Winners Announced for the 2024 JUNO Opening Night Awards

The 2024 Juno Awards struck a harmonious balance between honouring Canadian music history and looking ahead to its diverse future. Held on March 24 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the CBC-televised event showcased breakthrough stars, cultural milestones, and heartfelt tributes.

Punjabi-Canadian sensation Karan Aujla claimed the TikTok Fan Choice Award, the ceremony’s sole fan-voted honour. Reflecting on his journey, he said, “Sometimes I can’t believe I’m that same kid who lost my parents when I was in India, made my way to Canada, and now I’m here! If you are dreaming, make sure you dream big.” Aujla also performed hits from Making Memories, his record-breaking Punjabi debut album.

Montreal’s Charlotte Cardin took home Album of the Year for 99 Nights, a project that reached No. 3 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart and propelled its single “Confetti” into the Canadian Hot 100’s top 10. Cardin later performed the track amidst a dazzling confetti shower.

Toronto rockers The Beaches won Group of the Year, presented by Canadian icon Anne Murray. In their acceptance speech, the band urged young women to follow their lead: “To all the young girls watching, go start bands with your best friends!” The Beaches closed the show with their hit “Blame Brett.”

Ottawa-born TALK won Breakthrough Artist of the Year after a powerful performance of his chart-topping single “Run Away to Mars.” In his acceptance speech, he championed arts funding, coinciding with the Canadian government’s announcement of increased support for the music industry.

The evening featured performances in six languages, reflecting Canada’s multicultural artistry. Aujla’s set included Punjabi hits, while Jeremy Dutcher and Elisapie performed an Inuktitut rendition of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” The event also saw the highest number of Indigenous nominees in Juno history, starting with a moving land acknowledgment and performances by Wolastoqey artists.

Hosted by Nelly Furtado, the ceremony opened with a medley of her iconic hits, including “Promiscuous” and her latest track, “Eat Your Man.” Maestro Fresh Wes, dubbed “our rap Prime Minister,” was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In a heartfelt moment, he declared, “Now, this music we love won’t ever be underestimated,” before performing a medley of his own hits.

Tributes to late Canadian legends Gordon Lightfoot, Robbie Robertson, and Karl Tremblay provided emotional highlights. Allison Russell, William Prince, and others joined together to perform “If You Could Read My Mind” and “The Weight.”

Actor Elliot Page presented the Humanitarian Award to Tegan and Sara, praising their advocacy for queer youth. The duo remarked, “If the world were not so hostile to 2SLGBTQ+ people, we would see ourselves purely as musicians. We love being gay. So gay.”

Here is the full list of Nominees and Winners:

TikTok Juno Fan Choice

• Charlotte Cardin
• Daniel Caesar
• DVBBS
• Josh Ross
• Karan Aujla
• Shubh
• Tate McRae
• The Weeknd
• ThxSoMch
• Walk Off the Earth 

Single of the year

• “Confetti,” Charlotte Cardin
• “Always,” Daniel Caesar 
• “Pretty Girl Era,” Lu Kala
• “A Little Bit Happy,” Talk
• “Greedy,” Tate McRae

International album of the year

• Gettin’ Old, Luke Combs 
• Heroes & Villains, Metro Boomin
• One Thing at a Time, Morgan Wallen
• SOS, SZA 
• 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift 

Album of the year

• Néo-Romance, Alexandra Stréliski 
• 99 Nights, Charlotte Cardin 
• Never Enough, Daniel Caesar
• Mirror, Lauren Spencer Smith 
• Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees, Talk 

Artist of the year

• Charlotte Cardin 
• Daniel Caesar 
• Lauren Spencer Smith 
• Shania Twain 
• Tate McRae 

