While Justin Bieber went into Juno weekend as one of the most nominated artists with six nods, he failed to take home any of them during the gala. Fellow pop star Tate McRae instead took four of those Junos home, sweeping album of the year, artist of the year, single of the year and pop album of the year.

The 2026 Juno Awards Gala took place on March 28, co-hosted by CBC Music Mornings host Damhnait Doyle and CBC Music Afterdark host Odario Williams. In total, 47 awards were given out on Saturday night, including some history-making wins and several first-time winners.

While neither Bieber nor McRae were at the gala to see their results, they are both still up for TD Juno Fan Choice at the Juno Awards on Sunday, March 29, where the remaining four awards will be handed out.

Toronto R&B singer Daniel Caesar won the first award of the night, for songwriter of the year.

He beat out Bieber, Tate McRae, the Beaches and Jessie Reyez. Caesar wasn’t in attendance, but he will take the stage at the Juno Awards to receive the International Achievement Award and perform music from his Juno-winning album Son of Spergy. 

WATCH | Aysanabee wins contemporary Indigenous artist of the year, possibly for the last time:

Aysanabee won for both alternative album of the year and contemporary Indigenous artist of the year. During his win for the latter, he thanked his all-women team (“Some of the most badass women in the industry,” he noted).

This is his second time nominated in that category and his first and possibly last time winning, because he said that he won’t be submitting to this category again in the future in order to make space for other Indigenous artists. “I still will be coming for the white people awards,” he added with a laugh.

Billy Talent receives the Humanitarian Award

Toronto band Billy Talent was honoured with the Humanitarian Award this year for the band’s work over the past 25 years with various charities and organizations such as War Child and Kids Help Phone. The bandmates have also raised money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, which is especially personal as drummer Aaron Solowoniuk has been living with MS since he was 24 years old. 

WATCH | Billy Talent receives the Humanitarian Award at the 2026 Junos:

Sum 41’s Cone McCaslin and Dave Baksh introduced the band, calling Billy Talent “one of the nicest, kindest and most humble bands we’ve ever met.”

Singer Ben Kowalewicz praised Solowoniuk, who “fought every day to keep his MS from interfering with his passion for drumming.” In 2011, Solowoniuk created his own charity called F.U.MS for kids dealing with MS, and it has raised over $700,000. 

Kowalewicz concluded his speech by thanking punk-rock for shaping their sense of community and teaching them “the delicate art form of not giving a f–k and giving a f–k at the same time.” He also pointed out the current state of the world “where people are threatening our sovereignty as a nation,” and urged people to “remember what it means to be Canadian, to recognize and respect our Indigenous communities … that we are all bound together by this beautiful and interconnected tapestry called Canada and that our differences are what makes us stronger.” 

The Beaches and Sadboi are Canada down

“The Junos truly is the highlight of our year every year,” Eliza McDaniel told the media room after the band won rock album of the year for No Hard Feelings. It was the Toronto band’s third win in this category since 2022. “It’s just so amazing to be immersed in the Canadian music scene,” she said, noting they’ll never feel as loved and supported as they do in Canada. The band is in the middle of a world tour, and flew back after several stops in Australia to make it to the Junos. 

McDaniel’s fellow bandmates, Jordan Miller and Leandra Earl, chimed in and joked that all their Juno wins also give their parents something to brag about. “Our parents love telling their friends we keep winning Junos,” Earl said, and Miller jumped in saying, “We didn’t do school so this gives them something to be proud about. No diplomas but six Junos.” 

WATCH | Sadboi accepts the award for rap album/EP of the year:

Toronto hip-hop, R&B and electronic artist Sadboi won rap album/EP of the year for her EP Dry Cry, and was presented with her statue by two oversized fuzzy monsters, in one of the stranger moments of the night. 

Sadboi shared her Canadian pride in the media room, reflecting on the importance of being recognized at home with her win for rap album/EP.

“I tell everyone, ‘I’m Canadian, I’m Canadian, I’m Canadian,’” she said. “I’m just happy to be Canadian.”

Debby Friday, Aaron Paris, more take home 1st Junos

Early on in the show, Toronto-based duo Kazdoura, made up of Syrian singer Leen Hamo and Lebanese Canadian multi-instrumentalist John Abou Chacra, won their first Juno for global music album of the year.

“Nine years ago I came from Syria with heartbreak and uncertainty, but with a big hope and responsibility,” Hamo said in her speech. “My dream was always to create something that my community can see themselves in.”

“We wanna dedicate this award to all refugees, and to our people back home in Lebanon, Syria — thank you, thank you — who deserve a life of dignity and a life and a future free from suffering. Thank you so much,” Chacra added.

Aaron Paris, a past Juno nominee for Jack Richardson producer of the year, won his first Juno for instrumental album of the year for Lotusland. Paris works with his collective, Strings From Paris, which has been featured on Bridgerton, and has worked on albums by Ariana Grande, Kehlani and more doing songwriting and producing.

