Winners of the 2026 Juno Gala Including Album ft Jesse O'Brien

The 2026 Juno Gala took place in Hamilton on Saturday, March 28. Hear My Heart - Steve Marriner (ft Hamilton's Jesse O'Brien on keys) was the area winner.

You can see the whole event below

Links: Juno Awards, More Juno Stories, Video above courtesy of CBC Music

CONGRATS EVERYONE!

Below is a complete list of winners. Click here for the winners of the televised event.

• BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Hear My Heart - Steve Marriner (ft Hamilton's Jesse O'Brien on keys) 
  
  
  
  Links: Steve Marriner, More Steve Marriner Stories, Jesse O'Brien, More Jesse O'Brien Stories, Video above courtesof Steve Marriner
  
  
• ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR: My Second Last Album - Bahamas / Fantasy Life - Begonia - Acceptance Speech
  
  
• ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Better Broken - Sarah McLachlan 
  
  
• ALBUM ARTWORK OF THE YEAR: Tsunami Sea – Spiritbox:  Kevin Moore (Art Director), Kyle Joinson (Photographer)
  
  
• ALBUM OF THE YEAR: So Close To What - Tate McRae 
  
  
• ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Edge Of The Earth - Aysanabee
  
  
• ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Tate McRae
  
  
• CHILDREN’S ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Young Maestro “Rhyme Travellers – Back to the Time Machine”  - Young Maestro
  
  
• CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (LARGE ENSEMBLE): Benedict Sheehan: Ukrainian War Requiem
  
  
• CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SMALL ENSEMBLE): Kevin Lau: Kimiko’s Pearl
  
  
• CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SOLO ARTIST): Preludes by Chopin, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Messiaen, Górecki - Jan Lisiecki
  
  
• CLASSICAL COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR: Cloud Path - Amy Brandon 
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• COMEDY ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Dragonflies - Adam Christie 
  
  
• CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Jubilate - Ryan Ofei
  
  
• CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR: Aysanabee - Acceptance Speech
  
  
• CONTEMPORARY ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Strange Trip Ahead - Mariel Buckley
  
  
• COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR: The Hard Way - Cameron Whitcomb
  
  
• DANCE RECORDING OF THE YEAR: Bet On Me - Debby Friday
  
  
• ELECTRONIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Shades of Meridian - ÈBONY
  
  
• FRANCOPHONE ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Journal d’un Loup-Garou - Lou-Adriane Cassidy 
  
  
• GLOBAL MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Ghoyoum - Kazdoura
  
  
• HUMANITARIAN AWARD: Billy Talent
  
  
• INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: LOTUSLAND - Aaron Paris
  
  
• JACK RICHARDSON PRODUCER OF THE YEAR: Cirkut
  
  
• JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR (GROUP): East Meets West: Connections - Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra 
  
  
• JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR (SOLO): Crossing Paths - Renee Rosnes
  
  
• LATIN MUSIC RECORDING OF THE YEAR: Índole - Alex Cuba
  
  
• METAL/HARD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Shadow Work - DESPISED ICON 
  
  
• MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR: luther - Karena Evans (Director), Kendrick Lamar & SZA 
  
  
• POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR: So Close To What - Tate McRae 
  
  
• RAP ALBUM/EP OF THE YEAR: DRY CRY - SadBoi - Acceptance Speech
  
  
• RAP SINGLE OF THE YEAR: Who’s Driving You? - TOBi, Saukrates & Jully Black - Acceptance Speech
  
  
• RECORDING ENGINEER OF THE YEAR: Shawn Everett
  
  
• REGGAE RECORDING OF THE YEAR: Welcome To Paradise - Naomi Cowan 
  
  
• ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR: No Hard Feelings - The Beaches - Acceptance Speech
  
  
• SINGLE OF THE YEAR : Sports Car - Tate McRae
  
  
• SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR: Daniel Caesar
  
  
• SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (NON-PERFORMER): Tobias Jesso Jr. (Daniel Caesar)
  
