Juno Awards: The Weeknd Takes Charge With Six Nominations

The Weeknd and his album Dawn FM have emerged with a field-leading six nominations for the 2023 Juno music awards, Canada’s version of the Grammys.

The Canadian pop star who penned “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” for Avatar: The Way of Water, will compete for best artist, best pop album, Juno Fan Choice award, best single for “Sacrifice,” best album and best songwriter. The Weeknd’s participation in the Junos, with Dawn FM put into contention, also comes as he continues to snub the Grammys stateside.

Avril Lavigne and fellow Canadian songstress Tate McRae each nabbed five nods, while Preston Pablo and The Reklaws came away with three nominations each.

Nominations for the Junos were unveiled during a press conference in Toronto on Tuesday. The Juno Fan Choice competition will see Lavigne, Lauren Spencer-Smith, Pablo, Reve and Shawn Mendes compete against McRae, The Reklaws, Tyler Shaw and The Weeknd.

Best single nominees are Lavigne’s “Bite Me,” Pablo and Banx & Banx’s “Flowers Need Rain,” Shawn Mendes’ “When You’re Gone,” McRae’s “she’s all I wanna be” and The Weeknd’s “Sacrifice.”

Elsewhere, the best artist of the year category will feature Lavigne, Spencer-Smith, Michael Buble, Mendes and The Weeknd in competition. And the best album of the year category will pit the latest work by Ali Gatie and Lavigne against albums from NAV, McRae and The Weeknd.

And the best group competition has entries from Arcade Fire, Arkells, Billy Talent Metric and The Reklaws, while performers competing for breakthrough artist of the year include Dax, Devon Cole, Pablo, RealestK and Reve.

The Junos, organized by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, plan an in-person awards and concert gala in Edmonton that will air live on the CBC network on March 13. Simu Liu will return to emcee the 2023 Juno Awards after making his hosting debut for Canada’s music awards in Toronto last year.

Liu, who gained a following for his breakout role in Kim’s Conveniencehas been busy in Hollywood with Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Lionsgate’s canine drama Arthur the King.

Charlotte Cardin was the big winner at the 2022 Junos, as she picked up four trophies.