The nominations for the 2026 Juno Awards have been revealed, with Tate McRae and Justin Bieber leading the way for the second consecutive year. The upcoming 55th Juno Awards will be hosted by Mae Martin on March 29 at Hamilton’s newly inaugurated TD Coliseum.
Before the announcement of the 2026 nominations, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences disclosed that Joni Mitchell would be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony, while Nelly Furtado is set to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
For the TD Juno Fan Choice Award, nominees include Bbno$, Cameron Whitcomb, James Barker Band, Josh Ross, Justin Bieber, Karan Aujla, Shawn Mendes, Shubh, Tate McRae, and The Weeknd.
In the Single of the Year category, contenders are “Options” by Cameron Whitcomb, “Hate How You Look” by Josh Ross, “Daisies” by Justin Bieber, “Sports Car” by Tate McRae, and “Cry For Me” by The Weeknd.
The Album of the Year category features works such as “The Hard Way” by Cameron Whitcomb, “Later Tonight” by Josh Ross, “Swag II” by Justin Bieber, “So Close to What” by Tate McRae, and “Hurry Up Tomorrow” by The Weeknd.
Furthermore, the Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year nominees include Cameron Whitcomb, Goldie Boutilier, Jade LeMac, Jutes, Mico, Noeline Hofmann, Sacha, Saya Gray, Sofia Camara, and Yung Kai.
The Artist of the Year category highlights Bbno$, Daniel Caesar, Justin Bieber, Tate McRae, and The Weeknd. In the Group of the Year category, contenders consist of Arcade Fire, Mother Mother, Peach Pit, The Beaches, and Three Days Grace.
For the Classical Album of the Year (Solo Artist), notable entries include “Tchaikovsky: The Seasons” by Bruce Liu, “Zaytoun” by Haitham Haidar, “Preludes by Chopin, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Messiaen, Górecki” by Jan Lisiecki, “Awake and Dreaming” by Katherine Dowling, and “Obsession” by Marie Nadeau-Tremblay.
In the Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble) category, works like “Current: Missing” by ATOM, “Re/String” by CC Duo & collectif9, “Vivaldi Les Quatres Nations (reconstruites)” by Ensemble Caprice under the direction of Matthias Maute, “Kevin Lau: Kimiko’s Pearl” by Mariko Anraku, Conrad Chow, Ron Korb & Rachel Mercer, and “In an archipelago” by Standing Wave are in contention.
Moreover, the Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble) category features compositions such as “Benedict Sheehan: Ukrainian War Requiem” by Axios Men’s Ensemble, the Tenors and Basses of Pro Coro Canada conducted by Michael Zaugg featuring John Tessier and Yuliia Zasimova, “Where Waters Meet” by Canadian Chamber Choir featuring Sherryl Sewepagaham, “Ichmouratov: The Ninth Wave, Viola Concerto No. 2, Cello Concerto No. 1” by Les Violons du Roy conducted by Airat Ichmouratov featuring Elvira Misbakhova and Stéphane Tétreault, “Haydn: Symphony No. 43 in E-Flat Major, Hob. I:43 ‘Mercury’ & Symphony No. 49 in F Minor, Hob. I:49 ‘La passione,'” by Tafelmusik conducted by Rachel Podger, and “Stravinsky: Pulcinella, Le Baiser de la fée (Divertimento)” by Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Gimeno.
The Jazz Album of the Year (Solo) category includes albums like “City Lights” by Anthony D’Alessandro, “Kinda Out West” by Aretha Tillotson, “Immersed” by Justin Gray, “Deeper Down” by Nancy Walker, and “Crossing Paths” by Renee Rosnes.
In the Jazz Album of the Year (Group) category, contenders feature works such as “Afrokando” by Alexis Baro Y la Big Band, “Code Red” by Code Quartet, “Are You Really Real” by Shuffle Demons, “Impact” by the Steve Holt Jazz Impact Quintet, and “East Meets West: Connections” by Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra.
Furthermore, the Vocal Jazz Album of the Year category highlights albums like “Under the Lemon Tree” by