JUNOS in Hamilton: ‘Lightning in a bottle’
Hamilton will take centre stage when it hosts the JUNO Awards for the seventh time from March 26 to 29. It’s a chance to show off this city of music and momentum, and to build a legacy to carry that forward.
When the JUNO Awards arrive in Hamilton in late March, it will be the lucky seventh time our city has served as host. No other city outside of Toronto has been a more frequent host of Canada’s Biggest Night in Music.
Some amazing moments have happened in Hamilton, including Alanis Morissette taking home five JUNOS for the iconic Jagged Little Pill in 1995, and Arkells performing a standout version of “Come to Light,” accompanied by the late Boris Brott conducting the National Academy Orchestra in 2015.
More musical memories will soon be made.
The legend that is Joni Mitchell will earn a Lifetime Achievement Award Presented by your National Arts Centre. The genre-bending Nelly Furtado, who has been nominated 18 times for JUNOS and won 10 times over 25 years, will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. She’s also nominated for Pop Album of the Year.
And the nominees for awards will bring sure star power. Superstar Justin Bieber and rising pop singer Tate McRae racked up a career-high six nominations, while The Weeknd and breakout country star Cameron Whitcomb, who will perform at the event, each earned five.
Those with local connections up for JUNOS this year are country singer Josh Ross from Waterdown, Hamilton metal/hardcore band Counterparts, and producer and musician Daniel Lanois, who is up for an award for album art. As well, teacher Raquel McIntosh from Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School is one of five nominees for a MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award.
It’s only fitting that the beloved Arkells, a rock band forged 20 years ago at McMaster University and named in honour of the Westdale street where they rehearsed in those early days, will perform for a sixth time at the JUNOS.
Singer Max Kerman, guitarist Mike DeAngelis, bassist Nick Dika, drummer Tim Oxford and keyboardist Anthony Carone have won nine JUNOS, and hold the record for nabbing Group of the Year six times. They took that award the last time the JUNOS were in Hamilton in 2015.
While they aren’t eligible for a JUNO nomination this year (the band will release its 10th album, Between Us, in April), Arkells are always electrifying live and the crowd at TD Coliseum in March will undoubtedly be stoked.
“It's an honour to be asked,” Kerman says of the upcoming performance, “and just as important: it gives us something to work toward. As an artist, having a creative assignment is a gift.”
Kerman told HCM that playing with Brott’s orchestra and meeting Bryan Adams are among his favourite JUNO memories. He’s looking forward to seeing old friends and recommending favourite local hotspots to visitors.
HAMILTON’S TIME
This is the perfect time for Hamilton to host the JUNOS, says local music and event promoter Tim Potocic, who is co-chair of the city’s host committee.
“The timing couldn't be better. You know, the new arena, lots of new development happening downtown, the timing with respect to climbing back from the pandemic. Music and the arts tend to always lead, and that's what's happening here. We're leading with music and the arts, and other things are coming in the wake.”
Hamilton will take advantage of the push the JUNOS will bring, says Potocic.
“There are local people that are doing the things the local people do. There are new venues opening. It's not a coincidence that they're tending to be opening around when the JUNOS are coming to town. So there'll be more people programming music, which is good … One venue is fine, but when there are 20 venues, it's so much better. Everybody finds their niche. There's more things for people to do, there's collaboration, and it just elevates the entire community.”
Having an ecosystem that ranges from the smallest stage, all the way up to a giant arena is key to a thriving music scene that can make the most of hosting the JUNOS, says Ryan McHugh, manager of tourism & events at the City of Hamilton.
“Especially with Tim's help and leadership, engaging the grassroots music community in Hamilton as part of our JUNO efforts is something we’re extremely proud of, because if the show came, they sold some tickets and then left and life just went on, that would be a missed opportunity. We really want to use this to catch lightning in a bottle here, because we have a lot of momentum.”
The City of Hamilton is building on that momentum with a City of Music campaign and creating a strategy to build a downtown night-time economy.
“The JUNOS returning to Hamilton is a cornerstone of our City of Music campaign this year, alongside the reopening of TD Coliseum and homegrown music festivals and events,” says Lisa Abbott, the City’s director of Tourism and Culture.
“It’s also a catalyst for a lasting cultural legacy. Events of this scale put a national spotlight on our city — not just on the big awards stage, but on our local venues, neighbourhoods, attractions, and creative community. When artists, fans, and industry leaders have a great experience here, it shapes how they think about Hamilton long after the awards, influencing future visits, event site selection, and investment decisions.”
