The Juno Awards of 2008 were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on the weekend ending 6 April 2008. These ceremonies honoured music industry achievements in Canada in the latter part of 2006 and in most of 2007.
Country performer and multiple Juno Award winner Paul Brandt received the 2008 Humanitarian Award which is now named after CHUM-FM Radio founder, Allan Waters. Moses Znaimer, who led the development of Citytv and MuchMusic, received the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award. Nominations for all remaining categories were announced on 5 February 2008.
Notable among winners was Feist, winning all five awards in her nominated categories, three of which were presented in the televised gala.
Presentations Saturday gala The Saturday gala where most awards are presented occurred at the Telus Convention Centre on 5 April, while the major awards were presented at the Pengrowth Saddledome on Sunday (6 April).
Sunday televised ceremonies Performers appearing on the program included Feist, Finger Eleven, Michael Bublé, Avril Lavigne, Anne Murray, Paul Brandt, Aaron Lines, Gord Bamford, Hedley, Johnny Reid, and Jully Black.
The televised event was broadcast on CTV and hosted by Russell Peters. Peters' monologue was described by Edmonton Sun columnist Bill Harris as "the funniest opening five minutes we've ever seen from an awards-show host." Peters was also cited by Toronto Star entertainment critic Ben Rayner as offering a break from recent years of "iffy emceeing" during the award broadcasts.
The 2008 broadcast attracted CTV's second-highest ratings since the network gained broadcast rights. 1.45 million viewers were measured in 2008 compared to 2.18 million for the 2003 ceremonies.
Jeff Healey, an internationally noted Canadian musician who died the month before the Juno ceremonies, was given a brief tribute mention by members of Blue Rodeo during the televised awards ceremony.
Nominees and winners
Nominees for the 2008 Juno Awards were announced on 5 February 2008. On 15 February 2008, CARAS indicated that it made a "logistical error" during its nominations voting process, announcing the addition of two new nominations and the replacement of one nomination as follows:
Album of the Year: Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends, Anne Murray New Artist of the Year: Jill Barber Rap Recording of the Year: Memoirs of a Playbwoy, JDiggz; "Fall From Paradise" by Classified was disqualified because the song appeared on the album Hitch Hikin' Music which was previously nominated for the 2007 awards.
Artist of the Year Winner: Feist
Other nominees: Michael Bublé Celine Dion Avril Lavigne Pascale Picard
Group of the Year Winner: Blue Rodeo
Other nominees: Arcade Fire Finger Eleven Hedley Kaïn
New Artist of the Year Winner: Serena Ryder
Other nominees: Jill Barber (nomination added on 15 February 2008) Belly Jeremy Fisher Justin Nozuka Suzie McNeil
New Group of the Year Winner: Wintersleep
Other nominees: Dragonette Faber Drive illScarlett State of Shock
Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Winner: Joni Mitchell, "Hana" and "Bad Dreams"
Other nominees: Kevin Churko, "I Don't Wanna Stop" and "God Bless the Almighty Dollar" (Ozzy Osbourne) Rhys Fulber, "Weak in the Knees" and "Just Another Day" (Serena Ryder) Bob Rock, "Everything" (Michael Bublé) and "Bomb" (Payola$) Skratch Bastid, "Way Back When" and "The Outskirts" (Buck 65)
Recording Engineer of the Year Winner: Kevin Churko, Black Rain (Ozzy Osbourne)
Other nominees: John Bailey, Make Someone Happy (Sophie Milman) Richard Chycki, Snakes & Arrows (Rush) and Are You Listening? (Dolores O'Riordan) George Seara, Holly Cole (Holly Cole) Jeff Wolpert, Onward! (Manteca)
Songwriter of the Year Winner: Feist, "My Moon My Man", "1234", "I Feel It All"
Other nominees: Daniel Bélanger, "La Fin de l'homme", "Television", "Sports et loisirs" Avril Lavigne, "Girlfriend", "Keep Holding On", "When You're Gone" Joel Plaskett, "Fashionable People", "Nothing More to Say", "Face of the Earth" Rufus Wainwright, "Going to a Town", "Release the Stars", "Do I Disappoint You"
