# Juno Awards of 2017

The Juno Awards of 2017, honouring Canadian music achievements, were presented in Ottawa, Ontario the weekend of 1–2 April 2017. The ceremonies were held at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata and televised on CTV with Bryan Adams and Russell Peters as co-hosts. The duo replaced Michael Bublé, who was originally scheduled to host the show.

## Events

Various events associated with the awards are held in Ottawa from 27 March until the primary awards ceremony at the Canadian Tire Centre on 2 April. This was the last Juno Award Broadcast on CTV, before moving back to CBC in 2018.
The Juno Cup charity hockey game was played at TD Place Arena on 31 March. The NHL former players team beat the musicians team with a score of 13-12.
A Songwriters' Circle event was hosted by Bruce Cockburn on 2 April at the National Arts Centre. Daniel Caesar, Chantal Kreviazuk, Lisa LeBlanc, Colin Linden, Paul Murphy and Donovan Woods performed. CBC Radio broadcast recordings of this event.

### Gala dinner

Most award category winners were announced at a private dinner gala 1 April at the Shaw Centre hosted by musician and CBC Radio host Tom Power. The late Leonard Cohen won the Artist of the Year category; his son Adam accepted the award on his behalf at the gala. The Tragically Hip won Rock Album of the Year for their album Man Machine Poem. Secret Path, the solo album by Tragically Hip lead singer Gord Downie, won Junos in two categories: Adult Alternative Album and Recording Package of the Year. Drake did not win any of his several nominations at the gala and The Weeknd won in only the R&B/Soul Recording category for his Starboy album.

### Primary ceremony

The televised award ceremony on 2 April was hosted by Bryan Adams and Russell Peters. Performers included Arkells, Alessia Cara, Billy Talent, Dallas Smith, July Talk, Ruth B, Sarah McLachlan, Shawn Mendes, The Strumbellas, A Tribe Called Red.

#### Changes to host

Michael Bublé was originally scheduled to host the awards, but had cancelled public appearances due to his son's cancer diagnosis.
It was announced on 1 November 2016 that the singer would return to host of the 2017 ceremony after playing emcee in 2013. Three days later, on 3 November, Bublé made public that he would be suspending professional activities to focus on his son's treatment. At that time it was uncertain whether he would still host the Junos or its British counterpart, the Brits.
Bell Media president Randy Lennox said in an interview with The Canadian Press that initial discussions with Russell Peters began in early November when the comedian offered to take the hosting gig if Bublé needed someone else to step in. Shortly after Bublé opted to forgo the Brit Awards hosting plans, singer Adams also began talking with Juno organizers about taking a role in the Canadian broadcast.
On 9 March 2017, the Juno Awards announced that Bublé would be replaced by Adams and Peters.

#### Indigenous introduction

The telecast began with a sketch introducing the co-hosts prior to taking the stage. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared in this segment, phoning Adams to request a performance of "Summer of '69".
Buffy Sainte-Marie appeared on stage at the Canadian Tire to declare that the event was held on traditional Algonquin territory. She then introduced A Tribe Called Red who performed music from their album We are the Halluci Nation accompanied by throat singer Tanya Tagaq.

#### Leonard Cohen tribute

Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau paid tribute to musician Leonard Cohen who died in November 2016. Feist then sang Cohen's song "Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye", accompanied only by her acoustic guitar and singers Ariel Engle and Daniela Gesundheit of Hydra. Cohen's album You Want it Darker was later awarded a Juno for Album of the Year. He won the Artist of the Year category during the previous night's gala.

#### McLachlan joins Hall of Fame

Sarah McLachlan was this year's inductee to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. A video montage featuring of her career began with a tribute from former American president Bill Clinton. Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Diana Krall, James Taylor and Tegan and Sara also provided statements in honour of McLachlan's career.
McLachlan took the stage to make an acceptance speech which noted the presence and importance of diversity, politeness and the arts in Canadian society, declaring that "[w]e Canadians, we're far from perfect, but we have a lot to offer the world and we have to continue to set the bar high." while expressing gratitude to those who supported her career.

