It was all coming together for Canadian music. After dealing with several years of a lackluster lineup of recording artists, the Canadian music scene was beginning to get respect. Nelly Furtado, the Barenaked Ladies, the Tragically Hip, and Kardinal Offishall finally put some depth into the Canadian roster. The 2001 Junos saw more media coverage than ever before and it looked as if things were turning around. Then the inconceivable was announced: The Junos are going to move to St. John’s, Newfoundland.

The Juno Awards, the Canadian version of the Grammy Awards so to speak, has always been held in Toronto or a city nearby, with the exception of 1991 and 1998 when it was held in Vancouver. Canadian music has received very little respect from music insiders, particularly those based in the U.S., but when Furtado and other musicians became bigger in the U.S. than they were in Canada, music was no longer the laughing stock of Canada. When the 2001 Junos Awards show was held in Hamilton, Ontario, about an hour drive from Toronto, there were more reporters than musicians present from all across Canada and several from the States.

Contenders for the 2002 awards are similar to the golden year of 2001, plus the addition of platinum-selling Nickelback, Sum 41, Default, and other Canadian artists who have made a name for themselves worldwide. With the exposure 2001?s version received, 2002 could only improve. But Juno organizers made a horrible mistake. They moved the 2002 Juno Awards away from Toronto, the center of the universe, to Newfoundland, where they would be lucky to get a concert from Rita MacNeil.

?This is a spectacular day for the music industry in this province,” Newfoundland Premier Roger Grimes said in a press release when the location was announced in September. Sure, it is a great honor for Newfoundland to host the show, and it will benefit the province in terms of tourism, but it is a step down for Canadian music. No disrespect for Newfoundland, however when the show was in Toronto, it was able to bring in all the nominees, many celebrity presenters, and most importantly, international media coverage that could help the sales of Canadian-content albums in foreign markets.

Newfoundland will have trouble getting the media exposure Toronto could bring in for several reasons. Toronto is one of the biggest markets for means of media. The city has four daily newspapers, more music stations than any other city in Canada, and is the host of most television network studios. It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to match the media coverage the 2001 awards saw. As well, ticket sales the past few years have been strong, partly because of the guest celebrities that showed up, such as ?N Sync and the Backstreet Boys, who happened to be in Toronto when the awards were handed out. Finally, many of the nominees live in or live close by to Toronto and it was easy to attend the show. Since Canadian musicians rarely make a fortune until they reach platinum-status in the U.S. market, it could be strenuous to get all the nominees to travel to Newfoundland. Snow, a hip-hop artist up for two awards, has already decided not to attend the show. Jelleestone, a rapper also up for two awards, has said it is unlikely he will make the trip to the Junos because of the location.

Will the media coverage be half as strong as last year? Can Canada benefit from a Newfoundland-held Juno Awards? Will the nominees show up? All these questions will be answered on April 14 when the 2002 Juno Awards are handed out.






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