Allan Reid, president and CEO of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), which presents the JUNOS, says the organization is intentional about working with host committees to tell that city’s story and build a legacy that lasts well beyond the event.
In 2015, a rapidly gentrifying Hamilton wanted to move past its image as Steeltown and embrace being The Ambitious City.
“They really wanted to bring the JUNOS to show Hamilton to the nation, but also to show it to the music industry, particularly artists who were finding it harder to live in Toronto.”
Supercrawl had become a musical force by then and hosting the JUNOS for the first time since 2001, “was a big cultural moment to have us come and shine what we call the national spotlight.”
Much has changed in Hamilton since the JUNOS last visited, including a downtown arena with $300 million in renovations, all-day GO service from the West Harbour Station, upgrades to Hamilton International Airport, and more condos and hotel rooms downtown.
And in that time, says Potocic, the city’s music scene has grown, thanks to more artists moving here, and more shows coming to local stages.
“I think the Hamilton business owner isn't afraid of getting in the trenches and keeping things moving forward. So I only feel like it's improved, to be completely honest … It's not for the faint of heart, to be in the live music sphere. But, the reality is that there's always been an incredible music scene here.”
Centering the redeveloped TD Coliseum in the national spotlight will just accelerate the forward motion in Hamilton, says Reid. Both a Canada-wide TV audience and many artists will get their first look at the music-first venue.
CANADA: PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT
Hamilton is already a musical powerhouse, home to the sixth-largest cluster of music businesses in Canada, a country that was the third-largest exporter of music in the world in 2024 behind the U.S. and the U.K.
“What is amazing is the amount of talent that comes out of this country,” says Reid. “And we say it all the time: we as a nation, punch way above our weight when it comes to music, from a global superstar standpoint, and across all spectrums, and all genres of music,” says Reid.
“It's a super exciting time to be in this industry. It's chaotic, too, but artists are creating. We see it every year in our submissions for the JUNOS.”
Over the last 10 years, the number of submissions has doubled. This year marked the second-highest submission count ever, second only to 2025.
Recognizing Joni Mitchell, who was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame an incredible 45 years ago, will be a special moment, says Reid. The acclaimed singer and songwriter made a return to performing in 2022 after being sidelined for decades by poor health.
“We knew then that we had to find a way to bring Joni back. So we were beyond thrilled that when we started this conversation with her management, there was willingness,” he says.
“I think the political climate also played a role in Joni saying, ‘I want to go back home to my home country and be recognized.’ So honestly, we could not be more thrilled that Joni is going to be able to come back here and be in Hamilton and be part of this celebration.”
Furtado is being recognized for selling 45 million records and for her unique artistry in producing albums that were each entirely different from the last, says Reid.
Reid says the mission of CARAS is to support musical artists from “birth to myth. We give them their first instrument, and we see them through the trajectory of their career to hopefully end up one day in the Hall of Fame.”
GET OUT FOR JUNO WEEK
The events leading up to the marquee awards show is where Hamilton will truly shine, says Reid.
JUNOfest (March 27 and 28) will see up-and-coming and established artists taking to numerous local stages. That includes nominees who are looking to be heard but also bigger acts who love performing in intimate spaces.
“You never know who's going to show up in one of those music venues late at night when someone else is on the stage and hop on and join them.”
The Songwriters’ Circle is the jewel of the JUNOS, says Reid, where eight artists in two sets play songs, share stories about how they came to be, and talk about the essence of the craft of songwriting.
Other highlights are the JUNOS Kickoff concert at The Music Hall, the Junior JUNOS at the Hamilton Public Library, Stories from the Studios where engineers and producers will talk about their craft, and the Honouring Ceremony, where Indigenous nominees perform and representatives from Six Nations and the Mississaugas of the Credit will welcome guests.
Everything wraps up with the JUNOS After Party, which is open to fans and will feature a house band and plenty of special guests.
McHugh urges Hamiltonians to get out to make an impression on JUNO visitors: welcome them, help them get around and find great restaurants, and show them Hamilton’s spirit.
“Hamilton, you know, even though we're gritty, we have heart, and there's so much amazing vibrancy and beauty and culture,” he says. “There’s so much here to be proud of. And when you get events like this, you can just really show off and have your day in the sun.”
