lifestyle MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017 MUSIC & MOVIES Gord Downie wins three Junos at music awards gala dinner Saturday night
Adam Cohen, son of Leonard Cohen accepts the award on behalf of his father for the Artist of the Year.
The Strumbellas win Single of the Year with “Spirits” during the Juno Awards gala at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, Canada. —AP/AFP photos
rake struck out in the first round of by the the Junos. The legendary singer-song- Weekend snagged the award for R&B/soul Juno Awards that were handed out writer-poet was crowned artist of the year, recording of the year for his album Starboy. He DSaturday during a gala dinner at ahead of Drake, Alessia Cara, Shawn Mendes was not present to accept it. It was Jazz Cartier’s Ottawa’s Shaw Centre. The rap superstar, who and The Weeknd. Hotel Paranoia album that upset Drake’s View did not show up for the festivities, lost the Cohen’s son, singer-songwriter Adam as the year’s best rap award, and also beat out artist of the year Juno to the late Leonard Cohen accepted the award on his father’s Belly, Tasha the Amazon and Tory Lanez. Cohen, watched single of the year go the behalf. “Many international artists find excuses “I didn’t expect to beat Drake, but y’all been Strumbellas’ tune Spirits, and even failed to to not participate in the Junos,” he joked. “I snubbing him all night so it should go to me,” reel in the rap trophy. It went to Jazz Cartier, think he’s found the best one yet.” Cohen the Toronto hiphop artist joked as he accepted another Toronto hiphop artist. That left the added that his father was “suspicious of peo- the award. Indigenous artists were celebrated The Dirty Nil accept the award for Breakthrough Group of the Year. Tragically Hip’s frontman Gord Downie as the ple who didn’t understand how great Canada at the gala, and not only in the indigenous- night’s big winner. The singer-songwriter, who is. So thank you, Canada.” He also said his music category, which was won by Yellowknife is fighting terminal brain cancer, received father represented people who are still griev- duo Quantum Tangle for its album Tiny Hands. three Juno Awards, including rock album of ing, consoling themselves and him. As for his Earthly Days by Winnipeg-based indigenous the year for the Hip’s Man Machine Poem. own loss, Cohen said: “I’m just taking my meds artist William Prince, who performed at the Downie’s own album, Secret Path, a con- and suppressing my feelings and trying to gala, won contemporary roots album of the cept album about Chanie Wenjack, an speak as clearly and eloquently as possible, year. The award “validates me as a singer, not Anishinaabe boy who died in 1966 while try- given my pedigree.” just as an identity,” Prince told reporters. ing to return home after escaping from an Indian residential school, won two awards - Huge and enormous Inspirational speech the adult alternative album award and the The Strumbellas, the Toronto-based, family- The large-ensemble classical album of the award for recording package. Secret Path, friendly indie rockers, were astonished when year award went to Steve Wood and the which raised funds through its sales for the their song, Spirits, not only beat Drake, but also Northern Cree Singers and Tanya Tagaq for University of Manitoba’s National Centre for Cara, Mendes and The Weeknd. In fact, they their album Going Home Star - Truth and Truth and Reconciliation project, came with a were so sure they didn’t have a chance that Reconciliation. “We did pretty good tonight,” graphic novel. Downie was not in Ottawa to frontman Simon Ward didn’t bother wearing Buffy Sainte-Marie remarked to reporters receive his Junos. Leonard Cohen, who died shoes when he went to the podium. He’d taken backstage, after giving an inspirational speech four months ago, was conferred a final honor them off after dinner, and didn’t think he need- to accept this year’s Allan Waters ed to put them back on. Humanitarian award. The producer of the year “We legitimately didn’t think we were going award went to Ottawa-based DJ crew A Tribe to win,” said band member Isabel Ritchie. “The Called Red, the Junos’ breakthrough artist of nominees we were up against were so excep- the year in 2014. “Being a producer in the tional and huge and enormous.” “We heard if electronic world is different than an audio you beat Drake, you become Drake,” kidded the engineer, so to get recognition as an electron- Strumbellas’ Dave Ritter. Drake did win the tro- ic producer in that world, it’s pretty awesome,” Paul Langlois and Rob Baker of The Tragically Hip accept the Rock Album of the Year. phy for international achievement. The said ATCR’s Ian Campeau. won his fifth consecutive Juno for reggae Two of the Juno’s jazz awards went to B.C.- recording. “Just to be honoured here in raised female artists who for left Canada to Canada among all these beautiful people is The winners are: pursue their music in New York. The vocal jazz amazing,” Levi told reporters. “I wouldn’t trade album award went to Chilliwack-raised singer- Canada for nowhere else.” Sarah McLachlan, Single of the Year trumpeter Bria Skonberg for her crowd-fund- who is to be the 2017 inductee into the Spirits by the Strumbellas ed album. The solo jazz album of the year Canadian Music Hall of Fame, won adult con- award went to North Vancouver-raised pianist temporary album of the year for Wonderland, International Album of the Year Renee Rosnes, winning her fifth Juno for her a Christmas album she recorded with the A Head Full of Dreams by Coldplay album Written in the Rocks. At the podium, members of Half Moon Run. Rosnes gave a shoutout to her high school Near the end of the night, the Hip’s Paul Artist of the Year music teacher, Bob Rebagliati. “He has three Langlois and Rob Baker accepted the award Leonard Cohen Juno nominees here tonight,” Rosnes said. for rock album of the year. Langlois gave a “Thank you Reb, for everything you’ve given shoutout to the other bands in the category, Breakthrough Group of the year me.” Metalwood, the veteran electric jazz while Baker saluted July Talk for reminding The Dirty Nil group whose album Twenty won group jazz him what it’s like to be a fan. Langlois also had album of the year, includes a Vancouver-raised some advice for those who didn’t win: Adult Alternative Album of the Year bassist, Chris Tarry, who lives in New York, and “Sometimes not getting picked can make you Secret Path by Gord Downie an Ottawa-raised drummer, Ian Froman, who stronger,” he said. It was good advice for Drake. lives in New Jersey. New York “is the mecca of The remaining Juno Awards will be handed Alternative Album of the Year our music,” Rosnes told reporters. “And a lot of out Sunday night during the live-TV event at Touch by July Talk Canadian musicians go there and learn and the Canadian Tire Centre, to be hosted by end up staying. We have a great love for Paul Reddick and his wife joke around for Bria Skonberg poses with a Juno award Bryan Adams and Russell Peters. Drake still has Rock Album of the Year after winning the award for Vocal Jazz Canada, and we come back very often.” a shot at two of this year’s awards, album of Man Machine Poem by the Tragically Hip photographers after he won the Juno award Jamaica-born, Toronto-based Exco Levi for Blues Album of the Year. Album of the Year. the year and Fan Choice.-www.ottawasun.com Vocal jazz album of the year Bria by Bria Skonberg
Jazz album of the year, solo Written in the Rocks by Renee Rosnes
Jazz album of the year, group Twenty by Metalwood
Instrumental album of the year Bird’s Nest by The Fretless
Rap recording of the year Hotel Paranoia by Jazz Cartier
Dance recording of the year Off the Group ft Shae Jacobs, Bit Funk
R&B/Soul recording of the year Starboy by The Weeknd
Reggae recording of the year Siren by Exco Levi
Blues album of the year Ride the One by Paul Reddick
World music album of the year Okavango African Orchestra
Video of the year Kill v Maim by Grimes
Metal/hard music album of the year Kaytranada poses with a Juno after win- Coral Throne by Mandroid Echostar. July Talk accepts the Alternative Album of the Year. ning for the Electronic Album of the Year.