Safe but slow Junos given life by Tegan and Sara statement, Talk and Charlotte Cardin wins

The 2024 Juno Awards on Sunday rolled along smoothly, but perhaps more tamely than last year's ceremony, without a clear-cut winner or streaker confronting Avril Lavigne on stage.

But over its two nights of roughly 50 trophies, the cere‐ mony culminated with a multi-way tie for most awarded artist, some impres‐ sive live performances - and at least a couple newsworthy moments.

In a glittering space-age outfit, host Nelly Furtado kicked off Sunday night's event with a medley of her biggest songs, going through Say it Right, Maneater, Promiscuous, Give it to Me, Eat Your Man and I'm Like a Bird - a song she also per‐ formed when she last hosted the Junos in 2007.

That performance gave way to music superstar Anne Murray announcing The Beaches as group of the year, as the Junos alumnus joked that many in the audience would be too young to know her and recollected the very first Juno awards.

"It was basically just a great big party," Murray said. "No TV coverage, where lots of people got hammered well, not me, of course."

WATCH | The Juno Awards ceremony closes out weekend of celebrating Canadian music:

The awards ceremony was a professional if some‐ what lacklustre night that on‐ ly featured four music awards. Even so, there were some memorable moments.

Tegan and Sara talked politics on stage

The most noteworthy mo‐ ment may have been the 2024 humanitarian award presented to Tegan and Sara by Halifax native Elliot Page, who introduced the singersongwriters with a powerful statement.

"We are at a time in his‐ tory where the rights of 2SLGTQ+ people are being revoked, restricted and elimi‐ nated throughout the world … the effects of which are devastating," the actor said.

The twin rockers and prior three-time Juno winners were honoured with the award for the Tegan and Sara Founda‐ tion's efforts to support 2SLGBTQ+ youth.

In accepting, they had equally strong words about Alberta's proposed legislation limiting gender-affirming care for young people.

WATCH | Tegan and Sara recieve Humanitarian award:

"If the world were not so hostile to 2SLGBTQ+ people, we would see ourselves purely as musicians," said Sara Quin, who then directly referenced the the coming legislation announced by pre‐ mier Danielle Smith earlier this year.

"These attacks are harm‐ ful because they are directed at the kids who need our support the most," Sara con‐ tinued.

Speaking to CBC News af‐ terward, the Calgary-born sis‐ ters explained their decision to address the situation.

"We're painfully aware that it's not just Alberta, of course. But because it's our home province, it feels like a very particular situation we want to call out," Tegan Quin said.

"I just think that some of these adults, especially the Conservatives, need to keep their noses out of families' business."

When it came to award winners themselves, any‐ one's haul was a far cry from the Weeknd's dominant per‐ formance in 2023. Instead, musicians Charlotte Cardin, Tate McRae, Aysanabee, Tobi, The Beaches and producer Shawn Everett all took home two awards each over the course of the weekend.

The Beaches broke a record

Toronto's The Beaches kicked off the night by taking home the award for group of the year. It was their fourth ca‐ reer win, coming six years af‐ ter their first Juno for break‐ through group and just one day they won rock album of the year.

The group's Sunday win also broke the streak held by fellow nominee Arkells, who have won that category six times before, and for the last three consecutive years more than any group in the history of the Junos.

But when The Beaches ac‐ cepted their prize from Mur‐ ray to loud cheers, they shone a light on another of this year's trends: women's success.

"To all the young girls watching, go start bands with your best friends," guitarist Kylie Miller said to another round of applause.

Of all the winners, Char‐ lotte Cardin stood slightly ahead of the pack. The Mon‐ treal artist led nominees this year and winners last year, and this weekend took home both pop album and album of the year for 99 Nights. Cardin also performed her lead single from that album, Confetti, shortly after receiv‐ ing that second award.

Though absent from the show itself, Tate McRae on Saturday won both artist and single of the year for Greedy. It was a belated triumph for the Calgary singer-song‐ writer, who has been nomi‐ nated every year since 2021 but had never before taken home a trophy.

Talk surprised by break‐ through win

While he only won a single award, Ottawa's Talk (real name Nick Durocher) had a night more triumphant than most. Just a few years after finding himself out of work and back living in his parents' basement, the glam-rock singer took to Canada's biggest stage to accept the trophy for breakthrough ar‐ tist.

After performing the viral earworm that got him there, Run Away to Mars, Durocher seemed to barely believe he'd been selected - beating out the likes of Lu Kala, Con‐ nor Price and Karan Aujla.

"I put my hair up. I thought I was done for the night after the performance," Durocher said, laughing. And after thanking his band‐ mates, fans and family, he had a few loud words for the auditorium.

"To all of you for listening and loving everything I have to say, thank you. Halifax, it's time to party!"

Indigenous representa‐ tion boom

Elsewhere, artists cele‐ brated a milestone for the awards: the most Indigenous artists ever nominated at the Junos. Though he himself did not win, it was something singer and composer Jeremy Dutcher - who performed on Sunday with a large group of fellow Indigenous artists spoke of on the red carpet ahead of the show.

"When I was in London in 2019, six nominees," Dutcher told CBC reporter Eli Glasner. "We got 33 this year, in many categories - not just the In‐ digenous categories … That's the shift, that's the transfor‐ mation. And it's something to celebrate, and tonight we're here to celebrate it."

Aysanabee was among those winners, having taken home his first two trophies for songwriter and alterna‐ tive album of the year on Sat‐ urday.

But perhaps the biggest surprise of Sunday night was fan choice winner Karan Au‐ jla. The Punjabi Canadian singer had some tough com‐ petition: Tate McRae, Daniel Caesar, Charlotte Cardin and the Weeknd.

But after performing his song Admirin' You earlier in the night, Aujla was all smile. He held the award above his head.

"Sometimes, I just can't believe I'm that same kid that lost his parents when he was in India, made my way out to Canada - this beautiful coun‐ try - and today I'm here," he said.

"I just want to end by say‐ ing this: if you are dreaming, make sure you dream big."

WATCH | Karan Aujla wins TikTok Juno fan choice:

Full list of Sunday night winners:

Group of the year: The Beaches; Walk off the Earth; Nickelback; Lould Luxury; Arkells

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

Breakthrough artist of the year Talk; Connor Price; Karan Aujla; Lu Kala; Shubh

TikTok Juno fan choice

Karan Aujla; Shubh; Tate McRae; the Weeknd; Thx‐ SoMch; Walk off the Earth; Charlotte Cardin; Daniel Cae‐ sar; DVBBS; Josh Ross