News from Vancouver is that Burnaby-raised pop crooner Michael Bublé will host and perform at the 2025 JUNO Awards show, March 30 at Rogers Arena.
Pop-punk band Sum 41 will also perform and be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 54th annual awards, staged by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). That night, Live Nation Canada chairman Riley O’Connor will receive the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award.
A 15-time JUNO Award-winner, Bublé returns as a third-time host of Canada’s biggest night in music, live from his hometown.
"The JUNOS are such an important part of the Canadian music industry, and being able to host for the second time in my hometown makes this night mean even more to me," Bublé said in a news release posted to junoawards.ca, where tickets are sold for $70 and up starting Friday, Nov. 29, four days after a TD pre-sale time (via ticketmaster.ca/JUNOS). Tickets are also avaiable for an "After Party" at the Commodore Ballroom in support of MusiCounts, following the CBC broadcast.
JUNO Awards details leaked Friday (Nov. 22) and were confirmed Monday (Nov. 25) at CBC Studio 700 in Vancouver, where Surrey-based "emerging artist" Raman Bains performed during a news conference.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim announced a city council commitment of $350,000 to the renewed Vancouver Music Fund, which aims to help artists and industry pros access opportunities, "promoting a thriving and diverse music sector in Vancouver." Applications for the Demo Recording ($2,000) and Business Foundations ($10,000) grant programs will open Jan. 29, 2025, on Creative BC’s website.
Surrey-raised Argel Monte de Ramos (aka Argel MDR) was a 2022/23 Demo Recording grant recipient, along with producer Grace Chiang.
"Receiving the (grant) opened up more opportunities for me to continue developing my skills in performance, songwriting and music production,” says Monte de Ramos, who wrote music for Knotted: Rapunzel’s Story, a pantomime by Royal Canadian Theatre Company at Surrey Arts Centre's Main Stage starting Dec. 20.
“By releasing the songs I recorded with the support of this grant last year, I have been able to continuously expand my reach as an artist, engage with my audiences and book more public performances. I hope that additional emerging artists like me can continue to access this kind of support at the early stages of their career."
In September, some Surrey-area musicians and backers celebrated news from CARAS that a South Asian Music Recording of the Year award has been added for the 2025 JUNO Awards. "Canada has proven to be at the epicentre of South Asian music globally," CARAS said in a webpost dated Sept. 23.
Last March, Punjabi-Canadian artist Karan Aujla, who once worked in Surrey as a longshoreman, took home the TikTok JUNO Fan Choice award — a bittersweet moment for organizers of the 5X Fest, a festival of South Asian music and art in Surrey and Vancouver.
"Although it was heartwarming to see (Aujla) take the stage to perform and to receive this award, we couldn't help but notice the lack representation for South Asian artists across all of the nominated categories, so we spoke about it publicly," on Instagram.
Apparently CARAS listened to those concerns, adding the South Asian Music Recording of the Year category and also Songwriter of the Year (Non-Performer).
