to document that loss. He also noted that he was the first black Muslim winner in this category and why we should rethink “firsts”.
“Being first of all should now be criticized more than celebrated.”
The artist added that he is in good company within the Canadian songwriting community. “I feel so privileged to come from a heritage – or to be in a nation that has such a heritage of great songwriters.”
Toronto’s The Weeknd took home two awards, winning Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year for Take my breath and Songwriter of the Year.
The evening also included performances by several 2022 Juno nominees: Roxane Bruneau, Ruby Waters, Allison Russell and the indie band Valley, as well as 2021-22 Allan Slaight Juno Master Class Shortlist Artist Jesse Gold. .
Tribute to Canada’s Pioneers
It was also an evening to pay tribute to some of the most prolific names in Canadian music. Denise Jones, who died in 2020, received 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 to witness what love, guidance and wisdom poured out to young people look like,” Jeremi said.
Juno award-winning Inuit artist Susan Aglukark received the humanitarian award and told CBC News that her songwriting and singing are 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 as part of after-school programs.
“I just know how lucky I was. That wasn’t the plan when I moved here – and look!”
A diverse track record
This year’s list of Juno nominees was among the most diverse in history, with a handful of new winners stepping onto the podium to accept their awards.
R&B artist Savannah Ré has won traditional R&B/soul recording of the year for the second time in a row – the category was only introduced in 2021.
She named Canadian singer-songwriters Melanie Fiona and Deborah Cox as women who helped her throughout her career.
“I’m big fans of these women and they’ve only been open and welcoming, so I’m always going to do the same. I’m always going to pay it forward.”
Garth Prince, a Namibian-Canadian musician whose album Fall in Africa won children’s album of the year, grew up in apartheid 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.
At previous Junos, there was only one category for Indigenous music. This award has now been split in two – one for traditional and one for contemporary.
DJ Shub, the very first winner in this last category, is a former member of the electronic group A Tribe Called Red.
The Mohawk artist said his new album war club uses recordings of drummers and singers from its traditional territory, the Six Nations of the Grand River.
Kairo McLean, 13, won reggae recording of the year for his album easy now. The young musician said his plan was 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 the full list of winners:
Pop Album of the Year
Phoenix, Charlotte Cardin
Reggae Recording of the Year
easy nowKairo McLean
Jazz Album of the Year (Band)
World VisionAvatar
Album cover of the year
Mykael Nelson, Nicolas Lemieux, Albert Zablit
Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year
Take my breathThe weekend
Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year
war clubDJ Shub
Jazz Album of the Year (Solo)
Change of planWill Goodness
Classical Album of the Year (Solo Artist)
energizedEmily D’Angelo
Jack Richardson Producer of the Year
WondaGurl
Breakthrough Group of the Year
Monowhales
Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year
No greater loveThe color dream
Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble)
Music theoryThe Harmony of the Seasons, directed by Eric Milnes ft. Helen Brunet
Bachelor of the Year
Without meaningCharlotte Cardin
Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award
Denise Jones
Comedy Album of the Year
Grandma’s Daughter 姥姥的孩子, Andrea Jin 金玉琪
Dance Recording of the Year
CautionKaytranada
Youth Album of the Year
Fall in AfricaGarth Prince
Instrumental Album of the Year
This great distanceDavid Myles
Musiccounts Inspired Spirits Ambassador Award
Dallas Green
Alternative Album of the Year
When the smoke risesMustafa
Classic composition of the year
ArrasKeiko Devaux
Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
24hSavannah Re
Rock Album of the Year
Sisters Not Twins (The Professional Lovers Album)The beaches
Vocal Jazz Album of the Year
Current pronunciation: Caity Gyorgy
International Album of the Year
SourOlivia Rodrigo
World Music Album of the Year
KalasöAfrikana Soul Sister
Adult Alternative Album of the Year
Inwards and forwardshalfpipe race
Humanitarian Award
Susan Aglukark
Country Album of the Year
What is life?Brett Kissel
Francophone album of the year
Impossible to lovePirate’s heart
Traditional Roots Album of the Year
Flaming happy bannerMaria Dunn
Adult Contemporary Album of the Year
The art of falling apartSerena Ryder
Blues Album of the Year
open roadColin James
Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble)
Beethoven: Sonatas for violin and piano/Violin Sonatas No. 1, 2, 3 and 5Andrew Wan and Charles Richard-Hamelin
Sound Engineer of the Year
Kourkoutis Hill
Rap single of the year
FATCharmaine
Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year
bleed the futureArchspire
Electronic Album of the Year
Sky OasisTOR
Music Video of the Year
easy on me (Adele), Xavier Dolan
Songwriter of the Year
The weekend
Contemporary Roots Album of the Year
outdoor childAllison Russell
Underground Dance Single of the Year
shadows in the dark ft. Elliot Moss HNTR
Traditional Aboriginal Artist or Group of the Year
Khakifawn wood
Artist of the Year
Charlotte Cardin
Watch the 2022 Juno Awards at 8 p.m. ET May 15 on CBCmusic.ca/junos, Radio-Canada Music Facebook, Radio-Canada Music Twitter, Radio-Canada Music YouTube, Radio-Canada Music TikTok and Gem of Radio-Canada.