Group of the year

• Arkells
• Loud Luxury
• Nickelback
• The Beaches
• Walk Off the Earth 

Breakthrough artist of the year

• Connor Price 
• Karan Aujla 
• Lu Kala 
• Shubh 
• Talk

Breakthrough group of the year

• Busty and the Bass
• Crash Adams 
• Good Kid 
• Men I Trust 
• New West 

Songwriter of the year

• Allison Russell: “Eve Was Black” (co-songwriters Drew Lindsay, JT Nero); “Stay Right Here” (co-songwriters Drew Lindsay, JT Nero); “The Returner” (co-songwriters JT Nero).
• Aysanabee: “Alone”(co-songwriters Ali Willa Milner, Charlie McClean); “Here and Now”(co-songwriters Ali Willa Milner, Derek Hoffman); “Somebody Else”(co-songwriters Derek Hoffman, Sean Sroka). 
• Charlotte Cardin, Jason Brando and Lubalin: “Confetti;” “Daddy’s a Psycho”(co-songwriters Aaron Paris, Harper Gordon); “Jim Carrey” (co-songwriter Mathieu Sénéchal).
• Nicholas Durocher (Talk) and Connor Riddell: “Afraid of the Dark”(co-songwriters Eric Allen Palmquist, Joshua Speers); “A Little Bit Happy” (co-songwriters Brandon Colbein, Jussi Karvinen, Justin Tranter); “Wasteland”(co-songwriters Brandon Colbein, Justin Tranter and Sam Homaee). 
• William Prince: “Broken Heart of Mine;” “Easier and Harder:’ “When You Miss Someone.”

Country album of the year

• The Compass Project – South Album, Brett Kissel 
• Right Round Here, Dean Brody 
• Do it Anyway, Jade Eagleson 
• Ahead of Our Time, James Barker Band 
• Spillin’ My Truth, Tyler Joe Miller 

Adult alternative album of the year

• Powder Blue, Begonia 
• Multitudes, Feist 
• Are We Good, Hayden 
• Motewolonuwok, Jeremy Dutcher 
• Revolution, Shawnee Kish 

Alternative album of the year

• Here and Now, Aysanabee 
• Dizzy, Dizzy 
• To Learn, Leith Ross 
• See You in the Dark, Softcult 
• Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees, Talk

Pop album of the year

• 99 Nights, Charlotte Cardin 
• Mirror, Lauren Spencer Smith 
• Saturn Return, Rêve 
• Queen of Me, Shania Twain 
• Lost in Translation, Valley 

Rock album of the year

• Fearless, Crown Lands 
• Formentera II, Metric  
• Blame My Ex, the Beaches 
• Pretty Monster, the Blue Stones 
• Glory, the Glorious Sons 

Vocal jazz album of the year

• Songwriter, Alex Bird & Ewen Farncombe 
• You’re Alike, You Two, Caity Gyorgy and Mark Limacher 
• Little Bit a’ Love, Denielle Bassels 
• Our Roots Run Deep, Dominique Fils-Aimé 
• Your Requests, Laila Biali 

Jazz album of the year (solo)

• Day Moon, Christine Jensen 
• Walls Made of Glass, Gentiane MG 
• Sonic Bouquet, Jocelyn Gould 
• Twelve, Noam Lemish 
• The South Detroit Connection, Russ Macklem 

Jazz album of the year (group)

• Migrations, Allison Au with the Migrations Ensemble
• Septology-The Black Forest Session, Canadian Jazz Collective
• Cry Me a River, Hilario Duran and His Latin Jazz Big Band
• Recent History, Mike Murley & Mark Eisenman Quartet
• Convergence, Nick Maclean Quartet feat. Brownman Ali 

Instrumental album of the year

• Néo-Romance, Alexandra Stréliski 
• When we were that what wept for the sea, Colin Stetson 
• Calibrating Friction, Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis 
• Fourth Album, Markus Floats 
• Tesseract, Meredith Bates 

Francophone album of the year

• Zayon, FouKi
• Dans la seconde, Karkwa
• En concert avec l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (sous la direction du chef Simon Leclerc), Les Cowboys Fringants & l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal 
• À boire deboutte, Salebarbes
• Non conventionnel, Souldia 

Children’s album of the year

• Big Words, ABC Singsong 
• Going Back: Remembered and Remixed Family Folk Songs, Vol. 1, Ginalina 
• Love-a-By, Splash’N Boots 
• Welcome to the Flea Circus, the Swinging Belles
• Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Young Maestro Stick to Your Vision For Young Athletes, Young Maestro

Classical album of the year (solo artist)

• Infinite Voyage, Barbara Hannigan 
• Nielsen: Violin Concerto, Symphony No. 4, James Ehnes 
• Fauré: Nocturnes & Barcarolles, Marc-André Hamelin 
• De Hartmann: Cello Concerto, Matt Haimovitz 
• Mouvance, Suzie LeBlanc 

Classical album of the year (large ensemble)

