Who will be the major winners?
Who will leave the Juno stage on a high note Sunday night?
While artists and industry insiders like to talk about how the Juno Awards are a celebration of the creative community, they also like to say the annual event isn’t a popularity contest.
Sorry, but the truth is that it’s all about the big win. If the awards didn’t matter, you wouldn’t see musicians add the phrase “Juno Award-winning ” to their promotional materials once they’ve got one. Plus, we all watch awards shows to see if our top choices will pick up a statue. It’s a timehonoured tradition to choose the winners and then — often — be totally bummed about the end result.
Here are our predictions for the five main categories at the 2018 Juno Awards:
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Nominees: A Tribe Called Red, Alvvays, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene.
Should win: Alvvays.
Will win: Arcade Fire.
Why: Arcade Fire remains one of the biggest Canadian acts with international pull, and Juno likes that angle — a lot. Too much, even. Because Alvvays’ jangle pop on Antisocialities built on the buzz generated by 2014’s super self-titled debut in every way. It seems hard to imagine that this race comes down to anyone else than Arcade Fire.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Nominees: Arcade Fire, Everything Now; Johnny Reid, Revival; Michael Bublé, Nobody But Me; Ruth B, Safe Haven; Shania Twain, Now. Should win: Ruth B.
Will win: Arcade Fire.
Why: Always one of the more intriguing categories, album of the year favours proven artists with solid sales records. Previous winners include some of the biggest-selling Canadian acts of all time. The winner in the category almost always performs during the broadcast, as well. While Safe Haven showcases new artist Ruth B’s big, soulful voice and serious songwriting chops, Arcade Fire is still an international music giant. Everything Now had impressive chart placement all over the world. Honourable mention to Reid, whose Revival hits all the same marks as Ruth B’s release.
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Nominees: Daniel Caesar, Gord Downie, Lights, Ruth B, Shania Twain.
Should win: Daniel Caesar.
Will win: Gord Downie.
Why: Caesar’s neo-soul is exceptional. At a time when the blunted, electro/rap-R&B hybrid is globally dominant, this Oshawa, Ont., vocalist’s debut Freudian serves up some really smooth sounds with much more organic textures. Without a doubt, he’s on his way. But up against Downie’s legacy, can anyone stand a chance? It’s the last year for the late Tragically Hip vocalist to be nominated in a category like this. C’mon, even the prime minister cried in public over Downie’s passing. (Special mention must be made of Lights’ ambitious and successful graphic novel/ album concept executed with true artistic vision.)
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Nominees: Alessia Cara, How Far I’ll Go; Arcade Fire, Everything Now; Arkells, Knocking at the Door; The Weeknd, I Feel It Coming (featuring Daft Punk); and Shawn Mendes, There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back.
Should win: The Weeknd.
Will win: The Weeknd.
Why: Simply put, no other song in this category comes close to I Feel It Coming. This is a tune that will be in regular rotation years from now. That isn’t the case for any of the other nominees. From the lyrics to the stupidly groovy hook of the chorus, the combined talents of The Weeknd and Daft Punk have come up with a jewel of a tune. The truth is, the French duo has an enviable record of crafting classic collaborations with urban artists and already had a killer collaboration with The Weeknd on Starboy.
BREAKTHROUGH GROUP OF THE YEAR
Nominees: James Barker Band, The Beaches, The Dead South, The Franklin Electric, The Jerry Cans. Should win: The Jerry Cans.
Will win: The Jerry Cans.
Why: Over the years, this category has been one of the most open in terms of how judges vote. It also has a tendency to reflect emerging trends in Canadian music. Broken down in that way, the James Barker Band is a super solid and traditional country group, The Beaches all-female garage rock is cool but very heard-it-before, The Dead South is excellent but maybe a tad too traditional and bluegrass-y to carry all the judges, and The Franklin Electric is a quiet, melodic pop band.
Then come The Jerry Cans. Not only does the group hail from that rock ’n’ roll hotbed of Iqaluit, Nunavut, it has managed to create a mix of traditional Inuit throat singing, folk/country/blues, humour and pathos that is both exotic and exciting. Since A Tribe Called Red broke the Indigenous music album of the year barrier by winning electronic album of the year in 2017, it’s a new playing field for Indigenous musicians at the Junos. The Jerry Cans are perfectly positioned to win this.