Justin Bieber, Tate McRae and the Weeknd are all snubbing the Junos
So much for being Canada down
The Junos may be coming to Hamilton, but some of its biggest nominees won’t be there.
This year’s list of snubbers includes Justin Bieber, Tate McRae and the Weeknd, all of whom have been nominated for multiple awards and yet haven’t RSVP’d to Sunday’s awards ceremony. The Weeknd even stands to make history: if he wins just three of the five Junos he’s up for, he’ll beat Anne Murray to become the most-decorated artist in Juno history, reports the Toronto Star. Is that not worth a trip to Hamilton?
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This is a terribly poor showing from three Canadians who made it big. McRae in particular has some answering to do. Did she not just assure us she was “Canada down?” If she wants us to forget that commercial she did for the US Olympic team, it’s not working.
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That some of the world’s top pop stars would rather tour, record or just hang out in LA isn’t a huge surprise: the Junos have struggled to haul big names to its ceremonies for a while now, and even Drake is boycotting them over a perceived snub in 2011, according to the Star. But if there was ever one night an artist could spare to express some national pride, this would be it. These stars’ absences will be duly noted.
The sad thing is, they’ll be missing a great show. The ceremony on March 29 will feature Joni Mitchell receiving a lifetime achievement award, and Nelly Furtado will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame with tributes by Alessia Cara and Tanya Tagaq. The night will also see performances by The Beaches and Daniel Caesar, fine proof that the Canadian music scene continues to produce great talent. Is that not enough for you, Bieber?
Anthony Milton is a freelance journalist based in Toronto specializing in long-form magazine writing. He previously worked as an assistant editor at Toronto Life, where he launched the Front Row newsletter. He regularly contributes all sorts of stories to the magazine, including deep dives on sports, business and housing as well as short-form commentary on our ever-changing city, from its obsession with cherry blossoms to its maddening NIMBYism. His work has also appeared in Maclean’s, Ricochet, TVO, the Trillium and more.