#### Peters controversy

During the ceremony broadcast, co-host Russell Peters spotted some young women in the audience and remarked "Look at all the young girls. This is a felony waiting to happen." Furthermore, when announcing that Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly was co-presenting the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award with musician Coleman Hell, Russell added "I don't know why, but she's hot, so who cares?" The following day, Joly declared that Peters' comments were not appropriate, indicating a need to ensure "that all our role models are supporting the importance of gender parity." Allan Reid, president of CARAS and the Juno Awards, issued an apology and distanced the Juno Awards organization from Peters' statements.

## Nominees and winners

Category nominees were announced on 7 February 2017.
Buffy Sainte-Marie is the 2017 recipient of the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award. It was revoked in 2025 over citizenship requirements.
Randy Lennox is the year's recipient of the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award. Sarah McLachlan is the 2017 Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee.
The category for Aboriginal Album of the Year was renamed to Indigenous Music Album of the Year as of the 2017 awards. The first 34 awards were announced on 1 April 2017.

### People

| Artist of the Year | Group of the Year |
| Leonard Cohen Alessia Cara Drake Shawn Mendes The Weeknd | The Tragically Hip Arkells Billy Talent Tegan and Sara The Strumbellas |
| Breakthrough Artist of the Year | Breakthrough Group of the Year |
| Ruth B Kaytranada Tory Lanez Andy Shauf Jazz Cartier | The Dirty Nil Bleeker Cold Creek County Bob Moses The Zolas |
| Fan Choice Award | Songwriter of the Year |
| Shawn Mendes Alessia Cara Belly Drake Hedley Justin Bieber Ruth B The Strumbellas The Weeknd Tory Lanez | Gord Downie - "The Stranger", "The Only Place To Be", "Son" from Secret Path by Gord Downie Donovan Woods - "Leaving Nashville" (co-songwriter Abe Stoklasa) from The Driver by Charles Kelley; "What Kind of Love is That" (co-songwriter Tom Douglas), "They Don't Make Anything in That Town" from Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled by Donovan Woods Tegan Quin and Sara Quin - "Boyfriend" (co-songwriter Greg Kurstin), "100x" (co-songwriter Jesse Shatkin), "Stop Desire" from Love You to Death by Tegan and Sara Leonard Cohen - "You Want It Darker", "It Seemed the Better Way", "Traveling Light" from You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen Ruth Berhe - "Lost Boy", "Superficial Love", "2 Poor Kids" from The Intro by Ruth B |
| Producer of the Year | Recording Engineer of the Year |
| A Tribe Called Red - "R.E.D." feat. Yasiin Bey, Narcy & Black Bear, "Sila" feat. Tanya Tagaq from We Are the Halluci Nation by A Tribe Called Red Howie Beck - "Work" (co-producer Charlotte Day Wilson) from CDW by Charlotte Day Wilson; "High Five" (co-producer Dan Kurtz) from Royal Blues by Dragonette Ian D'Sa - "Afraid of Heights", "Rabbit Down the Hole" from Afraid of Heights by Billy Talent Nineteen85 - "One Dance", "Too Good" from Views by Drake Eric Ratz - "The Enforcer" (co-producer Monster Truck) from Sittin' Heavy by Monster Truck; "Fever" from Dealbreaker by Royal Tusk | Jason Dufour - "Push + Pull", "Beck + Call" from Touch by July Talk Matty Green - "Shine a Light" from Banners EP by BANNΞRS; "Armageddon" from Armageddon by Michelle Treacy Eric Ratz - "Afraid of Heights" from Afraid of Heights by Billy Talent; "Don't Tell Me How to Live" from Sittin' Heavy by Monster Truck George Seara - "Treat You Better", "Don't Be a Fool" from Illuminate by Shawn Mendes Andy Shauf - "The Magician", "To You" from The Party by Andy Shauf |

