Arcade Fire gets Juno noms
Organizers say Drake not on list because he didn’t submit for consideration
TORONTO — Arcade Fire and Jessie Reyez are the leading nominees for this year’s Juno Awards in Vancouver.
Arcade Fire is in the running for best group, single, album and alternative album.
Toronto- born Reyez is nominated for best R& B/ soul recording, best music video, breakthrough artist of the year and the Juno Fan Choice award.
The late Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie, the Arkells, Ruth B and Hedley have three nominations apiece.
The Juno Awards will be hosted by pop crooner Michael Buble and airs March 25 on CBC.
Performers are set to include Reyez, Daniel Caeser and Hedley, while a tribute to Downie is also planned.
During Tuesday’s announcement, Junos president Allan Reid acknowledged criticisms that the Canadian music industry suffers from a lack of female representation.
Last year’s nominations spawned the Twitter hashtag # JunosSoMale while the show’s host Russell Peters came under fire for calling Heritage Minister Melanie Joly “hot” and making jokes that critics said sexualized women.
Junos organizers later apologized and said they did not “in any way support, nor did we sanction, the off- script remarks.”
“There are very important conversations happening in our world right now around gender equality and sexual harassment,” said Reid, who is also president of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
“It is critical that we work collectively as an industry to support a larger representation of women in music and encourage a culture that nurtures their participation and success.”
He said the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which administers the Juno Awards, is working to open up technical career paths for women in the industry and better support artist development.
Notably absent from the nominations is chart- topping rapper Drake — organizers said he did not submit for consideration.
Reyez’s four nominations are linked to her debut Kiddo, which was released last April and also led to best new Canadian artist and fan fave video nominations at the iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards. She closed the year with a performance on the CBC’s New Year’s Eve broadcast.
Last month she was featured by her label Universal Music Group at a pre- Grammys showcase in New York with other artists including Luis Fonsi, Logic, Migos, Julia Michaels and Kacey Musgraves.
Here’s a look at the nominees in some of the top categories:
Single of the year
How Far I’ll Go by Alessia Cara Everything Now by Arcade Fire Knocking at the Door by the Arkells
There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes
I Feel It Coming by the Weeknd
Album of the year
Everything Now by Arcade Fire Nobody But Me by Michael Buble
Revival by Johnny Reid
Safe Haven by Ruth B
Now by Shania Twain
Artist of the year
Daniel Caesar Gord Downie Lights
Ruth B
Shania Twain
Group of the year
Alvvays
Arcade Fire
Broken Social Scene
Hedley
A Tribe Called Red files from The Associated Press