MORISSETTE IN HALL OF FAME
Weeknd, Leonard Cohen win Junos
Kiesza, Morissette among winners
Enigmatic R&B singer The Weeknd and 80-year-old music legend Leonard Cohen took top honours at the 2015 Juno Awards, winning artist and album of the year, respectively. Hamilton rockers The Arkells, pop group Magic! and dance sensation Kiesza also took home prizes at the awards ceremony.
Canada’s musical legends cast a long, tall shadow upon its upand-comers at the Canadian music industry’s biggest night, with Cohen’s win and Alanis Morissette being inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame. The 40-year-old Ottawa-born Ironic singer closed the show with a medley of hits older than breakthrough artist nominee Shawn Mendes.
Held at Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre and hosted by Hedley singer Jacob Hoggard, the show was noticeably void of many of Canada’s biggest chart successes, with mostnominated artists Nickelback, Drake and performer Deadmau5 getting shut out, though Billboard toppers Magic!, hometown heroes The Arkells and The Weeknd each took home two awards. Justin Bieber was absent, though former host Junos host Michael Bublé managed to make an appearance in the pre-recorded opening segment, but was absent in accepting his fan choice award. Also making a surprise appearance in the opening was Prime Minister Stephen Harper, giving advice to Hoggard in a pre-recorded video, alongside Sam Roberts and The Trailer Park Boys.
After an opening performance by Hedley that included so many fireworks that it set off the fire alarm at FirstOntario Centre, The Arkells took home the night’s first award, for rock album of the year.
“Our first show was 10 minutes away from here at McMaster (University),” singer Max Kerman said during the acceptance speech. Speaking backstage after the band’s performance with the National Academy Orchestra of Canada, Kerman was in particularly good spirits, joking that the band would now retire. “Broken Social Scene does that all the time,” he said. “It’s a great marketing move.”
Outspoken singer Tanya Tagaq squealed with excitement while announcing Cohen’s best album win, but the Montreal-born Cohen could not attend to share her glee.
But Magic!’s, whose earworm Rude won the group single of the year over Drake’s Hold On, We’re Going Home, seemed omnipresent in matching outfits, performing their hit, presenting and accepting in matching bicoloured outfits. “We’re like the Olsen twins of reggae,” lead singer Nasri said.
Speaking in the media room after the show, Nasri said of Rude’s success, “as long as it doesn’t become the national anthem, we’ll be fine ... I never thought Rude would be a hit. I thought we should pull this off the album.”
“We didn’t make (the song) reggae for any reason. It wasn’t like, ‘Hey man, reggae means money. Toronto has a huge Jamaican population,” Nasri said. “Everyone has a friend from the island. I used to go to clubs all the time and hear Sean Paul.”
Hideaway singer Kiesza, who won breakthrough artist of the year, took home the most Junos, winning three awards between the telecast and the gala held the previous night. The Weeknd, Magic! and indie rocker Bahamas each took two.
Kiesza said she was overwhelmed with the song’s success, owing in large part to the video, which has been viewed more than 200 million times on YouTube. “I only expected my Facebook friends to see the video,” the Calgary-based singer said backstage.
Ottawa-born Alanis Morissette, whose seminal album Jagged Little Pill turns 20 this year, was also honoured with an induction to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. “There’s something more than fluoride in the water,” the multiple Juno and Grammy winner said in her acceptance speech, during which the 40-year-old recalled meeting a fan who loved “that song about being in love with my lesbian teacher.”
“It was so vulnerable and beautifully pathetic,” Morissette reflected after the show on the album’s success. “I have absolutely no idea (why it has had this kind of impact).”
Speaking on the current state of Canadian music, the new Hall of Fame inductee said, “I love Justin (Bieber). As an artist, I don’t have to worry about Canada.”
Michael Bublé, who is currently in Dubai, took home the fan choice award, beating out Drake, Nickelback and Arcade Fire.
The evening’s final award, artist of the year, went to Toronto’s The Weeknd, who did not release an album this year but had a single featured in the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. The shy singer appeared briefly in the media room to read a prepared speech telling fans to “look out for (his) new album.”
Harper wasn’t the only politician getting in on the musical action. Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi announced his city was to host the Junos next year, later offering himself as the ideal host during a Q&A in the media room.
The telecast also included performances by Shawn Mendes, Bobby Bazini, Deadmau5 with Colleen D’Agostino and Lights with the Sam Roberts Band.
For a complete list of winners at the 2015 Juno Awards, including biographies and images, go to Junoawards.ca.