The Juno Awards of 2020, the 49th Juno Awards, was an awards presentation that was to be held at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on 15 March 2020. The awards and associated events were cancelled due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, making it the first Juno Awards since 1988 to be cancelled. The award winners were announced on 29 June 2020 in an online event.Shakiel Mahjouri, "2020 Juno Awards Winners List: Find Out Who Came Out On Top". ET Canada, June 29, 2020.
Host city bids Saskatoon attempted to host the 2019 awards, but abandoned that bid due to lack of funding. The city's subsequent bid for 2020 was successful. The municipal government of Saskatoon had allocated $350,000 towards the event.
Hamilton, Ontario was previously interested in bidding for the 2019 or 2020 Junos.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and cancellation
On 12 March 2020, three days before the presentation, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced that the ceremony and all ancillary events had been cancelled due to health concerns surrounding the coronavirus, as it had been declared a pandemic by World Health Organization the day before. Although Saskatchewan had, until shortly after the cancellation (when its chief medical officer announced the first presumptive case in the province), not had any confirmed cases of coronavirus yet, an announcement on Wednesday that the show would go on had faced backlash from residents and others. CARAS stated that it would "coordinate an alternate plan" to honour its 2020 award recipients.
The Junos Songwriters' Circle, an annual event normally held as part of the Juno Awards weekend which features Canadian songwriters performing and sharing the stories behind their songs in a panel format, was relaunched in May 2020 in a web series format, with the first episode featuring Brett Kissel, Dominique Fils-Aimé, Kaia Kater and Devon Portielje."Junos 365 Songwriters’ Circle Launches May 1". FYI Music News, April 30, 2020. The second episode featured Rose Cousins, William Prince, Ed Robertson and Tenille Townes; the third featured Dallas Green, Sarah Harmer, Joel Plaskett and Buffy Sainte-Marie;"Get ready for episode 3 of the Junos 365 Songwriters' Circle". CBC Music, May 5, 2020. and the fourth featured Scott Helman, Meghan Patrick, Tom Wilson and Whitehorse."Watch Scott Helman host the 4th Junos 365 Songwriters' Circle". CBC Music, June 12, 2020.
Online ceremonies On 18 June, the Junos announced that a virtual ceremony would be broadcast through CBC Gem on 29 June 2020.
Events Alessia Cara was the planned host of the main ceremonies. The livestream was hosted by Odario Williams and Damhnait Doyle.
Performers The following performers appeared during the livestream:name="Junos2020About" iskwē Neon Dreams Alessia Cara The Dead South
Nominees and winners Jann Arden was set to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the main ceremonies. As the ceremony was cancelled, her formal induction instead took place at the Juno Awards of 2021.
Nominations were announced on 18 January 2020. Winners were announced on 29 June.
People Artist of the Year Group of the Year Shawn Mendes Bryan Adams Alessia Cara Tory Lanez Jessie Reyez Loud Luxury 88Glam Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine The Reklaws Walk Off the Earth Breakthrough Artist of the Year Breakthrough Group of the Year Lennon Stella bbno$ Ali Gatie Alexandra Stréliski Tenille Townes Neon Dreams The Blue Stones Hunter Brothers Palaye Royale Valley Fan Choice Award Songwriter of the Year Avril Lavigne bbno$ Justin Bieber Alessia Cara Ali Gatie Tory Lanez Loud Luxury Shawn Mendes Nav The Weeknd Alessia Cara - "Growing Pains", "Out of Love", "Rooting for You" Tim Baker - "All Hands", "Dance", "The Eighteenth Hole" Bülow - "Boys Will Be Boys", "Sweet Little Lies", "Two Punks in Love" Tenille Townes - "I Kept the Roses", "Jersey on the Wall (I'm Just Asking)", "White Horse" Patrick Watson - "Broken", "Dream for