  
• SOUTH ASIAN MUSIC RECORDING OF THE YEAR: P-POP CULTURE - Karan Aujla 
  
  
• TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR: Bear Creek - Acceptance Speech
  
  
• TRADITIONAL R&B/SOUL RECORDING OF THE YEAR: Say Yes - Melanie Fiona - Acceptance Speech
  
  
• TRADITIONAL ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Heal The Divide - Morgan Toney 
  
  
• UNDERGROUND DANCE SINGLE OF THE YEAR: Phantom Vibrations feat. Teddy Bryant - Gene Tellem Love
  
  
• WALT GREALIS SPECIAL AWARD ACHIEVEMENTS: Al Mair, Sandy Pandya, Vinny Cinquemani
  
  
• VOCAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Get Out of Town - Laura Anglade 

Performances

• Isabella Lovestory
• Ryan Ofei
• Fredz
• Saya Gray
• Manitou Mkwa Singers

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Canadian Grammy Winners 2025

There was a lot of Canadian content at the 67th GRAMMY Awards that took place at the Crypto.com Arena (LA) on Sunday, February 2 and was broadcast live on CBS.

Here is the televised ceremony:

Links: Grammy, More Grammy Stories, Video above courtesy of Recording Academy / GRAMMYs

Hamilton Bluesman Steve Strongman attended as a nominee. Below is his commentary

Links: Steve Strongman, More Steve Strongman Stories, Video above courtesy of Steve Strongman Music

Below is a complete list of Canadian winners. Click here for the complete list

• Best Traditional Blues Album: The Taj Mahal Sextet  - Live at The Church in Tulsa (released through Waterdown Canada’s Stony Plain Records)
• Lowell: Album of the Year/Best Country Album (Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter, co-writer on some tracks)
  
  
  
  Links: Lowell, More Lowell Stories, Beyonce, More Beyonce Stories, Video above courtesy of rauhlren
  
  
• Daniel Caesar: Best Reggae Album: (Bob Marley: One Love - Music Inspired By the Film ft the song Waiting In Vain)
  
  
  
  Links: Daniel Caesar, More Daniel Caesar Stories, More Bob Marley Covers/Stories, Video above courtesy of Stereohearts R&B
  
  
• Shawn Everett: Album of the Year/Best Country Album (Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter, production and mixing) / Best Country Song: (Kacey Musgraves - The Architect, production and mixing)
  
  
• Dave Hamelin:  Album of the Year/Best Country Album (Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter, producer)
  
  
• Yannick Nézet-Séguin: Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media (Maestro: Music by Leonard Bernstein with London Symphony Orchestra and Bradley Cooper)
  
  
• Jessie Reyez: Best Reggae Album: Bob Marley: One Love - Music Inspired By the Film ft the song Is This Love)
  
  
  
  Links: Jessie Reyez, More Jesse Reyez Stories, Video above courtesy of Jessie Reyez
  
  
• Scott Zhang aka Monsune: Best R&B Song (SZA - Saturn, songwriter)
  
  
  
  Links: Monsune, More Monsune Stories, SZA, More SZA Stories, Video above courtesy of SZA

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Canadian Nominees for the 2025 Grammys (including local artists)

The nominees for the 2025 Grammy Awards were recently announced and quite a number of Canadian are in the running for the prestigious prize. 

In local news, Waterdown's Stony Plain Records have two albums up for the Best Traditional Blues Album category: Fabulous Thunderbirds - Struck Down (co-produced, co-written and guest starring Hamilton/Kitchener Bluesman Steve Strongman +  backing vocals by Chris Ayries (Hamilton) on 'Sideline') and Sue Foley: One Guitar Woman. Nothing In Rambling, a song from Fabulous Thunderbirds - Struck Down is also nominated for Best Americana Roots Performance.

