The 55th JUNO Awards celebrated the best in Canadian music while honouring a music legend.

Hosted by comedian and actor Mae Martin, the award ceremony honoured Nelly Furtado as she was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame as well as R&B singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar who received the International Achievement Award and punk-rock group Billy Talent who received the 2026 Humanitarian Award.

The biggest highlight was Joni Mitchell was receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, her first time back in Canada since 2013.

“I had a aneurysm, which changed my life — oddly, for the better,” she said in her acceptance speech. “I went into a coma, which helped me to quit smoking. And my house filled up with the most wonderful nurses. I was, on the road with men for years and years; now I live with a house full of women. So my life has changed for the better out of a catastrophe like a phoenix.”

Mitchell also joined in on a tribute medley led by Sarah McLachlan and Alison Russell performing “A Case of You,” “Both Sides Now,” and ending the night with “Big Yellow Taxi.” Mitchell is the third person in JUNOs history to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, following Anne Murray in 2025 and broadcast executive and the first president of the CRTC, Pierre Juneau back in 1989.

In a historic first, two-time JUNO winner Alex Cuba won the inaugural Latin Music Recording of the Year, for his latest album Índole.

In the jazz and blues categories, Winnipeg native Renee Rosnes won Jazz Album of the Year (Solo) for her latest release, Crossing Paths, celebrating Brazilian jazz. NYC-based vocalist Laura Anglade won Vocal Jazz Album of the Year for Get Out of Town and Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra won Jazz Album of the Year (Group) for their eighth album, East Meets West: Connections, their take on big band music infused with contemporary jazz. Multi-instrumentalist and singer Steve Marriner won Blues Album of the Year for the album, Hear My Heart.

For a second year in a row, pop singer Tate McRae walked away with four awards, including Artist of the Yea, Pop Album of the Year, Single of the Year and Album of the Year.

The 56th JUNO Awards returns to Winnipeg on April 4, 2027. Click here to see the full list of this year’s winners.