NEWS
It’s no surprise that Justin Bieber and The Weeknd are among the most-nominated artists for this year’s Juno Awards, with five nods each, but you may be less familiar with the artist who leads the pack with six nods: Charlotte Cardin.
The Montreal-born singer-songwriter sings pop, electro and jazz. She released her debut album Phoenix in April. It has spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. Cardin, 27, was nominated for Juno Awards in 2018 for breakthrough artist of the year and songwriter of the year.
Cardin, Avril Lavigne, Arkells (four-time winners for group of the year) and singer, songwriter and poet Mustafa are the first artists announced to perform on the Juno Awards, which will be held at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage on Sunday, May 15. Simu Liu, star of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is set to host the show, which will be the first in-person Juno Awards since 2019.
Cardin and Bieber are the only artists nominated this year in each of these four top categories: TikTok Juno fan choice, artist of the year, album of the year, and single of the year. While Bieber has won the fan-voted Fan Choice Award five times, more often than anyone else, he has yet to win in any of these other three categories. Will this finally be his year?
The Weeknd is nominated in all four of the above-mentioned categories except album of the year. He didn’t release a new album in the eligibility period. But he made up for it by also being nominated for songwriter of the year.
Bieber is the first artist to land both Juno and Grammy nominations for album of the year and record of the year (called single of the year at the Junos) in the same year since The Weeknd achieved that quadruple feat six years ago. The Weeknd was nominated on both sides of the border for his album Beauty Behind the Madness and his smash “Can’t Feel My Face.” (He won Juno Awards in both categories.) Bieber is nominated for his album Justice and his soulful jam “Peaches” (a collab with Daniel Caesar, who, like Bieber, was born in Canada, and Givēon).
Cardin, The Weeknd and Bieber are followed in the nominations tally by Jessia, Pressa and Shawn Mendes, with four nods each. Jessia and Pressa are both first-time nominees.
Mendes is nominated for TikTok Juno fan choice, artist of the year and album of the year, but he missed out on a single of the year nod. He won in that category three years running from 2018-20 with “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back,” “In My Blood” and “Señorita,” a collab with Camila Cabello.
JP Saxe is nominated for both artist of the year and album of the year.
WondaGurl, who won the Jack Richardson producer of the year award last year, is back to defend her title. A second female producer, Charlotte Day Wilson, is also nominated. (By way of comparison, the Grammys haven’t had two female nominees in their producer of the year, non-classical category in the same year since 1998, when both Sheryl Crow and Lauryn Hill were nominated.)
Wilson is also nominated for songwriter of the year. She is the only person nominated for both songwriter of the year and producer of the year this year. One other female songwriter, Allison Russell, is nominated for songwriter of the year.
Kairo McLean, just 13, is a first-time nominee in the reggae recording of the year category. But he’s practically an old-timer compared to Romeo Eats, who at the tender age of 3 becomes the youngest nominee in Juno Awards history. Alongside his parents, both members of Walk Off the Earth, he is nominated for children’s album of the year for his debut album Walk Off the Earth x Romeo Eats Vol. 1.
As first announced at last year’s Juno Awards, rap recording of the year has been split into two categories: rap album/EP and rap single of the year. Likewise, indigenous artist or group of the year has been split into contemporary indigenous artist or group of the year and traditional indigenous artist or group of the year.
Also, 2022 is the first year for the underground dance single of the year category. The creation of the category was spearheaded by Toronto electronic producer Joanne Hill, drawing attention to less mainstream sounds with roots in subgenres of electronic music.
Denise Jones, one of the most influential voices in Canada’s Black entertainment community, will be posthumously awarded the 2022 Walt Grealis special achievement award. This award, along with 40 additional Juno statuettes, will be handed out at the Juno Opening Night Awards on Saturday, May 14.
