'We are not for sale': Canadian defiance and national pride colour 2025 Juno Awards
Michael Bublé hosted music awards that alternated between celebration and shows of patriotism
Three-time host Michael Bublé opened the 2025 Juno Awards with a statement that was both somewhat expected, and quite unlike anything heard at a Canadian awards show before.
"We are the greatest nation on Earth," he said of the country he had just finished describing as beautiful, expansive and unique. "And we are not for sale."
Stars-and-stripes level of patriotism isn't something typical for Canadian artists, let alone ones at a ceremony usually just fighting for a reason to exist alongside the Grammys.
But in the face of a spiraling trade war and grocery store maple leaf stickers, the Vancouver-set Junos seemingly got a much-needed injection of national pride that popped up as the night continued on.
In a lifetime achievement award acceptance speech by Team Canada jersey-wearing Anne Murray, she explained why she fought against relocating to the U.S. early on in her career.
"I knew instinctively that I needed a place to go, to escape when my work was done," she said. "Canada was my safe haven, my safety blanket, my light at the end of the tunnel. And it still is."
Canadian pride was also in producer Boi-1da's gracious thank you to Drake, after Boi-1da was presented with an international achievement award.
He was seemingly undaunted about coming out in Drake's corner despite the rapper's extended rap feud with Kendrick Lamar, who penned the anthem Not Like Us about the Canadian star's seeming distance from American Black culture.
"The greatest rapper of all time, the greatest artist of all time," he said onstage of his frequent collaborator. "And he's from Canada. Drizzy Drake, that's my brother."
When asked if he was in any way nervous to pick sides in a beef that has roped in everyone from Rick Ross to DeMar DeRozan to Serena Williams, he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind.
"That whole picking sides stuff is just on the internet, because when you go anywhere else in the actual world everybody listens to Drake," he said in the press room backstage.
As the show came to a close, seven-time nominee and Vancouver local bbno$ (pronounced "baby no money," he said, not "B.B. nos") grabbed his first career gold in the fan choice category. It was one of the biggest upsets of the ceremony's roughly 50 awards, as he beat out heavy hitters like the Weeknd, Shawn Mendes and Tate McRae.
After acknowledging the achievement and thanking his hometown, bbno$ had something else to end his speech with.
"Also, Elon Musk is a piece of garbage," he said. He was met with roaring applause.
The camera quickly cut to a slightly sheepish Bublé, standing next to Max Kerman, lead singer of the band Arkells.
"Man, I didn't hear that, but people liked it," Bublé joked.
"I heard it and it was right," Kerman said.
Along with that defiance, the show was bolstered by some big names, even if they weren't all in attendance.
Tate McRae had already emerged as the Juno's big winner at Saturday's awards gala, taking home trophies for single, album, artist and pop album of the year — though she wasn't in attendance either night.
Calgary's Lowell and Toronto's Jack Rochon won mainly for their work on Beyonce's Cowboy Carter album, with Rochon winning best producer and Lowell the inaugural non-performing songwriter, a category she championed for years.
Sunday may have had fewer awards to announce, but there was still no shortage of notoriety. It started with a bombshell opening that featured Bublé cycling through his hits Feeling Good, Home and Just Haven't Met You Yet — paired with an original rap section by Maestro Fresh Wes, and verses by nominees Jonita Gandhi, Roxane Bruneau and Elisapie employing Punjabi, French and Inuktitut, respectively.
The first award of the night was group of the year for The Beaches, making it the second year in a row the Blame Brett rockers managed to snag the victory. They were joined by a slew of other live acts, fleshing out the roughly two-hour broadcast that included only four main categories.
There was bbno$ performing his It Boy alongside TV personality Priyanka, and fellow Vancouverites Peach Pit showing off their hit Magpie.
There was singer-songwriter Nemhasis, who would win breakthrough artist or group, belting her Stick of Gum and crooner Josh Ross singing Leave Me Too, just after taking home country album of the year for his Complicated.
There was Jazzy B, Inderpal Moga and Chani Nattan going through Coolin'. The track was nominated for the inaugural South Asian music recording of the year, created for the music style's stratospheric rise in Canada that Jazzy B touched on at the end of their performance: "From Surrey, to the world, to the Junos," he said, holding his hand to the sky.
There was Snotty Nose Rez Kids — who won best rap album the night before, becoming the first Indigenous group ever to do so — running through a medley of their hits including Red Future, One of the Best, Shapeshifter and Free alongside collaborator Tia Wood.
And last, there was Sum 41, similarly rocking out to a medley of their hits for their last-ever live performance. Good Charlotte's Benji and Joel Madden also inducted the band into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame earlier in the show.
It was a bittersweet showing. There was a loving video tribute to Sum 41, featuring everyone from Tommy Lee to Run DMC, George Stroumboulopoulos and Iggy Pop marvelling at the In Too Deep rockers' influence. But the performance itself was slightly marred by sound issues which— for some broadcasts — cut the song off before it was done.
Despite the technical foible, the band soldiered through like nothing was wrong. And in their Hall of Fame acceptance speech, even made an elliptical comment that could have been interpreted as a comment on why — or as a comment on the night's dominant Canadian-identity-crisis theme.
"The great Iggy Pop told us one time, 'Forget who you think you are, and always just be who you really are," said lead singer Deryck Whibley.
"No matter what you do in life, be yourself, believe in yourself and — above all — stay persistent."
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With files from Eli Glasner and Griffin Jaeger