The Juno Awards of 2020, the 49th Juno Awards, was an awards presentation that was to be held at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on 15 March 2020. The awards and associated events were cancelled due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, making it the first Juno Awards since 1988 to be cancelled. The award winners were announced on 29 June 2020 in an online event.[1]
| Juno Awards of 2020 | |
|---|---|
 The 2020 Juno Awards Logo | |
| Date | 29 June 2020 |
| Hosted by | Odario Williams Damhnait Doyle |
| Website | https://junoawards.ca/  |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | CBC Gem |
Host city bids
Saskatoon attempted to host the 2019 awards, but abandoned that bid due to lack of funding.[2] The city's subsequent bid for 2020 was successful.[3] The municipal government of Saskatoon had allocated $350,000 towards the event.[4]
Hamilton, Ontario was previously interested in bidding for the 2019 or 2020 Junos.[5]
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and cancellation
On 12 March 2020, three days before the presentation, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced that the ceremony and all ancillary events had been cancelled due to health concerns surrounding the coronavirus, as it had been declared a pandemic by World Health Organization the day before. Although Saskatchewan had, until shortly after the cancellation (when its chief medical officer announced the first presumptive case in the province),[6] not had any confirmed cases of coronavirus yet, an announcement on Wednesday that the show would go on had faced backlash from residents and others. CARAS stated that it would "coordinate an alternate plan" to honour its 2020 award recipients.[7][8]
The Junos Songwriters' Circle, an annual event normally held as part of the Juno Awards weekend which features Canadian songwriters performing and sharing the stories behind their songs in a panel format, was relaunched in May 2020 in a web series format, with the first episode featuring Brett Kissel, Dominique Fils-Aimé, Kaia Kater and Devon Portielje.[9] The second episode featured Rose Cousins, William Prince, Ed Robertson and Tenille Townes; the third featured Dallas Green, Sarah Harmer, Joel Plaskett and Buffy Sainte-Marie;[10] and the fourth featured Scott Helman, Meghan Patrick, Tom Wilson and Whitehorse.[11]
Online ceremonies
On 18 June, the Junos announced that a virtual ceremony would be broadcast through CBC Gem on 29 June 2020.[12]
Events
Alessia Cara was the planned host of the main ceremonies. The livestream was hosted by Odario Williams and Damhnait Doyle.[13]
Performers
The following performers appeared during the livestream:[14]
Nominees and winners
Jann Arden was set to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the main ceremonies. As the ceremony was cancelled, her formal induction instead took place at the Juno Awards of 2021.[15]
Nominations were announced on 18 January 2020. Winners were announced on 29 June.
People
| Artist of the Year | Group of the Year |
|---|---|
| Breakthrough Artist of the Year | Breakthrough Group of the Year |
| Fan Choice Award | Songwriter of the Year |
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| Producer of the Year | Recording Engineer of the Year |
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Albums
| Album of the Year | Adult Alternative Album of the Year |
|---|---|
| Adult Contemporary Album of the Year | Alternative Album of the Year |
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| Blues Album of the Year | Children's Album of the Year |
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| Classical Album of the Year – Solo or Chamber Ensemble | Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble or Soloist(s) with Large Ensemble Accompaniment |
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| Classical Album of the Year – Vocal or Choral Performance | Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year |
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| Country Album of the Year | Electronic Album of the Year |
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| Francophone Album of the Year | Indigenous Music Album of the Year |
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| Instrumental Album of the Year | International Album of the Year |
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| Jazz Album of the Year – Solo | Jazz Album of the Year – Group |
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| Vocal Jazz Album of the Year | Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year |
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| Pop Album of the Year | Rock Album of the Year |
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| Contemporary Roots Album of the Year | Traditional Roots Album of the Year |
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| World Music Album of the Year | Comedy Album of the Year |
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Songs and recordings
| Single of the Year | Classical Composition of the Year |
|---|---|
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| Dance Recording of the Year | R&B/Soul Recording of the Year |
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| Rap Recording of the Year | Reggae Recording of the Year |
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Other
| Album Artwork of the Year | Video of the Year |
|---|---|
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