An official digital program celebrating the 2026 JUNO Awards Gala, presented by Music Canada. Highlighting award moments, artists, and performances—Canada’s biggest night in music.
Billy Talent
If you love Canadian rock, then you love Billy Talent. The band comprised of Benjamin Kowalewicz, lan D'Sa, Jonathan Gallant, Aaron Solowoniuk, and Jordan Hastings - has had a long and illustrious career spanning over three decades, with 25 JUNO Award nominations and seven wins. Known for their cinematic storytelling, Billy Talent is also the most awarded band in MuchMusic Video Awards history, with 10 awards. In Canada, they've sold almost 1 million albums and have tripled that number in international sales. In particular, their second and third albums, Billy Talent and Billy Talent II, have been certified by the Canadian Recording Industry Association as triple platinum and double platinum, respectively. They are undoubtedly one of Canada's most successful homegrown bands in the last quarter- century.
After the height of the coronavirus pandemic, many still panicked and rightfully so, but this band transformed fear into hope through song and action. The 2026 recipient of the Humanitarian Award is Billy Talent in recognition of the work they've done to contribute to and raise awareness for charities in Canada and beyond.
In 2022, the band had just ended a six-year hiatus with the release of the album Crisis of Faith, which earned two JUNO Award nominations. To mark the release of the new record, Billy Talent embarked on a 10-show Canadian tour with a twist: each city's concert served as a donation site for a local food bank. To top it all off, a portion of ticket sales was also donated to each city's food bank. This was all made possible by the launch of the Billy Talent Charitable Trust, designed to help the band and their fans support various charities. To date, they've supported multiple causes, including the #TorontoStrong Fund, MusiCounts, War Child, Kids Help Phone, and Scotiabank's Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer.
Billy Talent's journey in humanitarian work goes all the way back to a cause close to their heart: multiple sclerosis. After drummer Aaron Solowoniuk was diagnosed with the condition in 1998, they held their first benefit concert in 2006 and have held many since. In 2018, the band raised over $20,000 for the MS Society of Canada by selling limited-edition gold record plaques, including each member's signature.
Humanitarian Award
At the heart of Billy Talent's humanitarian achievements is their music, which they have consistently used as a platform to spread love, community and hope. On the making of the Crisis of Faith album, the band had to say, "...these are some of the most turbulent times we've ever had to face, and this record embodies both the light and dark sides of those feelings...At the same time, the underlying thread that connects each song is one of hope and resilience."
Si vous aimez le rock canadien, vous avez certainement entendu parler de Billy Talent. Le groupe, composé de Benjamin Kowalewicz, lan D'Sa, Jonathan Gallant, Aaron Solowoniuk et Jordan Hastings, mène une longue et brillante carrière depuis plus de trois décennies, avec 25 nominations aux prix JUNO et sept victoires à son actif. Reconnu pour sa narration cinématographique, Billy Talent est également le groupe le plus récompensé de l'histoire des MuchMusic Video Awards, avec 10 prix. Au Canada, il a vendu près d'un million d'albums et a triplé ce chiffre à l'international. Plus particulièrement, ses deuxième et troisième albums, Billy Talent et Billy Talent II, ont été certifiés respectivement triple platine et double platine par l'Association de l'industrie canadienne de l'enregistrement. Il s'agit sans aucun doute de l'un des groupes canadiens les plus populaires de ces vingt- cinq dernières années.
Au plus fort de la pandémie de coronavirus, beaucoup étaient encore pris de panique, à juste titre, mais ce groupe a transformé la peur en espoir par la chanson et l'action. Le récipiendaire du Prix humanitaire 2026 est Billy Talent, en reconnaissance du travail qu'il a accompli pour soutenir et faire connaître des organisations caritatives au Canada et au-delà.
En 2022, le groupe venait de mettre fin à une pause de six ans avec la sortie de l'album Crisis of Faith, qui lui a valu deux nominations aux prix JUNO. Pour marquer la sortie de ce nouvel opus, Billy Talent s'est lancé dans une tournée canadienne de dix dates avec une particularité : chaque concert servait de point de collecte de dons pour une banque alimentaire locale. Pour couronner le tout, une partie des ventes de billets