Here are the nominees in selected nominees:
TikTok Juno fan choice
347aidan, Columbia *Sony
bbno$, bbno$ *mtheory
Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation *The Orchard
Forest Blakk, Atlantic
Jessia, Republic *Universal
Justin Bieber, Def Jam *Universal
Loud Luxury, Armada *Sony
Pressa, Sony
Shawn Mendes, Island *Universal
The Weeknd, XO *Universal
Artist of the year
Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard
JP Saxe, Arista*Sony
Justin Bieber, Def Jam*Universal
Shawn Mendes, Island*Universal
The Weeknd, XO*Universal
Album of the year
Phoenix, Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard
Dangerous Levels of Introspection, JP Saxe, Arista*Sony
Justice, Justin Bieber, Def Jam*Universal
Wonder, Shawn Mendes, Island*Universal
Too Young to Be Sad, Tate McRae, RCA*Sony
Single of the year
“Make a Life, Not a Living,” Brett Kissel, Warner, publisher: Bennett’s Dad Songs
“Meaningless,” Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard, publisher: Big Boy Ed./SOCAN
“I’m Not Pretty,” Jessia, Republic*Universal
“Peaches,” Justin Bieber and Daniel Caesar featuring Givēon, Def Jam*Universal, publisher: Universal Music/ASCAP and Bieber Time Pub/ASCAP / Universal Music Canada/Socan
“Take My Breath,” The Weeknd XO*Universal, publisher: KMR Music Royalties II SCSp
Songwriter of the year
Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye
Allison Russell
Charlotte Day Wilson
Mustafa Ahmed
TOBi
Jack Richardson producer of the year
Charlotte Day Wilson
Chromeo
Kaytranada
WondaGurl
YogiTheProducer
Group of the year
Arkells, Arkells Music*Universal
Loud Luxury, Armada*Sony
Mother Mother, Warner
The Reklaws, Starseed Entertainment*Vydia
Valley, Universal
Breakthrough artist of the year
347aidan, Columbia*Sony
Faouzia, Warner
Jessia, Republic*Universal
Pressa, Sony
Tesher, Capitol Records*Universal
Breakthrough group of the year
Black Pistol Fire, Blackhill*The Orchard
Cleopatrick, Nowhere Special*The Orchard
Monowhales, True Records*ADA
Ocie Elliott, Nettwerk*ADA
Spiritbox, Rise/BMG*ADA
Rap album/EP of the year
See You Next Wednesday, Belly, XO*Universal
Stock Exchange, Haviah Mighty Mighty, Gang Inc.*Foundation Media
Emergency Tsunami, NAV, XO*Universal
The Extravagant Collection, NorthSideBenji, Nrthrn*Believe
Gardner Express (Deluxe), Pressa, Blue Feather*Sony
Contemporary R&B recording of the year
“Tabula Rasa,” a l l i e, Oracle Records*Believe
“Vibe for Me (Bob for Me),” Aqyila, Sony
“Gifted,” Kallitechnis, Independent*Stem
“Supernovas,” k-os, Fontana North
“Take My Breath,” The Weeknd, XO*Universal
Alternative album of the year
Hope for Sale, Chiiild, 4th & Broadway*Universal
Death of an Optimist, grandson, Warner
When Smoke Rises, Mustafa, Regent Park Songs*The Orchard
If It Comes Down to It, Ruby Waters, Independent*The Orchard
The Fool, Sate, Clk*Independent/Idla
Underground dance single of the year
“Waves,” Blond:Ish feat. Grace Tither, Spinnin’
“Hood Sh*t,” Carlo Lio feat. MC Flipside, Rawthentic
“Shadows in the Dark,” Hntr feat. Elliot Moss, mau5trap/Awal
“All I Need (DJ-Kicks),” Jayda, G !K7 Music
“Sobriety,” Korea Town Acid, Independent
Contemporary indigenous artist or group of the year
When the Magic Hits, Adrian Sutherland, Midnight Shine*Independent
War Club, DJ Shub, Shub Music*The Orchard
Wild Whisper, Jayli Wolf, Alt Eden*Fontana North
Shawnee Kish, Shawnee Kish, Independent
Life After Snotty Nose, Rez Kids, Independent*Fontana North
NEWS
Harry Styles paid tribute to the late David Hockney and reflected on his time in One Direction last night (June 12), as he kicked off his record-breaking residency at Wembley Stadium.
Hockney – whose painting of Styles was displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in 2023 – died on June 11, aged 88, and the musician honoured him during his set by sharing a quote from the painter on the big screens.
“What an artist is trying to do for people is bring them closer to something, because of course art is about sharing,” the quote read. “You wouldn’t be an artist unless you wanted to share an experience, a thought.”
Styles’ gig last night marked the first of 12 gigs at Wembley, which will see the star break the record for the most shows at the venue in a single tour. Coldplay previously held the record, delivering 10 gigs at the stadium last year as part of their Music Of The Spheres tour.
