REGINA – K.D. Lang brought the Juno audience to its feet Sunday with a rousing speech that encouraged Canadians to “let your freak flags fly.”
The comment came after the “Constant Craving” crooner was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame by Anne Murray.
“I just really think that Canada’s a special place,” said Lang. “I really think that not very many cultures would allow people like myself or Stompin’ Tom (Connors) or Rita (MacNeil) to become National symbols.”
Lang emerged in the mid-80s as a maverick country crooner with an ironic sense of humour and a powerful voice.
She quickly distinguished herself as unique. At her first Junos in 1985, she accepted the trophy for most promising female artist dressed in a wedding dress and matching cowboy boots.
Legendary Montreal troubadour Leonard Cohen is a double Juno Award winner, taking the trophy for songwriter of the year minutes after the Prairie party kicked off with a monologue from host Michael Bublé.
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The 78-year-old now has five Juno Awards to his name over his lengthy career, the latest coming after the release of his platinum-selling latest album “Old Ideas.”
Bublé opened the show with a self-deprecating pre-taped bit in which a series of celebs – including Kelly Ripa, Dr. Phil, Gerard Butler and past host Russell Peters – doubted Bublé’s ability to host the show.
In his monologue, Bublé poked fun at the host town of Regina and tossed a barb Justin Bieber’s way.
Meanwhile, Serena Ryder of Millbrook, Ont., put in a fierce performance of her gold-selling new single “Stompa.”
She took home the award for adult alternative album of the year.
Carly Rae Jepsen had the biggest haul of the weekend with marquee wins for single, album and pop album of the year.
Jepson seemed particularly stunned that her album, “Kiss”, triumphed in the biggest category of the evening, album of the year, over multi-platinum efforts from Bieber and Celine Dion.
“It’s crazy when how you think one song can change your whole life,” she said onstage at the Brandt Centre.
The Brant Centre hosted almost 8000 guests for the Juno Awards, which makes it the biggest event the venue has ever hosted.
With files from The Canadian Press
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