Nominees and performers revealed for 2017 JUNO Awards

Allan Reid, President & CEO of CARAS, announcing the 2017 JUNO nominees in Toronto.

Earlier today, the nominees and first round of performers were revealed for the 46th annual JUNO Awards. The announcement was made at a press conference at Toronto nightclub REBEL, and was streamed live on the JUNOs website.

Multi-Platinum stars Drake, The Weeknd, and Shawn Mendes each received a leading five nominations, while Alessia Cara and the late Leonard Cohen gathered four nominations. Several nominees were on hand for the event including The Strumbellas, Coleman Hell, Wintersleep, Billy Talent, Sultans Of String, Weaves, and more.

Celine Dion’s Encore un soir, Drake’s Views, The Weeknd’s Starboy, Shawn Mendes’ Illuminate, and Leonard Cohen’s final studio album You Want It Darker were nominated for Album of the Year, for which Music Canada is proud to return as a sponsor in 2017.

Alessia Cara, along with Ruth B and A Tribe Called Red, were announced as the first performers for the awards show, which coincides with the Ottawa’s Canada 150 celebrations.

“There is a lot of excitement in the air for the JUNOs and for Ottawa 2017,” said Allan Reid, President and CEO of CARAS, who spoke at the Mayor’s breakfast in Ottawa last week. “We are thrilled to be going back.”

2017 will mark the third time Ottawa has hosted the JUNO Awards. From 2007 to 2015 the JUNO Awards have created a total economic impact of almost $99 million, including $11 million for Ottawa in 2012, $14 million for the 2011 JUNO Awards in Toronto, and $10 million for the 2015 JUNO Awards in Hamilton.

Randy Lennox, President of Broadcasting and Content at Bell Media, also spoke at the event, commending Reid for his work with the JUNOs, and many of the event’s long-standing partners. Lennox, former President & CEO of Universal Music Canada, will be honoured with the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the 2017 JUNOs, along with Buffy Sainte-Marie for the 2017 Allan Waters Humanitarian Award, and Sarah McLachlan for her induction into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame.

The 2017 JUNO Awards will be handed out Sunday, April 2, 2017, at the Canadian Tire Centre. Limited tickets are still available through Ticketmaster.