While Justin Bieber went into Juno weekend as one of the nominated artists with six nods, he didn’t take dwelling any of them in the course of the gala. Fellow pop star Tate McRae as a substitute took 4 of these Junos dwelling, sweeping album of the 12 months, artist of the 12 months, single of the 12 months and pop album of the 12 months.
The 2026 Juno Awards Gala came about on March 28, co-hosted by CBC Music Mornings host Damhnait Doyle and CBC Music Afterdark host Odario Williams. In whole, 47 awards got out on Saturday evening, together with some history-making wins and a number of first-time winners.
While neither Bieber nor McRae have been at the gala to see their outcomes, they’re each nonetheless up for TD Juno Fan Choice at the Juno Awards on Sunday, March 29, the place the remaining 4 awards will likely be handed out.
Toronto R&B singer Daniel Caesar received the primary award of the evening, for songwriter of the 12 months.
He beat out Bieber, Tate McRae, the Beaches and Jessie Reyez. Caesar wasn’t in attendance, however he’ll take the stage at the Juno Awards to obtain the International Achievement Award and carry out music from his Juno-winning album Son of Spergy.
WATCH | Aysanabee wins up to date Indigenous artist of the 12 months, presumably for the final time:
Aysanabee received for each different album of the 12 months and up to date Indigenous artist of the 12 months. During his win for the latter, he thanked his all-women staff (“Some of the most badass women in the industry,” he famous).
This is his second time nominated in that class and his first and presumably final time profitable, as a result of he stated that he will not be submitting to this class once more sooner or later so as to make house for different Indigenous artists. “I still will be coming for the white people awards,” he added with amusing.
Billy Talent receives the Humanitarian Award
Toronto band Billy Talent was honoured with the Humanitarian Award this 12 months for the band’s work over the previous 25 years with varied charities and organizations akin to War Child and Kids Help Phone. The bandmates have additionally raised cash for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, which is very private as drummer Aaron Solowoniuk has been dwelling with MS since he was 24 years previous.
WATCH | Billy Talent receives the Humanitarian Award at the 2026 Junos:
Sum 41’s Cone McCaslin and Dave Baksh launched the band, calling Billy Talent “one of the nicest, kindest and most humble bands we’ve ever met.”
Singer Ben Kowalewicz praised Solowoniuk, who “fought every day to keep his MS from interfering with his passion for drumming.” In 2011, Solowoniuk created his personal charity known as F.U.MS for youths coping with MS, and it has raised over $700,000.
Kowalewicz concluded his speech by thanking punk-rock for shaping their sense of group and educating them “the delicate art form of not giving a f–k and giving a f–k at the same time.” He additionally identified the present state of the world “where people are threatening our sovereignty as a nation,” and urged folks to “remember what it means to be Canadian, to recognize and respect our Indigenous communities … that we are all bound together by this beautiful and interconnected tapestry called Canada and that our differences are what makes us stronger.”
The Beaches and Sadboi are Canada down
“The Junos truly is the highlight of our year every year,” Eliza McDaniel instructed the media room after the band received rock album of the 12 months for No Hard Feelings. It was the Toronto band’s third win on this class since 2022. “It’s just so amazing to be immersed in the Canadian music scene,” she stated, noting they’ll by no means really feel as liked and supported as they do in Canada. The band is in the course of a world tour, and flew again after a number of stops in Australia to make it to the Junos.
McDaniel’s fellow bandmates, Jordan Miller and Leandra Earl, chimed in and joked that every one their Juno wins additionally give their dad and mom one thing to brag about. “Our parents love telling their friends we keep winning Junos,” Earl stated, and Miller jumped in saying, “We didn’t do school so this gives them something to be proud about. No diplomas but six Junos.”
Toronto hip-hop, R&B and digital artist Sadboi received rap album/EP of the 12 months for her EP Dry Cry, and was introduced together with her statue by two outsized fuzzy monsters, in one of many stranger moments of the evening.
Sadboi shared her Canadian delight within the media room, reflecting on the significance of being acknowledged at dwelling together with her win for rap album/EP.
“I tell everyone, ‘I’m Canadian, I’m Canadian, I’m Canadian,’” she stated. “I’m just happy to be Canadian.”
Debby Friday, Aaron Paris, extra take dwelling 1st Junos
Early on within the present, Toronto-based duo Kazdoura, made up of Syrian singer Leen Hamo and Lebanese Canadian multi-instrumentalist John Abou Chacra, received their first Juno for international music album of the 12 months.
“Nine years ago I came from Syria with heartbreak and uncertainty, but with a big hope and responsibility,” Hamo stated in her speech. “My dream was always to create something that my community can see themselves in.”
“We wanna dedicate this award to all refugees, and to our people back home in Lebanon, Syria — thank you, thank you — who deserve a life of dignity and a life and a future free from suffering. Thank you so much,” Chacra added.