The 67th GRAMMY Awards, will take be at the Crypto.com Arena (LA) on Sunday, February 2 and broadcast live on the CBS.

Here is the official Grammy Nominee Announcement.

Links: Grammy, More Grammy Stories, Video above courtesy of Recording Academy / GRAMMYs

Below is a complete list of Canadian nominees.

Steve Strongman (Hamilton/Kitchener)

• Best Traditional Blues Album (Fabulous Thunderbirds - Struck Down, co-producer, co-writer, guest on tracks) (released on Waterdown's Stony Plain Records)
  
  
  
  Links: Fabulous Thunderbirds, More Fabulous Thunderbirds Stories, Video above courtesy of The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Topic
  
  
• Best Americana Roots Performance (The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Nothing In Rambling ft Bonnie Raitt, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal & Mick Fleetwood, Co-producer) (released on Waterdown's Stony Plain Records)

Chris Ayries  (Hamilton)

• Best Traditional Blues Album (Fabulous Thunderbirds - Struck Down, backing vocals on 'Sideline') (released on Waterdown's Stony Plain Records)

Sue Foley

• Best Traditional Blues Album (One Guitar Woman) (released on Waterdown's Stony Plain Records)

Arcade Fire

• Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media (Saltburn soundtrack, ft the song No Cars Go)

Lowell Boland

• Best Pop Solo Performance (Beyoncé - Bodyguard / Texas Hold 'Em, co-writer)
• Best Country Song / Record of the Year / Song of the Year (Beyoncé - Texas Hold 'Em, co-writer)
• Album of the Year/Best Country Album (Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter, co-writer on some tracks)

Marika Bournaki

• Best Classical Solo Vocal Album (Fotina Naumenko - Bespoke Songs, pianist)

Daniel Caesar

• Best Reggae Album: (Bob Marley: One Love - Music Inspired By the Film ft the song Waiting In Vain)

Deborah Cox

• Best Musical Theatre Album (The Wiz - 2024 Broadway Cast Recording)

Sara Diamond

• Best R&B Song (Coco Jones - Here We Go (Uh Oh), songwriter)

Grant Dickinson aka Thelabcook

• Best Rap Song ($ ft Rich the Kid & Playboi Carti - Carnival, songwriter)

Serban Ghenea

• Album of the Year (Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department, audio engineer & mixing)
• Best Engineered Album (Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet, audio engineer & mixing)

Dave Hamelin (The Stills)

• Best Country Solo Performance (Beyoncé - 16 Carriages, production and mixing recording engineer)

Shawn Everett

• Album of the Year/Best Country Album (Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter, production and mixing)
• Best Country Album / Best Country Solo Performance / Best Country Song / Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (Kacey Musgraves - Deeper Well, mixing)

Kaytranada 

• Best Remixed Recording (Doechii - Alter Ego)
• Best Dance/Electronic Music Album (Timeless)
• Best Dance/Electronic Recording (Witchy ft Childish Gambino)

Avril Lavigne

• Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media (Deadpool & Wolverine soundtrack, ft the song I'm With You)

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

• Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media (Maestro: Music by Leonard Bernstein with London Symphony Orchestra and Bradley Cooper)
• Best Opera Recording (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra - Catan: Florencia en el Amazonas / Metropolitan Opera Orchestra - Puts: the Hours)

Jessie Reyez

• Best Reggae Album: Bob Marley: One Love - Music Inspired By the Film ft the song Is This Love)

Spiritbox

• Best Metal Performance (Cellar Door)

Shania Twain

• Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media (Twisters: The Album, ft the song Boots Don't with Breland)

The Weeknd

• Best Melodic Rap Performance (We Still Don't Trust You with Future and Metro Boomin)

Charlotte Day Wilson

• Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (Cyan Blue)

Scott Zhang aka Monsune

• Best R&B Song (SZA - Saturn, songwriter)

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

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