Dreaming", "Here Comes the River" Producer of the Year Recording Engineer of the Year Ben Kaplan - "Brittle Bones Nicky" (Rare Americans), "It's Alright" (Mother Mother) Steve Bays - "Record Shop" (Said the Whale), "Song in My Head" (We Are the City) Derek Hoffman - "Fear of the Flame" (Logan Staats), "Hide Your Love" (Caveboy) Jon Levine - "October", "Rooting for You" (Alessia Cara) Michael Wise - "Just Friends" (Virginia to Vegas), "Sweet Little Lies" (Bülow) John "Beetle" Bailey - "Dividido" (Alex Cuba feat. Silvana Estrada), "Shotgun" (Monkey House) Jason Dufour - "Push for Yellow", "There's Still a Light in the House" (Valley) Vic Florencia - "Midnight", "Over Me" (Brooke Palsson) George Seara - "If I Can't Have You" (Shawn Mendes), "Incredible" (James TW) Ryan Worsley - "2 Myself" (Ludic), "Known Better" (Nuela Charles)
Albums Album of the Year Adult Alternative Album of the Year Alessia Cara, The Pains of Growing Bryan Adams, Shine a Light Michael Bublé, Love Nav, Bad Habits Alexandra Stréliski, Inscape Half Moon Run, A Blemish in the Great Light City and Colour, A Pill for Loneliness Leonard Cohen, Thanks for the Dance iskwē, acākosīk Patrick Watson, Wave Adult Contemporary Album of the Year Alternative Album of the Year Bryan Adams, Shine a Light Nuela Charles, Melt Marc Jordan, Both Sides Renée Lamoureux, Empower Lauren Spencer-Smith, Unplugged Vol. 1 PUP, Morbid Stuff Black Mountain, Destroyer Foxwarren, Foxwarren Mac DeMarco, Here Comes the Cowboy Orville Peck, Pony Blues Album of the Year Children's Album of the Year Dawn Tyler Watson, Mad Love Michael Jerome Browne, That's Where It's At Durham County Poets, Hand Me Down Blues Big Dave McLean, Pocket Full of Nothin Whitehorse, The Northern South, Vol. 2 | valign="top" | Big Block SingSong, Greatest Hits, Vol. 4 GFORCE, It's GFORCE Girl Pow-R, This Is Us Diana Panton, A Cheerful Little Earful Sharon & Bram, Sharon, Bram & Friends |- ! style="width:50%" | Classical Album of the Year – Solo or Chamber Ensemble ! style="width:50%" | Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble or Soloist(s) with Large Ensemble Accompaniment |- | valign="top" | Angela Schwarzkopf, Detach James Ehnes, Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Op. 12 Ensemble Paramirabo, Alone & Unalone Quatuor Molinari, John Zorn: Cat o' Nine Tails, The Dead Man, Memento Mori & Kol Nidre Marina Thibault and Marie-Ève Scarfone, Elles | valign="top" | Montreal Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano, The John Adams Album National Arts Centre Orchestra conducted by Alexander Shelley, The Bound of our Dreams Jan Lisiecki with Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos Orchestre Métropolitain de Montreal conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Sibelius 1 Montreal Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano feat. Charles Richard-Hamelin, Chopin: Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 |- ! style="width:50%" | Classical Album of the Year – Vocal or Choral Performance ! style="width:50%" | Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year |- | valign="top" | Ottawa Bach Choir conducted by Lisette Canton, Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schutz: Motets Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, When There is Peace: An Armistice Oratorio Gerald Finley, Schubert: Schwanengesang; Brahms: Vier ernste Gesange Peter Barrett, Martha Guth, Allyson McHardy and Helen Becque, Summer Night Philippe Sly with Le Chimera Project, Schubert: Winterreise | valign="top" | Matt Maher, The Advent of Christmas Dan Bremnes, Wherever I Go Brian Doerksen, The Heart of Christmas Fresh I.E., Ill Street Blues Brooke Nicholls, Pursue |- ! style="width:50%" | Country Album of the Year ! style="width:50%" | Electronic Album of the Year |- | valign="top" | Meghan Patrick, Wild As Me Dean Brody, Black Sheep Aaron Goodvin, V Hunter Brothers, State of Mind Dallas Smith, The Fall | valign="top" | Rezz, Beyond the Senses Bob Moses, Battle Lines