• Bekah Simms: Bestiaries, Cryptid Ensemble, Ensemble Contemporain de Montreal 
• Maxime Goulet: Symphonie de la tempête de verglas, Orchestre classique de Montréal, conducted by Jacques Lacombe 
• Sibelius 3 & 4, Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin 
• Mahler: Symphony No. 5,Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, conducted by Rafael Payare 
• Rachmaninoff: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3; Isle of the Dead, the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Classical album of the year (small ensemble)

• Mythes, Andrew Armstrong and James Ehnes 
• Portrait: Alex Baranowski, Angèle Dubeau and La Pietà 
• Portrait, Cheng² Duo 
• Il Ponte di Leonardo, Constantinople 
• Basta parlare!, Les Barocudas 

Classical composition of the year

• Simulacra, Amy Brandon 
• Portrait of an Imaginary Sibling, Dinuk Wijeratne 
• …and the Higher Leaves of the Trees Seemed to Shimmer in the Last of the Sunlight’s Lingering Touch of Them…, Emilie Cecilia LeBel
• Shāhīn-nāmeh, for Voice and Orchestra, Iman Habibi 
• Don’t Throw Your Head in Your Hands, Nicole Lizée 

Rap album/EP of the year

• Bag or die, bbno$ 
• Spin the Globe, Connor Price 
• Crying Crystals, Haviah Mighty 
• Kaytraminé, Kaytraminé 
• Panic, Tobi 

Dance recording of the year

• “Eat Your Man,” Dom Dolla and Nelly Furtado 
• “Crew Thang,” DVBBS, Jeremih and Sk8 
• “Need Your Love,” Felix Cartal and Karen Harding 
• “I Go Dancing,” Frank Walker feat. Ella Henderson
• “Next to You,” Loud Luxury, DVBBS feat. Kane Brown

Contemporary R&B recording of the year

• For the Better, Aqyila 
• Never Enough, Daniel Caesar 
• Heartbreak Hill, Jon Vinyl 
• When it Blooms, Nonso Amadi 
• Facets, Shay Lia 

Reggae recording of the year

• “Stir This Thing,” Ammoye 
• “Feel Like Home,” Exco Levi 
• Roots Girl, Jah’Mila 
• Dread, Kirk Diamond & Finn 
• “Rush Dem,” Omega Mighty feat. 4Korners, Haviah Mighty

Contemporary Indigenous artist or group of the year

• Here and Now, Aysanabee 
• Scream, Holler & Howl, Blue Moon Marquee 
• Inuktitut, Elisapie 
• Revolution, Shawnee Kish 
• Bekka Ma’iingan, Zoon 

Contemporary roots album of the year

• The Returner, Allison Russell 
• We Will Never Be the Same, Good Lovelies 
• Beyond the Reservoir, Julian Taylor 
• A Light in the Attic, Logan Staats 
• Stand in the Joy, William Prince 

Traditional roots album of the year

• Paint Horse, Benjamin Dakota Rogers 
• The Breath Between, David Francey 
• Roses, Jackson Hollow 
• Second Hand, James Keelaghan 
• Resilience, Morgan Toney 

Blues album of the year

• SoulFunkn’Blues, Blackburn Brothers 
• Scream, Holler & Howl, Blue Moon Marquee
• One Step Closer, Brandon Isaak 
• The Big Bottle of Joy, Matt Andersen 
• Gettin’ Together, Michael Jerome Browne 

Contemporary Christian/gospel album of the year

• Glory to God, Brooke Nicholls
• All Ye Lepers, Joshua Leventhal 
• Arrow, K-Anthony 
• Where I’m Meant to Be, Stirling John 
• Alive, Tuzee

Global music album of the year

• Donte sann yo, Bel and Quinn 
• Kizavibe, Kizaba 
• SMS for Location Vol. 5, Moonshine 
• Okantomi, Okan 
• Soap Box, Waahli 

Jack Richardson producer of the year 

• Hill Kourkoutis: “Ego Death,” Aysanabee;  “Whiskey Bar,” Tafari Anthony (co-producers Jordyn Woodside, Mike Tompa, Tafari Anthony). 
• Jason Brando, Lubalin, Mathieu Sénéchal and Sam Avant: “Confetti,” Charlotte Cardin (co-producer Rob Grimaldi); “Jim Carrey,” Charlotte Cardin.
• Joel Stouffer: “Breaking Up With Jesus,” Reve; “Whitney,” Reve (co-producers Aaron Paris, Banx & Ranx.
• Shawn Everett: “Used to Be Young,” Miley Cyrus (co-producers Michael Pollack, Miley Cyrus); “What Now,” Brittany Howard (co-producer Brittany Howard).
• Wondagurl: “Circus Maximus,” Travis Scott (co-producers Jahaan Sweet, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Travis Scott); “HYAENA” (co-producers Jahaan Sweet, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Travis Scott).