Fan Choice Award Winner: Michael Bublé
Other nominees: Celine Dion Claude Dubois Nelly Furtado Avril Lavigne
Nominated albums Album of the Year Winner: The Reminder, Feist
Other nominees: The Best Damn Thing, Avril Lavigne Call Me Irresponsible, Michael Bublé Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends, Anne Murray (nomination added on 15 February 2008) D'elles, Celine Dion Taking Chances, Celine Dion
Aboriginal Recording of the Year Winner: The Dirty Looks, Derek Miller
Other nominees: Home and Native Land, Little Hawk Nikawiy Askiy, Sandy Scofield Phoenix], Fara Palmer What It Takes, Donny Parenteau
Adult Alternative Album of the Year Winner: Small Miracles, Blue Rodeo
Other nominees: Chrome Dreams II, Neil Young Goodbye Blue Monday, Jeremy Fisher No Stranger, Tom Cochrane Release the Stars, Rufus Wainwright
Alternative Album of the Year Winner: Neon Bible, Arcade Fire
Other nominees: Close to Paradise, Patrick Watson The Con, Tegan and Sara LP, Holy Fuck Welcome to the Night Sky, Wintersleep
Blues Album of the Year Winner: Building Full of Blues, Fathead
Other nominees: Blues Thing, Jack de Keyzer High Country Blues, Harrison Kennedy Junction City, Little Miss Higgins A Lesson I've Learned, The Johnny Max Band
CD/DVD Artwork Design of the Year Winner: Tracy Maurice and François Miron, Neon Bible (Arcade Fire)
Other nominees: Felix Wittholz, Situation (Buck 65) Jeff Harrison and Clinton Hussey, Ornamental Eterworld (Vonnegut Dollhouse) John Cook, Mark Burchner and Greg Bennet, Revue: The Best of Paul Reddick Mathieu Houde, Simon Rivest, Catherine Lepage, Mathieu Doyon, 2×2 (Pierre LaPointe)
Children's Album of the Year Winner: Music Soup, Jen Gould
Other nominees: Gonna Keep Dancing, Eddie Douglas This is Daniel Cook: Here We Are, This is Daniel Cook Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf, Windsor Symphony Orchestra Superstars, The Doodlebops
Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year Winner: Holy God, Brian Doerksen
Other nominees: Beautiful, Amanda Falk Five Score and Seven Years Ago, Relient K Roots Revolution, Newworldson The Flame in All of Us, Thousand Foot Krutch
Classical Album of the Year (large ensemble) Winner: Korngold, Barber & Walton Violin Concertos, James Ehnes, Bramwell Tovey, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Other nominees: Elgar Violin Concertos, James Ehnes, Andrew Davis and the Philharmonia Orchestra La Mer, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestre Métropolitain Vivaldi: L’estro armonico, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra Water Music, Les Violons du Roy
Classical Album of the Year (solo or chamber ensemble) Winner: Alkan Concerto for Solo Piano, Marc-André Hamelin
Other nominees: After Reading Shakespeare, Matt Haimovitz Bach Cello Suites, Jean-Guihen Queyras Rameau Keyboard Suites, Angela Hewitt Shostakovich: Complete Works for Piano Trio/Silvestrov: Postlude DSCH, The Gryphon Trio
Classical Album of the Year (vocal or choral performance) Winner: Surprise, Measha Brueggergosman
Other nominees: Buxtehude – Membra Jesu Nostri, Les Voix Baroques Constantinople, The Gryphon Trio Samuel Barber Songs, Gerald Finley Schubert Among Friends, The Aldeburgh Connection
Francophone Album of the Year Winner: L'Échec du matériel, Daniel Bélanger
Other nominees: D'elles, Céline Dion L'homme qui me ressemble, Damien Robitaille De retour à la source, Isabelle Boulay Vers à soi, Jorane
Instrumental Album of the Year Winner: The Utmost, Jayme Stone
Other nominees: Foley Room, Amon Tobin Jalopy, Joey Wright Kensington Suite, Richard Underhill Snake Road, Bob Lanois
International Album of the Year Winner: Good Girl Gone Bad, Rihanna
Other nominees: The Dutchess, Fergie Lost Highway, Bon Jovi Noël, Josh Groban Timbaland Presents Shock Value, Timbaland
Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year Winner: Almost Certainly Dreaming, The Chris Tarry Group