### Albums

| Album of the Year | Adult Alternative Album of the Year |
| Leonard Cohen, You Want It Darker The Weeknd, Starboy Shawn Mendes, Illuminate Drake, Views Céline Dion, Encore un Soir | Gord Downie, Secret Path Basia Bulat, Good Advice Wintersleep, The Great Detachment Leonard Cohen, You Want It Darker Andy Shauf, The Party |
| Adult Contemporary Album of the Year | Alternative Album of the Year |
| Sarah McLachlan, Wonderland Céline Dion, Encore un Soir Chantal Kreviazuk, Hard Sail Mark Masri, Beating Heart Heather Rankin, A Fine Line | July Talk, Touch Black Mountain, IV Dilly Dally, Sore Grimes, Art Angels Weaves, Weaves (album)|Weaves |
| Blues Album of the Year | Children's Album of the Year |
| Paul Reddick, Ride the One Colin James, Blue Highways Colin Linden, Rich in Love Sean Pinchin, Monkey Brain Whitehorse, The Northern South Vol. 1 | Diana Panton, I Believe in Little Things Raffi, Owl Singalong Splash'N Boots, Big Yellow Tunes Kattam, De Tombouctou à Bombay Will Stroet, Wordplay |
| Classical Album of the Year – Solo or Chamber Ensemble | Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble or Soloist(s) with Large Ensemble Accompaniment |
| New Orford String Quartet, Brahms: String Quartets, Op. 51 NOS. 1 & 2 Janina Fialkowska, Schubert: Sonatas and Impromptus Matt Haimovitz, Overtures to Bach Stewart Goodyear, Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, OP. 71 TH14 Charles Richard-Hamelin, Beethoven, Enescu & Chopin: Works for Piano (Live) | Steve Wood and the Northern Cree Singers, Tanya Tagaq, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Louis Lortie, Hélène Mercier, BBC Philharmonic, Poulenc: Piano Concertos & Aubade Jan Lisiecki, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Schumann Les Violons du Roy & Mathieu Lussier, Vivaldi: Concertos |
| Classical Album of the Year – Vocal or Choral Performance | Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year |
| Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Kent Nagano, L’Aiglon Tapestry Opera, Gryphon Trio, Elmer Iseler Singers, Dark Star Requiem Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Sir Andrew Davis, Handel Messiah Arion Baroque Orchestre, Alexandre Weimann, Bach: Magnificat BWV 243 Daniel Taylor, The Trinity Choir, Four Thousand Winter | Tim Neufeld & the Glory Boys, Hootenanny! Warren Dean Flandez, Eternally Grateful Steve Bell, Where the Good Way Lies MANAFEST, Reborn Jaylene Johnson, Potter & Clay |
| Country Album of the Year | Electronic Album of the Year |
| Jess Moskaluke, Kiss Me Quiet Aaron Pritchett, The Score Chad Brownlee, Hearts on Fire Dallas Smith, Side Effects Gord Bamford, Tin Roof | Kaytranada, 99.9% Holy Fuck, Congrats A Tribe Called Red, We Are the Halluci Nation Bob Moses, Days Gone By Harrison, Checkpoint Titanium |
| Francophone Album of the Year | Indigenous Music Album of the Year |
| Laurence Nerbonne, XO Karim Ouellet, Trente Yann Perreau, Le fantastique des astres Fred Fortin, Ultramarr Koriass, Love Suprême | Quantum Tangle, Tiny Hands Crystal Shawanda, Fish Out of Water Bryden Gwiss Kiwenzie, Round Dance & Beats (Powwow) Silla + Rise, Debut William Prince, Earthly Days |
| Instrumental Album of the Year | International Album of the Year |
| The Fretless, Bird's Nest Sarah Neufeld, The Ridge David Braid, Flow Blitz//Berlin, Movements 1 Pugs & Crows and Tony Wilson, Everyone Knows Everyone | Coldplay, A Head Full of Dreams Rihanna, ANTI Sia, This Is Acting One Direction, Made in the A.M. Ariana Grande, Dangerous Woman |
| Jazz Album of the Year – Solo | Jazz Album of the Year – Group |
| Renee Rosnes, Written in the Rocks Shirantha Beddage, Momentum Seamus Blake, Superconductor Brandi Disterheft, Blue Canvas Mike Janzen, Nudging Forever | Metalwood, Twenty Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, Real Enemies Dave Young Quintet, One Way Up Quinsin Nachoff's FLUX, Flux Order of Canada Band, Sweet Canadiana |
| Vocal Jazz Album of the Year | Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year |
| Bria Skonberg, Bria Matt Dusk & Florence K, Quiet Nights Heather Bambrick, You'll Never Know Barbra Lica, I'm Still Learning Amanda Tosoff, Words | Mandroid Echostar, Coral Throne Devin Townsend Project, Transcendence Protest the Hero, Pacific Myth Despised Icon, Beast Annihilator, Suicide Society |
| Pop Album of the Year | Rock Album of the Year |
| Alessia Cara, Know-It-All Coleman Hell, Summerland Marianas Trench, Astoria Shawn Mendes, Illuminate Tegan and Sara, Love You to Death | The Tragically Hip, Man Machine Poem Arkells, Morning Report Monster Truck, Sittin' Heavy Billy Talent, Afraid of Heights Sam Roberts Band, Terraform |
| Contemporary Roots Album of the Year | Traditional Roots Album of the Year |
| William Prince, Earthly Days Matthew Barber & Jill Barber, The Family Album Lisa LeBlanc, Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen? Corin Raymond, Hobo Jungle Fever Dreams Kacy & Clayton, Strange Country | The East Pointers, Secret Victory Maria Dunn, Gathering The High Bar Gang, Someday the Heart Will Trouble the Mind Jenny Whiteley, The Original Jenny Whiteley Ten Strings and a Goat Skin, Auprès du poêle |
| World Music Album of the Year |
| Okavango African Orchestra, Okavango African Orchestra Lorraine Klaasen, Nouvelle Journée Sultans of String, Subcontinental Drift Turkwaz, Nazar Nomadica, Dance of the Infidels |

