JUNO Week 2017 is officially underway in the city of Ottawa, hosting the awards and festivities for the first time since 2012. Beginning today, bars, clubs and theatres across the city will be taken over by JUNOs programming, with many events open to the public and appropriate for the whole family.
This is the third time Ottawa has hosted the JUNO Awards, and Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation adds even more excitement to the 2017 edition. In the fourteen years the awards show has been presented in cities across Canada, the impact has be felt to the tune of $135 million, with each city showing an economic impact of around $10 million.
On Wednesday evening, Mayor Jim Watson helped officially kick off JUNO Week with the lighting of the five metre tall cauldron outside City Hall with Allan Reid, President & CEO of the Canadian Academy Of Recording Arts & Sciences (CARAS), and Ward 18 Councillor Jean Cloutier.
The 2017 JUNO Awards, hosted by Russel Peters and Bryan Adams, will broadcast live from the Canadian Tire Centre on CTV on Sunday, April 2. Performers this year include Alessia Cara, Arkells, A Tribe Called Red, Billy Talent, Dallas Smith, July Talk, Ruth B., Sarah McLachlan, Shawn Mendes, and The Strumbellas. Grammy Award-winning DJ Zedd will join Alessia Cara for her performance, and Feist will perform a special tribute to legendary songwriter and JUNO winner Leonard Cohen.
Many events have already begun across the city, like Art Is Art, which showcases JUNO nominees and Canadian recording artists’ artwork, The JUNO Photography Exhibition, and the JUNO House: R·Evolutions exhibition.
Below is a listing of events occurring across Ottawa leading up to Canadian music’s biggest night.
THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017
JUNO Week 2017 will kick off with the second annual JUNO Cup Jam, featuring collaborations and covers by Jim Cuddy, Gord Bamford, Devin Cuddy Band, and members of Billy Talent, Hollerado, Monkeyjunk, The Strumbellas, Walk Off The Earth, Wintersleep and more. The JUNO Cup will take place the following night at TD Place, with rock stars hitting the ice against NHL superstars and alumni like Daniel Alfredsson, Gary Roberts, and Paul Coffey.
Earlier on Thursday evening, Music Canada’s Executive Vice President Amy Terrill will take part in a conversation with JUNO Award winning singer-songwriter Lynn Miles and interviewer Samantha Slattery, Founder and Chair of Women in Music Canada. The event takes place at Otto’s Club, located in TD Place (1015 Bank Street).
FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2017
As artists, industry folk, and contest winners step aboard the JUNO Express trains leaving from Toronto and Montreal, Friday morning’s programming will feature Amy Terrill joining the Ottawa As A Music City panel hosted by the Ottawa 2017 Juno Host Committee. The panel will also feature Scott May of Bar Robo, Kelly Symes (General Manager – Festival of Small Halls Ontario), artist/entrepreneur Kathleen Edwards (Quitters Coffee) and Shelley Fraser of Lixar – advocates for the role that music industries can play in building sustainable, vibrant cities.
Later in the evening, Music Canada is proud to sponsor this year’s JUNO Welcome Reception, a private event welcoming industry VIPs to the festivities. Music Canada is thrilled to be a sponsor of Welcome Reception, and we look forward to sharing our activity from the event through Twitter and our blog.
Following the reception, JUNOfest will be put in full gear, with over 100 artists performing across the two-night schedule. This year’s lineup features more than 35 JUNO nominees, including The Strumbellas, Silla + Rise, The Dirty Nil, Whitehorse, Tasha The Amazon, Holy Fuck, Bit Funk, Cold Creek County, Exco Levi, and more. Wristbands ($30) are still available and provide priority access to all venues participating in JUNOfest for both nights.
SATURDAY APRIL 1, 2017
Saturday’s programming gets underway bright and early with family fun at Junior JUNOs at KIDSFEST, the city’s biggest children’s show and expo. 2017 Children’s Album of the Year nominees Diana Panton, Kattam, Splash’N Boots, and Will Stroet will perform at the event, which takes place at the EY Centre (4899 Uplands Drive). Tickets are still available.
From noon to 3pm on Saturday, fans will gather at CF Rideau Centre for the sold-out JUNO Fan Fare, featuring live performances, giveaways, artist interviews, and the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the 2017 JUNO Award nominees. Artists confirmed include Aaron Pritchett, Arkells, Chad Brownlee, Cold Creek County, Coleman Hell, Dallas Smith, Gord Bamford, Jess Moskaluke, July Talk, Marianas Trench, Ruth B, The Strumbellas and Tyler Shaw.
Saturday’s festivities come to a close with the JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards presented by SOCAN, and hosted by Tom Power of CBC’s Q. 34 awards will be handed out during the dinner, which will feature performances by 2017 JUNO Award-nominees Daniel Caesar (R&B/Soul Recording of the Year), Jess Moskaluke (Country Album of the Year), Koriass (Francophone Album of the Year), and William Prince (Contemporary Roots Album of the Year sponsored by National Arts Centre and Indigenous Music Album of the Year sponsored by Aboriginal Peoples Television Network). The event will also feature a special performance by one of the three 2017 Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class winners, Neon Dreams. The JUNOs Gala will be live-streamed at junotv.ca.
SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017
Prior to the big show, Sunday will kick off at noon with the JUNO Songwriters Circle co-presented by SOCAN & Yamaha Canada Music in association with CMPA. 2017 JUNO nominees Chantal Kreviazuk, Colin Linden, Daniel Caesar, Donovan Woods, Lisa Leblanc, and Paul Murphy (Wintersleep) join host Bruce Cockburn in sharing the stories behind their songs. Previously sold out, the event has moved to Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre, with limited tickets still available.
“It’s our privilege to present the legendary Buffy Sainte-Marie with the 2017 Allan Waters Humanitarian Award,” said Randy Lennox, President, Broadcasting and Content, Bell Media. “Her dedication to improving the lives of Indigenous people is truly humbling. We look forward to celebrating this iconic artist and her inspiring philanthropic work at this year’s JUNO Awards.”
Nominations are now open for 
Music Canada