Electric Youth, Memory Emotion Jacques Greene, Dawn Chorus Keys N Krates, A Beat Tape for Your Friends |- ! style="width:50%" | Francophone Album of the Year ! style="width:50%" | Indigenous Music Album of the Year |- | valign="top" | Les Louanges, La nuit est une panthère Koriass, La nuit des longs couteaux Jean Leloup, L'Étrange pays Loud, Tout ça pour ça Fred Pellerin, Après | valign="top" | Celeigh Cardinal, Stories from a Downtown Apartment Digawolf, Yellowstone nêhiyawak, Nipiy Northern Haze, Siqinnaarut Riit, ataataga |- ! style="width:50%" | Instrumental Album of the Year ! style="width:50%" | International Album of the Year |- | valign="top" | Alexandra Stréliski, Inscape Kevin Hearn, Calm and Cents Bill McBirnie and Bernie Senesky, The Silent Wish Ron Davis' Symphronica, Symphronica Upfront Tanya Tagaq, Toothsayer | valign="top" | Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next Khalid, Free Spirit Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding Ed Sheeran, No.6 Collaborations Project |- ! style="width:50%" | Jazz Album of the Year – Solo ! style="width:50%" | Jazz Album of the Year – Group |- | valign="top" | Jacques Kuba Séguin, Migrations The Mark Kelso Jazz Project, The Chronicles of Fezziwig Joel Miller, Unstoppable Ted Quinlan, Absolutely Dreaming John Stetch, Black Sea Suite | valign="top" | Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop, Abundance Al Muirhead's Canadian Quintet, Undertones Brad Turner Quartet, Jump Up Dave Young Trio, Trouble in Mind Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, On Firm Ground / Tierra firme |- ! style="width:50%" | Vocal Jazz Album of the Year ! style="width:50%" | Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year |- | valign="top" | Dominique Fils-Aimé, Stay Tuned! Jazz Affair, Wishes Monkey House, Friday Elizabeth Shepherd, Montreal Bria Skonberg, Nothing Never Happens | valign="top" | Striker, Play to Win The Agonist, Orphans Kobra and the Lotus, Evolution Lindsay Schoolcraft, Martyr Single Mothers, Through a Wall |- ! style="width:50%" | Pop Album of the Year ! style="width:50%" | Rock Album of the Year |- | valign="top" | Alessia Cara, The Pains of Growing Bülow, Crystalline Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine, 8:47 Avril Lavigne, Head Above Water Walk Off the Earth, Here We Go! | valign="top" | The Glorious Sons, A War on Everything Big Wreck, ..but for the sun The Dirty Nil, Master Volume Headstones, Peopleskills Sum 41, Order in Decline |- ! style="width:50%" | Contemporary Roots Album of the Year ! style="width:50%" | Traditional Roots Album of the Year |- | valign="top" | Lee Harvey Osmond, Mohawk Del Barber, Easy Keeper Irish Mythen, Little Bones Catherine MacLellan, Coyote Justin Rutledge, Passages | valign="top" | The Dead South, Sugar & Joy Natalie MacMaster, Sketches Miranda Mulholland, By Appointment or Chance The Small Glories, Assiniboine and the Red April Verch, Once a Day |- ! style="width:50%" | World Music Album of the Year ! style="width:50%" | Comedy Album of the Year |- | valign="top" | Djely Tapa, Barokan Romina Di Gasbarro, Risorgimento Okan, Sombras Okavango African Orchestra, Africa Without Borders Silla + Rise, Galactic Gala | valign="top" | Sophie Buddle, Lil Bit of Buddle''' Jarrett Campbell, Straight White Fail Adam Christie, General Anxiety Disorder Monty Scott, The Abyss Stares Back Steph Tolev, I'm Not Well''
Songs and recordings Single of the Year Classical Composition of the Year Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, "Señorita" Bülow, "Sweet Little Lies" Alessia Cara, "Out of Love" Scott Helman, "Hang Ups" Lennon Stella, "La Di Da" Ana Sokolovic, "Evta" Rose Bolton, "The Coming of Sobs" Vincent Ho, "Kickin' It 2.0" Jared Miller, "Under Sea, Above Sky" Bekah Simms, "Everything Is...Distorted" Dance Recording of the Year R&B/Soul Recording of the Year Felix Cartal and Lights, "Love Me" Loud Luxury and Bryce Vine, "I'm Not Alright" Ralph, "Gravity" Sultan & Shepard feat. Showtek, "We Found Love"