### Songs and recordings

| Single of the Year | Classical Composition of the Year |
| The Strumbellas, "Spirits" Alessia Cara, "Wild Things" Drake, "One Dance" feat. Wizkid & Kyla Shawn Mendes, "Treat You Better" The Weeknd, "Starboy" feat. Daft Punk | Jordan Nobles, "Immersion" Christos Hatzis, "Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation" Kati Agócs, "The Debrecen Passion" Ana Sokolović, "And I need a room to receive five thousand people with raised glasses... or... what a glorious day, the birds are singing "halleluia"" Andrew Staniland, "Dark Star Requiem" |
| Dance Recording of the Year | R&B/Soul Recording of the Year |
| Bit Funk, "Off the Ground" feat. Shae Jacobs Adventure Club, "Limitless" feat. Delaney Jane Zeds Dead, Northern Lights Shaun Frank, "Let You Get Away" feat. Ashe Jacques Greene, "You Can't Deny" | The Weeknd, Starboy Daniel Caesar, Pilgrim's Paradise dvsn, Sept. 5 PARTYNEXTDOOR, PARTYNEXTDOOR 3 Tanika Charles, Soul Run |
| Rap Recording of the Year | Reggae Recording of the Year |
| Jazz Cartier, Hotel Paranoia Drake, Views Belly, Another Day in Paradise Tory Lanez, I Told You Tasha the Amazon, Die Every Day | Exco Levi, "Siren" Ammoye, "Sorry" Dubmatix, "Roll 'Dem" feat. Gappy Ranks Blessed, "Cry Every Day" Jay Kartier, "Who Feels It Knows" |

### Other

| Recording Package of the Year | Video of the Year |
| Secret Path - Gord Downie Jonathan Shedletzky (Art Director), Isis Essery (Designer), Jeff Lemire (Illustrator) Art Angels - Grimes Claire Boucher (Art Director, Designer, Illustrator), Rankin (Photographer) L'Heptade - Harmonium John Wellman, Chris Shepherd, Joshua Gearey (Art Directors) Live at Copps - Alexisonfire Justin Ellsworth (Art Director, Designer), Dustin Rabin (Photographer) Oobopopop - Valaire Karim Charlebois-Zariffa (Art Director, Designer), Olivier Charland (Illustrator), Scottie Cameron (Photographer) | "Kill v Maim" - Grimes Claire Boucher "Killa" - Wiwek/Skrillex Jodeb "Lite Spots" - Kaytranada Martin C. Pariseau "R.E.D." feat. Yasiin Bey, Narcy & Black Bear - A Tribe Called Red Yassin "Narcy" Alsalman "The Stranger" - Gord Downie Justin Stephenson |