After a decade away from the city where it all began, the Juno Awards are set to return to Toronto in 2021. It will mark the 26th year that the biggest night in Canadian music takes place in Ontario’s capital.
The news was revealed by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) on Tuesday morning in an official press release.
For its first 20 years, the Junos took place in Toronto. The awards ceremony started on Feb. 23, 1970, with iconic Canadian radio DJ George Wilson acting as host for five consecutive years before the Junos became a national television broadcast.
The last time the prestigious awards ceremony took place in Canada’s most populous city was in 2011 at the Air Canada Centre when Drake served as its host.
While CARAS has not yet revealed who will host the 2021 Juno Awards, the academy has announced the show’s venue: the Scotiabank Arena.
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Ahead of the Junos broadcast, which will take place on March 28, 2021, Juno Week will fill the streets of Toronto. There will be a number of special events and exclusive performances spread across the city during the week of March 22-28, 2021, in the lead-up to the big night.
In response to the news, Toronto Mayor John Tory wrote: “Toronto is proud to host the Juno Awards for their 50th anniversary.”
He continued: “As the biggest event in Canadian music, this is a great opportunity for Toronto to welcome the Juno Awards back home to where it all began and highlight the city’s truly diverse yet quintessentially Canadian spirit.”
Allan Reid, president and CEO of CARAS, added: “It’s an honour to bring Canada’s biggest night in music back home to where it all started.
“This country continues to produce some of the most vibrant artists in the world, and we invite you to join us in what will be the greatest national celebration of Canadian music ever.”
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Before the event hits Toronto in 2021, the 49th annual Juno Awards will first take place. You can catch the live broadcast from the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon on Sunday, March 15, 2020.
As of this writing, next year’s nominees have not yet been revealed.
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