TORONTO, ON (Top40 Charts) The 2015 winners were announced on Saturday at the Juno celebrations in Hamilton, Ontario. The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music.
Hosted by Jacob Hoggard, the awards were broadcast live from FirstOntario Place arena in Hamilton, Ontario and featured performances by The Weeknd,
Deadmau5 with Colleen D'Agostino, The Arkells,
Bobby Bazini, Shawn Mendes,
Lights with
Sam Roberts Band, and Alanis Morrissette.
Composer Brian Current won the Classical Composition of the Year for his opera Airline Icarus. The librettist for this opera was Anton Piatigorsky. Brian said of this Juno: "I'm deeply honoured to receive this award. Huge thanks to Naxos for believing in this music and for bringing it to the world."
Upon hearing this work, Joshua Kosman wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle: ""Airline Icarus," a punchy, emotionally redolent chamber opera by Canadian composer Brian Current, joins the list of artworks you might not want to encounter at 30,000 feet. But heard safely on the ground, this 45-minute one-acter is full of inventive writing and an elusive dramatic flavor that comes through even without staging." Airline Icarus is featured on Naxos Canadian Classics in a performance conducted by the composer (Naxos 8660356).
Violinist
James Ehnes won Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber Ensemble for his Chandos recording Bartok: Chamber Works for Violin Vol. 3. (Chandos CHAN10820). In a fact that speaks for itself, this is
James Ehnes's 10th Juno Award. His recordings have also won GRAMMY® and Gramophone awards.
The full list of winners
juno 2015 - Juno Fan Choice Award: Michael Buble
Single of the year: "Rude," Magic!
Album of the year: Popular Problems, Leonard Cohen
Artist of the year: The Weeknd
Breakthrough artist of the year: Kiesza
Rock album of the year: High Noon, Arkells
International album of the year: In the Lonely Hour, Sam Smith
Group of the year: Arkells
Breakthrough group of the year: Magic!
Songwriter of the year: Bahamas
Country album of the year: Lifted, Dallas Smith
Adult alternative album of the year: Bahamas is Afie, Bahamas
Alternative album of the year: July Talk, July Talk
Pop album of the year:
Little Machines, Lights
Vocal jazz album of the year: Red, Diana Panton
Jazz album of the year (solo): Vista Obscura, Kirk MacDonald
Jazz album of the year (group): Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, Jane Bunnett and Maqueque
Instrumental album of the year: Encuentro, Quartango
Francophone album of the year: Maladie d'amour, Jimmy Hunt
Children's album of the year: Where in the World, Fred Penner
Classical album of the year (solo or chamber ensemble): Bartok: Chamber Works for Violin Vol. 3,
James Ehnes
Classical album of the year (large ensemble or soloist(s) with large ensemble accompaniment): Schubert: Winterreise, Gerald
Finley and Julius Drake
Classical composition of the year: Airline Icarus, Brian Current
Rap recording of the year: The
Legends League Presents: Naturally Born Strangers, Naturally Born Strangers
Dance recording of the year: Sound of a Woman, Kiesza
R&B/Soul recording of the year: Often, the Weeknd
Reggae recording of the year: Welcome the King, Exco Levi
Aboriginal album of the year: Animism,
Tanya Tagaq
Roots and traditional album of the year (solo): The Raven's Sun, Catherine MacLellan
Roots and traditional album of the year (group): Let it Lie, The Bros. Landreth
Blues album of the year: Solo Recordings, Vol. 2, Steve Hill
Contemporary Christian/gospel album of the year: VIP, Manic Drive
Jack Richardson producer of the year: Adam Messinger
Video of the year: Hideaway, Kiesza
Electronic album of the year: Our Love, Caribou
Metal/hard music album of the year: Z(squared), Devin Townsend Project
Adult contemporary album of the year:
Shine On,
Sarah McLachlan
