Cohen crowned artist of the year
LYNN SAXBERG and PETER HUM
POSTMEDIA NEWS
Drake struck out in the first round of Juno Awards that were handed out Saturday during a gala dinner at Ottawa’s Shaw Centre.
The rap superstar, who did not show up for the festivities, lost the artist of the year Juno to the late Leonard Cohen, watched single of the year go the Strumbellas’ tune and even failed to reel in the rap trophy. It went to Jazz Cartier, another Toronto hiphop artist.
That left the Tragically Hip’s frontman Gord Downie as the night’s big winner. The singersongwriter, who is fighting terminal brain cancer, received three Juno Awards, including rock album of the year for the Hip’s Downie’s own album,
a concept album about Chanie Wenjack, an Anishinaabe boy who died in 1966 while trying to return home after escaping from an Indian residential school, won two awards — the adult alternative album award and the award for recording package.
which raised funds through its sales for the University of Manitoba’s National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation project, came with a graphic novel.
Downie was not in Ottawa to receive his Junos. Leonard Cohen, who died four months ago, was conferred a final honour by the the Junos. The legendary singersongwriter-poet was crowned artist of the year, ahead of Drake, Alessia Cara, Shawn Mendes and The Weeknd.
Cohen’s son, singer-songwriter Adam Cohen accepted the award on his father’s behalf. “Many international artists find excuses to not participate in the Junos,” he joked. “I think he’s found the best one yet.”
Cohen added that his father was “suspicious of people who didn’t understand how great Canada is. So thank you, Canada.”
He also said his father represented people who are still grieving, consoling themselves and him. As for his own loss, Cohen said: “I’m just taking my meds and suppressing my feelings and trying to speak as clearly and eloquently as possible, given my pedigree.”
The Strumbellas, the Torontobased, family-friendly indie rockers, were astonished when their song, Spirits, not only beat Drake, but also Cara, Mendes and The Weeknd.
In fact, they were so sure they didn’t have a chance that frontman Simon Ward didn’t bother wearing shoes when he went to the podium. He’d taken them off after dinner, and didn’t think he needed to put them back on.
“We legitimately didn’t think we were going to win,” said band member Isabel Ritchie. “The nominees we were up against were so exceptional and huge and enormous.”
“We heard if you beat Drake, you become Drake,” kidded the Strumbellas’ Dave Ritter.
Drake did win the trophy for international achievement.
The Weeknd snagged the award for R&B/soul recording of the year for his album He was not present to accept it.
It was Jazz Cartier’s Hotel Paranoia album that upset Drake’s View as the year’s best rap award, and also beat out Belly, Tasha the Amazon and Tory Lanez.
“I didn’t expect to beat Drake, but y’all been snubbing him all night so it should go to me,” the Toronto hiphop artist joked as he accepted the award.
Indigenous artists were celebrated at the gala, and not only in the indigenous-music category, which was won by Yellowknife duo Quantum Tangle for its album Tiny Hands.