Debby Friday won for Bet On Me, for dance single of the year. She thanked her fans and her team, as well as her collaborators, and her partner, Kevin.

“For all artists out there, you just have to tell the truth and make it beautiful,” she said.

In the media room, Friday told CBC Music she was in shock. “I’m very grateful, I feel like the Junos is a Canadian royalty thing,” she said.

“It’s nice to know the industry is paying attention to what’s happening in Canada, uplifting people and showing them that, ‘Hey we hear you, we’re listening,'” she added, when asked about what awards such as the Junos and the Polaris Music Prize, which Friday won in 2024, meant to her.

Toronto-born filmmaker Karena Evans won the award for music video of the year for luther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA. She gave a shout-out to “the geniuses Kendrick and SZA for their culture-shifting artistry, shout-out to Canadian artistry and Canadian artists.” Evans has previously directed music videos for Drake, Coldplay and Chloe Bailey.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Director X, who is so pivotal to my standing on this stage and being here,” Evans said, when asked about her influences in the media room. She continued describing her mentorship with the celebrated Canadian music video director: “I started as an intern at his company in 2014, and he and Taj [Critchlow] took me under their wing.

Cameron Whitcomb’s debut album, The Hard Way, took home the country album of the year Juno, marking his first win. He was absent, but went into the evening with a whopping five nominations, trailing only Bieber and McRae.

Tobias Jesso Jr., who was also absent, won his first Juno for songwriter of the year, non-performer. It was the Vancouver musician’s third time being nominated in a songwriting category, and he won for his contributions to Bieber’s Swag II, Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving and Rosalia’s Lux.  

Lou-Adriane Cassidy also won her first ever Juno, for francophone album of the year, for her third album, Journal d’un Loup-Garou. The Quebec City artist has been racking up awards in the last year, having taken home 12 Félix Awards at Quebec’s annual music industry event in November, and having her now Juno-winning album shortlisted for the 2025 Polaris Music Prize. 

Begonia and Bahamas surprisingly tied for adult alternative album of the year, which hasn’t occurred at the Junos since 2006 when the Black Eyed Peas and Coldplay tied for international album. 

Begonia has previously lost to Bahamas twice in this category. The two teased the possibility of a collaboration in the future, now that they share an award. “It would be my honour,” said Afie Jurvanen, a.k.a. Bahamas. “If one of you have a guitar right now we can make that happen. I’m sure you’ll see us do some music down the road. I think it’ll happen, we’re working on it.

Hip-hop wins decades in the making

Hip-hop legend Saukrates was first nominated for a Juno in 1996, for his debut song Still Caught Up. Four nominations and 30 years later he finally won his first Juno, for rap single of the year for his track with Tobi and Jully Black, Who’s Driving You?.

Four-time Juno winner and rapper Tobi took the mic first during their acceptance speech. “I want to say thank you to Jully Black and Saukrates, I grew up listening to these guys on the radio and they were so iconic to me,” he said. “I listened to their voices growing up so to do this with them is so beautiful.”

WATCH | Tobi, Jully Black and Saukrates make Junos history:

Jully Black took the mic next and, as the music turned up to play her offstage, she was having none of it. “Turn off the music. Turn off that music. Fade that music all the way back down,” she said. “Thirty years ago, Choclair put me on a track called What It Takes. Thirty years later, I’m standing here because Tobi decided not to just take the song and run forward, but to pass the baton back to the legacy artists. So I wanna give thanks Tobi, and for everybody in here there is absolutely no retirement in purpose. Continue to support the arts, we need the funding as you all know. And Saukrates, this genius. Say something.”

“It’s been a long time comin’. It brings me to slight tears,” Saukrates said, as Black passed him the mic. “I came to Hamilton when I was 17, nominated in 1995 with my first single called Still Caught Up, and I lost to Ghetto Concept, which was awesome. And then I came back to Hamilton in 2015 and I lost to Rich Kidd, which was awesome. And tonight I gotta thank the universe, my parents, my wife, Alannah, my son, Dakota, Tobi, Jully Black, our whole table and the whole room for letting us come rock with y’all. And thank you for stopping the music and letting us talk.”

Maestro Fresh Wes won children’s album of the year, marking his first Juno win since 1991 when he won the inaugural rap recording of the year award for his debut, Symphony in Effect. (He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2024.) This was his fifth year in a row nominated in the children’s album category and his 17th nomination in any category since his last win. 

In the media room, Maestro Fresh Wes expanded on how the award was a long time coming: “Maestro stands for longevity, perseverance and Canadian heritage.” 

He won for an album about a father and son who travel through time and was inspired by an icon of Canadian children’s music: “I’m trying to be the Black Raffi, last year I thought I might’ve won but then Raffi won, so I came back with my own dance because he has his own dance.”