From Adele to Carly Rae: Five things we learned from the Juno nominations

By David Friend, The Canadian Press

As expected, the Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Drake stole the show as this year’s Juno Award nominations were announced on Tuesday. But here are five interesting storylines that emerged as the slate of Juno nominees was revealed:

MEN RULED: Guitarist and singer Amy Millan, a member of Stars and Broken Social Scene, vented on Twitter about how males dominated the key categories using the hashtag #JunosSoMale – drawing inspiration from #OscarsSoWhite. There were no women to be found in the marquee artist and album of the year categories or in the rock album of the year, rap recording of the year and dance recording of the year fields.

Allan Reid, president and CEO of the Juno Awards, says nominations are a combination of member votes and chart success, which he says reflects “what’s really happening” in the music world. He compared this year to the 1990s when female singers like Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette and Celine Dion grabbed the most nominations.

JEPSEN REALLY, REALLY GETS SNUBBED: Pop powerhouse Carly Rae Jepsen was mostly absent from the Juno nominees list, despite widespread critical acclaim for her second album “Emotion.” Jepsen landed only one nomination, for the fan choice award, perhaps because the album disappointed on the sales front, a factor in what gets nominated.

ADELE IS EVERYWHERE: Even Canadian awards shows can’t resist the undeniable appeal of Adele. Her mega-hit “25” is up for international album of the year, while Vancouver-based Tobias Jesso Jr. has a songwriter of the year nomination for her song “When We Were Young.” Quebec director Xavier Dolan’s work on “Hello” is also up for music video of the year.

HOTLINE BLING IS A THING: If Drake was hurting over the Grammy snub for “Hotline Bling” he can take comfort in knowing that it didn’t go unnoticed by the Junos. In December, reports suggested an oversight might have led to the track not being submitted before the Grammy deadline. Not so in Canada – the track is up for single of the year.

WHERE’S OUR BIEBER AND DRAKE FIX?: While the Weeknd is booked to perform, Bieber and Drake are both looking like potential no-shows for the televised Juno Awards ceremony on April 3. Bieber will be touring in the United States while Drake’s schedule is a mystery for now, as he readies the release of his new album “Views from the 6” the same month.

Randy Lennox, president of entertainment production and broadcasting at Bell Media, says he hasn’t given up. “Our ambitions for this year’s broadcast are far and wide,” he says. “When you look at the Canadian list of superstars, you have to think we’re talking to them.”

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