Juno Awards welcome back Hamilton’s Arkells
Arkells are no strangers to the Juno mainstage.
On Sunday night, the Hamilton rock band will perform for the fourth time at Canada's biggest annual musical bash to a nationally televised audience live from Toronto's Budweiser Stage (CBC, 8 p.m.).
And there's a pretty good chance the five Arkells will be called back on stage the same evening to accept the Juno for group of the year, one of eight awards to be handed out that night. (More than 40 will be handed out at a special event Saturday at the Toronto Convention Centre).
Since forming on the McMaster campus in 2006, Arkells have worked hard to become Canada's favourite band, receiving a total of six nominations for group of the year and winning the prestigious category four times.
This weekend, Arkells' latest album Blink Once" is also nominated for rock album of the year, a category they've won on two previous occasions. (They'll be up against that other Hamilton rock band, The Dirty Nil, in this year's rock category).
Over their career, Arkells have been nominated a total of 16 Junos, winning seven.
And they only seem to be gaining steam. Since pandemic regulations began loosening last y ear, the band has been arguably the most active live act in Canada. Last August, Arkells played three shows to a total of 30,000 fans at the Budweiser Stage before performing the Grey Cup halftime show at Hamilton's Tim Hortons Field in December.
This spring, they've been filling arenas across the country. After the Junos, the band will dip down south for a U.S. tour and then return to Tim Hortons Field for a repeat of the 2018 Rally" concert that filled the stadium's 24,000 seats. Then Europe, then back to Canada for more shows. Their touring schedule, to quote the title of one of their recent hits, is indeed Relentless."
Meanwhile, hockey fans have been getting a steady diet of Arkell's latest single Reckoning" on the Toronto Maple Leaf playoff game broadcasts.
The other four nominees for group of the year - B.C. indie rockers Mother Mother; London, Ont., dance duo Loud Luxury; Ontario country group The Reklaws and Toronto alt-pop quartet Valley - must feel a little intimidated.
But, of course, the Junos aren't just about Arkells. Among the 10 other acts performing on Sunday night's live Broadcast are Montreal alt-rock juggernaut Arcade Fire, which isn't nominated for anything this year; punk-pop singer Avril Lavigne, who is up for pop album of the year and fan choice award; Snotty Nose Rez Kids, up for Indigenous artist of the year; Haviah Mighty (rap album of the year); DJ Shub (contemporary Indigenous artist); bbno$ (rap single and fan choice); and Mustafa (songwriter and alternative album).
Besides Arkells, the act to keep your eye on Sunday night will be Charlotte Cardin. The Montreal singer-songwriter leads the pack of all nominees this year with a total of six, including album of the year for her breakthrough Phoenix," artist of the year, pop album of the year and single of the year for Meaningless."
Up for five nominations each are global superstars The Weeknd and Justin Bieber - neither of whom are scheduled to perform.
Nominated in four categories each are rising B.C. pop singer Jessia, Toronto rapper Pressa and multiplatinum singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes, who will also be honoured with a special award for international achievement.
Fans of Marvel superheroes and CBC sitcoms will be happy to know that this year's Juno host is Toronto native Simu Liu, star of the hit movie Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings" and the TV series Kim's Convenience."
As well, Toronto-born R&B star Deborah Cox will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame by former Toronto Raptors basketball star and hip-hop music producer Chris Bosh.