Written by Shannon Ambrose
Photos by Baden Roth
So what exactly is a Juno Award? Well for those readers that are not aware, they are what some might say, the Canadian equivalent to The Grammy’s.
In 1971, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) implemented the Canadian Content Regulations, and the previously presented, Gold Leaf Awards were changed to The Junos in honour of Pierre Juneau, the then head of the CRTC.
In 1975, the Junos were telecast for the first time, and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) was established to oversee the event, and handle all segments of the music industry in Canada; CARAS still overseas all aspects to this day.
Up until 1990, the awards were held in the city of Toronto, but in 1991 the awards took on a nomad persona, moving from city to city throughout the country. This was a positive move in my humble opinion, as now the entire country could celebrate and share in the honour of hosting The Juno Awards.
Throughout the following years, cities such as Vancouver, Ottawa, Hamilton, St. John’s, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Halifax, Saskatoon and Calgary have played host; each featuring their own local spin on Canada’s celebration of music.
This year marked the 40th Anniversary, and Junos return to Toronto, after an eleven year absence. Toronto’s mayor proclaimed March 21-27th Juno Week, and the city hosted various events to celebrate the occasion.
In the pages featured in this section, we will bring you exclusive photos and recaps of a handful of those events, capping it off with the “main event”, the 2011 Juno Awards Broadcast.
Events covered
- Welcome Reception
- JUNO Block Party
- JUNO Songwriters Circle
- JUNO Fest
- JUNO Fan Fare
- JUNO Gala Dinner and Awards
- 2011 JUNO Awards Broadcast