• Meet Shawn Everett: the Grammy-winning producer who paints with sound

Recording engineer of the year

• Denis Tougas: “Dawgcatcher,” Amanda Marshall; “Special,” Amanda Marshall
• George Seara: “Everything Belongs,” Cory Asbury; “The Promise is the Same,” Cory Asbury.
• Matty Green: “because of you,” Chris LaRocca; “Midnight Dreams,” Ellie Goulding.
• Serban Ghenea: “Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift; “Paint The Town Red,” Doja Cat.
• Shawn Everett: “Used to Be Young,” Miley Cyrus; “What Now,” Brittany Howard.

Album artwork of the year

• Carolyne De Bellefeuille (art director), Jessica Ledoux (designer, illustrator), Mali Savaria-Ille (designer, illustrator), Veronique Lafortune (designer, illustrator), Leeor Wild (photographer: Inuktitut, Elisapie.
• Heather Goodchild (art director), Colby Richardson (designer), Colin Fletcher (illustrator), Sara Melvin (photographer): Multitudes, Feist.
• Kit King (illustrator), Vanessa Heins (photographer): The Love Still Held Me Near, City and Colour.
• Nicolas Lemieux (art director), Mykaël Nelson (designer and illustrator), Albert Zablit (photographer): Riopelle Symphonique, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.
• Quinton Nyce (art director), Brodie Metcalfe (designer), Davis Graham (illustrator), Kaylee Smoke (photographer): I’m Good, HBU?, Snotty Nose Rez Kids.

Music video of the year

• “Of Woods and Seas,” Andrew De Zen (Alaskan Tapes) 
• “Demons,” Ethan Tobman (Allison Russell) 
• “Onetwostep,” Jordan Clarke(des hume feat. juicelover)
• “Damn Right,” Sterling Larose(Snotty Nose Rez Kids) 
• “Feral canadian scaredy cat,” Sterling Larose and Zachary Vague(young friend)

Electronic album of the year

• Infinity Club, Bambii 
• Birds, Bees, the Clouds & the Trees, Harrison 
• Creatures of the Late Afternoon, Kid Koala
• Synthetic Season 2, Rich Aucoin 
• No Highs, Tim Hecker 

Metal/hard music album of the year

• As Gomorrah Burns, Cryptopsy 
• Electric Sounds, Danko Jones 
• Goliath, Kataklysm
• Void, Ken mode 
• Morgöth Tales, Voivod 

Adult contemporary album of the year

• Heavy Lifting, Amanda Marshall 
• I Wish I Was Flawless, I’m Not, Banners
• To Be Loved, Vol. 1, Josh Sahunta 
• Run Where the Light Calls, Luca Fogale 
• Wildflower, Steph La Rochelle 

Comedy album of the year

• Life of Leisure, Derek Seguin 
• Never Was, Graham Clark 
• A Lylebility, Kyle Brownrigg 
• Sexiest Fish in the Lake, Laurie Elliott 
• SAP, Mae Martin 

Traditional R&B/soul recording of the year

• “Hello,” Aqyila 
• “Unbreakable,” Jhyve
• Where to Find Me, Katie Tupper 
• “9 to 5,” Luna Elle 
• Real World, RealestK 

Rap single of the year

• “American Nightmare,” Belly 
• “Spinnin,” Connor Price feat. Bens
• “Honey Bun,” Haviah Mighty 
• “Minimum Wage,” Pressa 
• “Someone I Knew,” Tobi

Underground dance single of the year

• “Call My Name,” Blond:ish 
• “Mad Mess,” DJ Karaba 
• “Could Be Wrong,” Lostboyjay
• “Eclipse,” Peach 
• “Concorde Groove,” Smalltown DJs 

Traditional Indigenous artist or group of the year

• Sing. Pray. Love., Joel Wood 
• LFS5, Nimkii and the Niniis 
• Mitòòdebi (For My Relatives), the Bearhead Sisters 
• Reverie, the Red River Ramblers 
• Drum Nation, Young Scouts