2024 Juno Opening Night Awards

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• Land AcknowledgmentWe would like to begin by acknowledging that we are in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. This territory is covered by the "Treaties of Peace and Friendship" which the Mi'kmaq and Wolastoqey people first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact, recognized Mi'kmaq and Wolastoqey title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations. We are all treaty people.
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• Page 4Nigerian-born and Toronto-raised, actress, writer, and comedian Aba Amuquandoh has already made her mark on Canadian comedy; becoming the youngest cast member to ever join the long-running CBC show, This Hour Has 22 Minutes back in 2020. Since 2022, she's been the host of CBC's binge-worthy reality competition Best in Miniature, but Amuquandoh got her start long before that. After writing and producing the award-winning play / Can't Trust Anyone, Everyone Hurts Me as a student at the University of Toronto, she's appeared in scripted projects, been part of sketch comedy troupes like the Sketchersons and the Untitled Black Sketch Project. She's also hosted and performed across the country at Second City and the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and co- hosted the acclaimed pop culture podcast, Nostalgique.
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• Page 6JUNO OPENING NIGHT AWARDS
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• Maestro Fresh WesToronto-born Wesley Williams, better known as Maestro Fresh Wes, is not just a Canadian rap icon; but a man of many firsts. After honing his skills performing as MC Melody in the early 1980s, the success of his breakout single "Let Your Backbone Slide" and debut album Symphony in Effect earned him the recognition of being the first Black Canadian rap artist to have a gold single and platinum album in Canada. In addition he was awarded the first JUNO Award for Best Rap Recording of the Year, achieved the first Canadian rap single on the Billboard charts, and has the first Rap song to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Coupled with the later success of singles like "Stick to Your Vision," of and “Underestimated," nine studio albums, 14 JUNO nominations, and multiple JUNO wins, it's these accomplishments and more that have earned him the title of the Godfather of Canadian Hip-Hop. An all-around storyteller, Williams leaned into his skills as an actor, host, and author with a seemingly endless stream of projects. In 2010, he penned the self-help memoir Stick To Your Vision, and later shared the children's book Young Maestro Goes To School, a project that would go on to inspire two JUNO Award-nominated albums.
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• Tegan and SaraInternationally renowned indie pop-icons Tegan and Sara began crafting songs together in their early teens, channeling a passion for storytelling into a career spanning over two decades, ten studio albums and a million+ records sold, and building a multi-faceted media empire that extends into TV, books, newsletters, and social justice. With multiple JUNO Award wins, a Governor General's Performing Arts Award, Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees (Hon. LLD) from the University of Calgary, the 2018 New York Civil Liberties Union Award, and numerous GRAMMY, GLAAD, and Polaris Prize Award nominations, Tegan and Sara have much to be proud of, but their crowning achievement thus far is the Tegan and Sara Foundation. Launched in 2016, the foundation fights for health, economic justice, and representation for LGBTQ+ girls and women; raising awareness and funds, fighting for equality and justice through its flagship program, and supporting grassroots organizations, activists, and communities that often go unrecognized by major funding institutions.
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• Chip SutherlandFor Montreal-born, Belleville, Ontario-raised Chip Sutherland, moving to Atlantic Canada in 1985 helped lay the groundwork for his impact on the Canadian music industry. A graduate of Halifax's Dalhousie's Schulich School of Law, Sutherland's deep passion for music- himself a drummer for east coast band BlackPool- is what led him to break ground as an entertainment lawyer and artist manager. While working as a commercial litigation specialist at Patterson Kitz and co-authoring the bestselling textbook Teachers and the Law: A Practical Guide for Educators, he started working with Sloan after helping them negotiate a record deal with Geffen Records in 1992. Going on to work with acts like The Rankin Family, Ashley Maclsaac, and Great Big Sea, his expertise would eventually lead to an invite to sit on the CARAS Board as a director—the first-ever from Atlantic Canada-and served as Vice President of CARAS until 2000.
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• Page 14musicounts. When kids have access to music education, everyone wins big!
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• AppetizersStone Hearth Bread basket (Sea Salt Focaccia, Scotch Bun, Onion Roll, Herb Focaccia Roll) Riverview Herb Baby Kale Salad with Annapolis Valley Pears, Shaved Fennel, Candied Pecans, Pecorino, Fermented Watermelon Radish, and Lemon Vinaigrette.
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• E TU JUNO AWARDS AFTER PARTYIN SUPPORT OF musicounts. The party doesn't stop when the awards have been handed out. Celebrate Canadian music long into the night at the official JUNO Awards After Party, in support of MusiCounts.
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• Event Producer Producteur Exécutif e=mc2PRODUCTIONS Special Thanks To Merci À Audio-Technica
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