Other nominees: Chasing After Light, Michael Occhipinti and Creation Dream Forty Revolutions, David Occhipinti Metaphora, Altered Laws Onward!, Manteca
Traditional Jazz Album of the Year Winner: Debut, Brandi Disterheft
Other nominees: Brubeck Braid: twotet/deuxtet, David Braid, Matt Brubeck Code Breaking, Tara Davidson Foundations, Jodi Proznick Quartet Live Jazz Legends, Oliver Jones, PJ Perry, Ian MacDougall, Terry Clarke, Michel Donato
Vocal Jazz Album of the Year Winner: Make Someone Happy, Sophie Milman
Other nominees: The Very Thought of You, Emilie-Claire Barlow:: Emilie-Claire Barlow :: Destination Moon, Deborah Cox Holly Cole, Holly Cole Days Like These, Michael Kaeshammer
Pop Album of the Year Winner: The Reminder, Feist
Other nominees: Call Me Irresponsible, Michael Bublé Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends, Anne Murray Street Gospels, Bedouin Soundclash Taking Chances, Celine Dion
Rock Album of the Year Winner: Them vs. You vs. Me, Finger Eleven
Other nominees: Hospital Music, Matthew Good The Lucky Ones, Pride Tiger The Saint Alvia Cartel, The Saint Alvia Cartel Underclass Hero, Sum 41
Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Solo) Winner: Right of Passage, David Francey
Other nominees: The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park, Justin Rutledge For All Time, Jill Barber Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!, Corb Lund Short Stories, Oh Susanna
Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group) Winner: Key Principles, Nathan
Other nominees: ¿Buddy, Where You Been?, Compadres: James Keelaghan and Oscar Lopez In Good We Trust, Harry Manx and Kevin Breit New Seasons, The Sadies Stellar Jays, John Reischman and The Jaybirds
World Music Album of the Year Winner: Agua Del Pozo, Alex Cuba
Other nominees: Frontiers, Jesse Cook Jogo da Vida, Celso Machado So the Journey Goes, Autorickshaw Wanderlust, Kiran Ahluwalia
Nominated releases Single of the Year Winner: "1234", Feist
Other nominees: "Everything", Michael Bublé "Girlfriend", Avril Lavigne "Paralyzer", Finger Eleven "Seven Day Fool", Jully Black
Classical Composition of the Year Winner: "Constantinople", Christos Hatzis
Other nominees: "A Child’s Cry From Izieu", Oskar Morawetz "Letters From Mignon", R. Murray Schafer "Quantum Mechanics", Jeffrey Ryan "This Isn’t Silence", Brian Current
Country Recording of the Year Winner: Risk, Paul Brandt
Other nominees: Honkytonks and Heartaches, Gord Bamford Kicking Stones, Johnny Reid Life Is Calling My Name, Shane Yellowbird Moments That Matter, Aaron Lines
Dance Recording of the Year Winner: All U Ever Want, Billy Newton-Davis vs. Deadmau5
Other nominees: After Hours, Melleefresh vs. Deadmau5 Every Time You Move, Nick Fiorucci Fancy Footwork, Chromeo Poppin' Beats, Hatiras
Music DVD of the Year Winner: 666 Live, Billy Talent
Other nominees: Danny Michel and The Black Tornados, Danny Michel One Night at the Metropolis, Jesse Cook Nights from the Alhambra, Loreena McKennitt Trinity Revisited, Cowboy Junkies
R&B/Soul Recording of the Year Winner: Revival, Jully Black
Other nominees: The Birth of Cornelius, Corneille Goldrush, Ebrahim 2U, Keshia Chanté We Can All Be Free, God Made Me Funky
Rap Recording of the Year Winner: The Revolution, Belly
Other nominees: The Fewturistic, BrassMunk Memoirs of a Playbwoy, JDiggz Port Authority, Marco Polo The Old Prince, Shad
Reggae Recording of the Year Winner: "Don't Go Pretending", Mikey Dangerous
Other nominees: "Don't Go", Korexion "Final Road", Blessed "Music is my Life", Tanya Mullings "Two Chord Skankin'", Lyndon John X
Video of the Year Winner: Christopher Mills, "C’mon" (Blue Rodeo)
Other nominees: Kyle Davison, "Shake Tramp" (Marianas Trench) Vincent Morriset, "Neon Bible" (Arcade Fire) Marc Ricciardelli, "Walls Fall Down" (Bedouin Soundclash) Sean Wainsteim, "Cheer It On" (Tokyo Police Club)
Compilation CD A compilation album was released in February 2008
My Moon My Man – Feist