Canadian music takes the spotlight for Juno Awards
Canada's capital city has been filled with music this week for the 2017 Juno Awards, with the grand finale set for Sunday.
A week of festivities culminate in the presentation of the annual Canadian music trophies at both a gala dinner in Ottawa on Saturday and during the Juno Awards telecast on Sunday.
Past winner Bryan Adams and comedian Russell Peters will preside over the awards show live from Ottawa's Canadian Tire Centre, taking over from original host Michael Bublé, who stepped down to focus on his son's cancer treatment.
This year's lead nominees include rapper Drake and singers The Weeknd, Shawn Mendes, Alessia Cara and the late Leonard Cohen. The Tragically Hip also earned multiple nominations, while its frontman Gord Downie also earned a handful of separate nods for solo work.
Contenders in select categories include:
Single of the year: Wild Things, Alessia Cara; One Dance, Drake; Treat You Better, Shawn Mendes; Spirits, the Strumbellas; Starboy, The Weeknd.
Group of the year: Arkells; Billy Talent; Tegan and Sara; the Strumbellas; the Tragically Hip.
Artist: Alessia Cara; Drake; Leonard Cohen; Shawn Mendes; The Weeknd.
Fan's Choice: Alessia Cara; Belly; Drake; Hedley; Justin Bieber; Ruth B.; Shawn Mendes; the Strumbellas; The Weeknd; Tory Lanez.
Video of the year: Kill V. Maim, Grimes; Killa, Wiwek/Skrillex; The Stranger, Gord Downie; Lite Spots, Kaytranada; R.E.D., Yasiin Bey, Narcy & Blackbear, A Tribe Called Red.
International album: Dangerous Woman, Ariana Grande; A Head Full of Dreams, Coldplay; Made in the A.M., One Direction; Anti, Rihanna; This Is Acting, Sia.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Junos, has enlisted some of this year's high-profile nominees to perform on Sunday's show, including Cara, Mendes, the Strumbellas, Ruth B, A Tribe Called Red and July Talk.
Feist will perform a special tribute to celebrated poet, songwriter and musician Cohen, who died in November.
Veteran artists Buffy Sainte-Marie and Sarah McLachlan are two of this year's special Juno honourees, with McLachlan being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Sainte-Marie receiving the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award. The Junos will also pay tribute to longtime record label executive Randy Lennox, the 2017 recipient of the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award.
The Juno Awards telecast airs on CTV on Sunday, April 2 beginning at 6:30 pm ET.