The London residency follows the Together, Together tour beginning in Amsterdam in May, and will be followed by stops in São Paulo, Mexico City, New York, Melbourne and Sydney. He will be supported by a different artist in each city, joined by Shania Twain in London, who delivered a set of hits and new tracks from her upcoming album, ‘Little Miss Twain’.
As the sounds of Simon And Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ played over the stadium PA, Styles made his way to the stage, kicking off his set with ‘Are You Listening Yet?’, from his latest album, ‘Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally’. Between renditions of ‘Golden’ and ‘Adore You’, he addressed the crowd for the first time, saying: “Our job tonight is to entertain you. Your job is to have as much fun as you possibly can.
“If you want to sing, if you want to dance, please feel free. Please feel free to be whoever it is you’ve always wanted to be tonight. We’ve got each other’s backs.”
Throughout the night, Styles subtly reworked some of the songs on the setlist. He dedicated ‘Taste Back’ “to all the ravers in the house”, as a snippet of Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’ was interpolated into the song, while a brief burst of Talking Heads’ ‘This Must Be The Place’ was introduced to ‘Treat People With Kindness’. During ‘Dance No More’, the pop star’s band played part of the groove from Happy Mondays’ ‘Step On’, while Styles sang a snatch of Gorillaz’s ‘Clint Eastwood’.
There were also nods to Styles’ days in One Direction early in the set. As the musician left the stage after ‘Fine Line’, the string section on stage played a medley featuring clips of the group’s hits ‘Night Changes’ and ‘History’, plus Styles’ own track ‘Falling’. After ‘Keep Driving’, he took the time to reflect on Wembley’s connections to his and the boyband’s journeys.
“Just outside of this building, just next door, is Wembley Arena, and 16 years ago, my sister brought me to London for the very first time for my X Factor audition,” he said. “So driving here today, and any time I come through Wembley, means so much to me, ‘cause right in that building next door, I was put into a band. We were called One Direction.
The Together, Together setlist features a different surprise song each night at the start of the encore. Last night, Styles treated the Wembley audience to ‘Little Freak’, taken from ‘Harry’s House’, for the first time since 2023. After the song, he spoke to the audience for the final time, saying: “I don’t know if you’ve been listening to me for a week, or a month, or a year, or five years, or 10 years, or 16 years, or whatever it is, but you have changed my life over and over again. Thank you so much for being here and allowing us to do these shows. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
“Finally, 16 years ago, my mother signed me up for the X Factor without my knowledge. I wouldn’t be here today if she hadn’t done that. She’s here today – thank you so much. You’ve changed my life, all of you.” Referencing a lyric in ‘Dance No More’, he added: “Remember – respect your mother.”
‘Are You Listening Yet?’
‘Golden’
‘Adore You’
‘Watermelon Sugar’
‘Music From A Sushi Restaurant’
‘Taste Back’
‘Coming Up Roses’
‘Fine Line’
‘Italian Girls’
‘American Girls’
‘Keep Driving’
‘Ready, Steady, Go!’
‘Dance No More’
‘Treat People With Kindness’
‘Pop’
‘Season 2 Weight Loss’
‘Carla’s Song’
‘Aperture’
‘Little Freak’
‘Sign Of The Times’
‘As It Was’
The Together, Together, London residency continues at Wembley Stadium tonight, with further dates on June 17, 19, 20, 23, 26, 27, 29 and July 1, 3, and 4. Visit here for any remaining UK tickets and check out doors and stage times here.
The gigs will see Styles donate £1 from every ticket sold to LIVE’s levy to help protect UK grassroots music venues and support emerging talent, and before Styles’ headline performance, the big screens at the venue encouraged fans to support Music Venues Trust.
The tour is in support of the star’s latest album, ‘Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally’, which was released in March. In a four-star review, NME described it as “an album that you’ll really want to spend a lot of time with, letting all its layers envelope you”. It added: “It’s the most exploratory album of his career so far, trying out new things and steering his ship in new directions.”
Meanwhile, Styles has also curated this year’s Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre. The line-up chosen by the star includes Stephen Fretwell, Nilüfer Yanya, Orlando Weeks, Bar Italia, Dev Hynes, Jon Hopkins, Getdown Services, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Soulwax and more, as well as an intimate gig from Styles himself.
The festival kicked off earlier this week (June 11) with a performance from Los Angeles’ Warpaint, whose show was their first in nearly two years. During the gig, they shared fan favourites like ‘Love Is To Die, ‘Billie Holiday’ and ‘Disco//Very’, plus a cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’.
