The Weeknd lead the nominations at The 45th annual JUNO Awards.
The ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ hitmaker received six nods, with Justin Bieber and Drake following closely behind with a potential five accolades in contention.
The Weeknd – real name Abel Tesfaye – will battle it out with the ‘What Do You Mean?’ singer and ‘Hotline Bling’ rapper for the Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Single of the Year prizes.
The Weeknd is also up for Songwriter of the Year, the Juno Fan Choice trophy and R&B/Soul Recording of the Year for ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’.
Other notable nominees – who are chosen by The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences with preference given to Canadian artists – include Shawn Mendes, who is up for Artist of the Year, the Juno Fan Choice Award and Album of the Year for ‘Handwritten’, and Adele, who is the running for a double for Video of the Year for ‘Hello’ and International Album of the Year for ’25’.
Speaking about this year’s nominations, CEO of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Allan Reid said: "It’s been an absolutely phenomenal year for Canadian artists, here at home and around the globe. Just back in December, seven of the top 10 artists on the Billboard Hot 100 charts were Canadian. I’ve been in the industry longer than 25 years and I’ve got to say not since the 90s have we seen our artists dominate the charts like this. It’s absolutely incredible."
The 45th annual JUNO Awards broadcast gala takes place Sunday, April 3 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
The 45th annual JUNO Awards selected nominees:
JUNO FAN CHOICE AWARD
Alessia Cara
Carly Rae Jepsen
Cœur de pirate
Dean Brody
Drake
Justin Bieber
Shawn Hook
Shawn Mendes
The Weeknd
Walk Off The Earth
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Here, Alessia Cara
Hotline Bling, Drake
What Do You Mean? , Justin Bieber
Clothes Off , Ria Mae
Can’t Feel My Face, The Weeknd
INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
25, Adele
Hozier, Hozier
Title, Meghan Trainor
Four, One Direction
Dream Your Life Away, Vance Joy
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Drake
À Paradis City, Jean Leloup
Purpose, Justin Bieber
Handwritten, Shawn Mendes
Beauty Behind the Madness, The Weeknd
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
City and Colour
Drake
Justin Bieber
Shawn Mendes
The Weeknd
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Hedley
Marianas Trench
Metric
Three Days Grace
Walk Off The Earth
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Alessia Cara
Coleman Hell
Francesco Yates
Scott Helman
Tobias Jesso Jr.
BREAKTHROUGH GROUP OF THE YEAR
Dear Rouge
Half Moon Run
Milk & Bone
The Elwins
Young Empires
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Abel Tesfaye
Béatrice Martin
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Dallas Green
Tobias Jesso Jr.
ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Deep in the Iris, BRAIDS
Poison Season, Destroyer
Are You Alone?, Majical Cloudz
Half Free, U.S. Girls
Viet Cong, Viet Cong
POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Hello, Hedley
Purpose, Justin Bieber
Augusta, Scott Helman
Handwritten, Shawn Mendes
Sing It All Away, Walk Off The Earth
ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Get Up, Bryan Adams
The Physical World, Death From Above 1979
Chaotic Neutral, Matthew Good
No Fixed Address, Nickelback
Future Nostalgia, The Sheepdogs
VOCAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR
New, Alex Pangman
Live from the Cellar, Dan Brubeck Quartet
Clear Day, Emilie-Claire Barlow
This Bitter Earth, Jaclyn Guillou
Some Version of the Truth, Tara Kannangara
RAP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Sour Soul, BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah
If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Drake
Kardi Gras Vol. 1: The Clash, Kardinal Offishall
Can’t Fly Without Gravity, k-os
For The Town, SonReal
DANCE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
We All Fall Down ft. Jamie Lidell, A-Trak
Badman (Torro Torro Remix), Autoerotique & Max Styler
At All, Kaytranada
Save Me ft. Katy B, Keys N Krates
Be Right There, Sleepy Tom & Diplo
R&B/SOUL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Four Pink Walls, Alessia Cara
The Fall Out, August Rigo
Déjà Vu, Dru
Butchy’s Son, Patrick Lehman
Beauty Behind the Madness , The Weeknd
REGGAE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
The French Sessions, Dubmatix
Hello Mama, Exco Levi
Nah Complain ft. Daddy U Roy, Kafinal
Sexy Gal ft. T.O.K., Kreesha Turner
Escape from the Mongoose Gang, Lyndon John X
ABORIGINAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The One, Armond Duck Chief
Come and Get Your Love: The Tribe Session, Black Bear
Power In The Blood, Buffy Sainte-Marie
Rumble, Derek Miller
Refined, Don Amero
BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Faded But Not Gone, Big Dave McLean
Brothers In This World, Blackburn
Vicksburg Call, David Gogo
This Is From Here, Harrison Kennedy
Sliding Delta, Michael Jerome Browne
JACK RICHARDSON PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Bob Ezrin
Dallas Green
Henry "Cirkut" Walter
Steve Webster & Emilie-Claire Barlow
Thomas "Tawgs" Salter
RECORDING PACKAGE OF THE YEAR
CLUB MEDS, Dan Mangan + Blacksmith – Cam Dales and Ben Clarkson
LOST VOICES, Esmerine – Clyde Henry Productions: Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, Constellation: Ian Ilavsky
ELEMENTS, Long Distance Runners – Duncan Major, Joel Upshall
WEST TRAINZ, West Trainz – Erik West Milette
LES GRANDES ARTÈRES, Louis-Jean Cormier – Sarah Marcotte-Boislard
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Virgins, Eva Michon (Death From Above 1979)
Dark Days, Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux and Chandler Levack (Pup)
For the Town, Peter Huang (Sonreal)
Avalanche, Philip Sportel (Kalle Mattson)
Hello, Xavier Dolan (Adele)
ELECTRONIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR
A Life Well Lived, AM Static
Concubine, Concubine
The Midas Touch, Discrete
Noontide, Humans
The Other Day, Pomo
The Weeknd lead nominations at The JUNO Awards 2016