Aaron Paris, a previous Juno nominee for Jack Richardson producer of the 12 months, received his first Juno for instrumental album of the 12 months for Lotusland. Paris works together with his collective, Strings From Paris, which has been featured on Bridgerton, and has labored on albums by Ariana Grande, Kehlani and extra doing songwriting and producing.
Debby Friday received for Bet On Me, for dance single of the 12 months. She thanked her followers and her staff, in addition to her collaborators, and her accomplice, Kevin.
“For all artists out there, you just have to tell the truth and make it beautiful,” she stated.
In the media room, Friday instructed CBC Music she was in shock. “I’m very grateful, I feel like the Junos is a Canadian royalty thing,” she stated.
“It’s nice to know the industry is paying attention to what’s happening in Canada, uplifting people and showing them that, ‘Hey we hear you, we’re listening,'” she added, when asked about what awards such as the Junos and the Polaris Music Prize, which Friday won in 2024, meant to her.
Toronto-born filmmaker Karena Evans won the award for music video of the year for luther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA. She gave a shout-out to “the geniuses Kendrick and SZA for their culture-shifting artistry, shout-out to Canadian artistry and Canadian artists.” Evans has beforehand directed music movies for Drake, Coldplay and Chloe Bailey.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Director X, who is so pivotal to my standing on this stage and being here,” Evans stated, when requested about her influences within the media room. She continued describing her mentorship with the celebrated Canadian music video director: “I started as an intern at his company in 2014, and he and Taj [Critchlow] took me under their wing.
Cameron Whitcomb’s debut album, The Hard Way, took home the country album of the year Juno, marking his first win. He was absent, but went into the evening with a whopping five nominations, trailing only Bieber and McRae.
Tobias Jesso Jr., who was also absent, won his first Juno for songwriter of the year, non-performer. It was the Vancouver musician’s third time being nominated in a songwriting category, and he won for his contributions to Bieber’s Swag II, Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving and Rosalia’s Lux.
Lou-Adriane Cassidy also won her first ever Juno, for francophone album of the year, for her third album, Journal d’un Loup-Garou. The Quebec City artist has been racking up awards in the last year, having taken home 12 Félix Awards at Quebec’s annual music industry event in November, and having her now Juno-winning album shortlisted for the 2025 Polaris Music Prize.
Begonia and Bahamas surprisingly tied for adult alternative album of the year, which hasn’t occurred at the Junos since 2006 when the Black Eyed Peas and Coldplay tied for international album.
Begonia has previously lost to Bahamas twice in this category. The two teased the possibility of a collaboration in the future, now that they share an award. “It would be my honour,” said Afie Jurvanen, a.k.a. Bahamas. “If one of you have a guitar right now we can make that happen. I’m sure you’ll see us do some music down the road. I think it’ll happen, we’re working on it.
Hip-hop wins decades in the making
Hip-hop legend Saukrates was first nominated for a Juno in 1996, for his debut song Still Caught Up. Four nominations and 30 years later he finally won his first Juno, for rap single of the year for his track with Tobi and Jully Black, Who’s Driving You?.
Four-time Juno winner and rapper Tobi took the mic first during their acceptance speech. “I want to say thank you to Jully Black and Saukrates, I grew up listening to these guys on the radio and they were so iconic to me,” he said. “I listened to their voices growing up so to do this with them is so beautiful.”
WATCH | Tobi, Jully Black and Saukrates make Junos history:
Jully Black took the mic next and, as the music turned up to play her offstage, she was having none of it. “Turn off the music. Turn off that music. Fade that music all the way back down,” she said. “Thirty years ago, Choclair put me on a track called What It Takes. Thirty years later, I’m standing here because Tobi decided not to just take the song and run forward, but to pass the baton back to the legacy artists. So I wanna give thanks Tobi, and for everybody in here there is absolutely no retirement in purpose. Continue to support the arts, we need the funding as you all know. And Saukrates, this genius. Say something.”
“It’s been a long time comin’. It brings me to slight tears,” Saukrates said, as Black passed him the mic. “I came to Hamilton when I was 17, nominated in 1995 with my first single called Still Caught Up, and I lost to Ghetto Concept, which was awesome. And then I came back to Hamilton in 2015 and I lost to Rich Kidd, which was awesome. And tonight I gotta thank the universe, my parents, my wife, Alannah, my son, Dakota, Tobi, Jully Black, our whole table and the whole room for letting us come rock with y’all. And thank you for stopping the music and letting us talk.”
Maestro Fresh Wes won children’s album of the year, marking his first Juno win since 1991 when he won the inaugural rap recording of the year award for his debut, Symphony in Effect. (He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2024.) This was his fifth year in a row nominated in the children’s album category and his 17th nomination in any category since his last win.
In the media room, Maestro Fresh Wes expanded on how the award was a long time coming: “Maestro stands for longevity, perseverance and Canadian heritage.”
He received for an album a few father and son who journey by means of time and was impressed by an icon of Canadian youngsters’s music: “I’m trying to be the Black Raffi, last year I thought I might’ve won but then Raffi won, so I came back with my own dance because he has his own dance.”
