Each year, the best of Canadian music is celebrated at the JUNO Awards, better known as the JUNOS. What began as an award show has slowly morphed into a performance spectacular with a sprinkling of awards throughout. Nonetheless, on Sunday, March 29, the JUNOS were Hamilton’s must-have ticket, and The Brock Press was lucky enough to be in attendance.
The JUNOS returned to Hamilton for the first time since 2015, hosted by Mae Martin in the newly renovated TD Coliseum. The JUNOS bring together the best of Canada’s homegrown talent for a night of unforgettable celebration and special recognition.
Opening the evening, the JUNOS showed that the night was one for the history books as Rush took the stage for the first time since the passing of Hamilton-born drummer Neil Peart in 2020. Geddy Lee’s live vocals did not disappoint, and Anika Nilles, filling in as the band’s drummer, gave a sentimental and impressive solo in Peart’s absence.
Although much of the audience had sadly only heard of the Toronto band by name, younger attendees almost certainly went home with a new appreciation for the quintessential Canadian rock band.
After Rush had taken the stage, the evening’s host, Mae Martin, delivered a crowd-pleasing monologue in the earnest, lighthearted comedy style that they have become known for. While discussing touring in the United States, Martin remarked how grateful they were to be back in Canada, performing for people “who care more about which hockey team I support than which gender I am.”
Foreshadowing the big-ticket item of the evening, Martin jokingly remarked that their parents were in attendance as the camera panned to the evening’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Joni Mitchell and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Those two names alone could justify their own two-hour broadcast, but the JUNO Awards had so much more in store in such little time. As most of the awards had been handed out at the prior evening’s JUNO Awards Gala, only a few notable awards remained to be presented.
First to be recognized was Daniel Caesar, who received the International Achievement Award. Having become a global sensation, it’s easy to see why. Caesar’s longtime collaborator and close friend Mustafa presented him with the award, giving a touching tribute about their differing background but joint lives as Canadians.
After receiving his award, Caesar and Mustafa performed an acoustic rendition of “Who Knows,” a song off of Caesar’s 2025 release Son of Spergy. Performing from the Level 100 seats, Caesar’s voice filled the coliseum — a change of pace from the rock kick the audience had just received, but one they resonated with just as fully.
Shortly after Caesar’s touching performance, JUNOS favourite The Beaches took the main stage to perform a stripped-back rendition of “Lesbian of the Year” from their 2025 album No Hard Feelings. Accompanied by Strings From Paris, the Toronto classical collective, the performance featured a truly breathtaking vocal showing from lead singer Jordan Miller. The Beaches had barely gotten off the stage when the JUNOS for Group of the Year was awarded to the band for the third year running.
Hamilton hometown favourites Arkells performed their new single “Ride” with American band Grouplove. The single will appear on the band’s upcoming ninth album Between Us. Despite the upbeat song and interesting staging choices, sound issues and breath control made it difficult to hear the duet between lead singer Max Kerman and Grouplove’s Hannah Hooper.
Accepting the award for Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year, Daniel Caesar took the main stage with his father for a heartfelt speech, remarking, “I want to say thank you to my dad — this is Spergy, right here […] and to my mom.”
Breakthrough Artist nominees Sofia Camara and MICO took the stage next, with MICO performing “Lovesick” and Camara singing “Girls Like You.” Standing atop a pile of clothes and belting out the pop-punk track, MICO understood the assignment, delivering one of the strongest vocal performances of the evening.
The night also served as the official celebration for Nelly Furtado, the newest inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Following a touching tribute video, Drake set aside his previous “beef” with the JUNOS to deliver a heartfelt tribute to Furtado before countless Canadian artists took the stage to perform in her honour.
Performances included Lido Pimienta singing “Say It Right,” Tanya Tagaq throat-singing her rendition of “Powerless,” Jully Black performing “Turn Off the Light,” and closing out with Alessia Cara singing “I’m Like a Bird.” Furtado watched from the audience, dancing with tears welling in her eyes.
Taking the stage, the Victoria-born pop and R&B legend gave a moving speech about what it means to be Canadian and the honour of living the Canadian dream. Furtado specifically gave a shoutout to the “Black music community,” who she said, “gave me so many opportunities and believed in me.”
Rounding off the evening, Hamilton educator Raquel McIntosh was honoured as MusiCounts Teacher of the Year.
Country artist Cameron Whitcomb also took the stage, belting out his social-media hit “Options,” marking his JUNO Awards debut and shortly after, winning the JUNOS for Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
The penultimate performance of the evening saw William Prince take the stage, performing a rendition of his recent release “For the First Time.” Prince’s vocals were wonderful to hear and, like many performances throughout the evening, highlighted just how diverse and talented Canada’s music scene truly is.
Taking the stage for the final award of the evening, Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a touching tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Joni Mitchell. While receiving her award, Mitchell gave a slight dig at the U.S., remarking on how lucky Canada is to have Mark Carney as Prime Minister.
Shortly following her speech, Allison Russell and Sarah McLachlan joined forces to perform a medley of “A Case of You” and “Both Sides Now.” Hearing their joint harmonies live, it was abundantly clear that McLachlan’s vocal abilities remain as strong as ever, solidifying her as one of Canada’s greatest vocalists of all time.
Finishing the rendition, Mitchell herself joined Russell and McLachlan on stage for the night’s final song, “Big Yellow Taxi,” accompanied by nearly every performer of the evening.
The JUNO Awards were an exciting ride. Seeing them live not only offered an excellent view of Canada’s rising stars and the artists who have defined generations but also gave me a deeper appreciation for the stage crew and everyone working behind the scenes to make such an incredibly packed two-hour show run without a hitch.
If this year’s ceremony proved anything, it’s that Canadian music continues to thrive both on and off the stage. If you missed this year’s JUNOS, you can stream them on CBC Gem. Next year’s celebration is set to take place in Winnipeg, Manitoba.