We’re approaching the end of awards season, the time of year when the various entertainment industries try to squeeze a little more juice out of everything that was released over the previous 12 months. The Junos are pretty much last on the agenda.
Being next door to the largest exporter of popular culture in the known universe, it’s natural to compare our Junos to the Grammy Awards, probably the best-known of all the music awards programs.
So, which is better? Let’s dive in.
Staging the event
The Grammys are cemented to being in Los Angeles due to a large number of logistical issues. The venue is small and is filled mostly with artists and music industry types. The Junos, on the other hand, are a travelling roadshow, offering cities across the country to reap the financial benefits of Juno week and to showcase the various music scenes this nation has to offer. And because Juno venues tend to be arenas, there is a lot more room for fans to get involved.
Advantage: Junos
The TV broadcast
Let’s be honest: Watching the Grammys is a slog, I fell asleep on the couch long before this year’s broadcast wrapped up. On the other hand, the Junos broadcast is usually very tight with six or seven major award presentations along with a variety of performances. We’re done in around two hours. Perfect.
Advantage: Junos
Credibility
The Grammys have none. What can you say about an organization that refused to give The Beatles their due? They gave Christopher Cross’ sappy debut record a boatload of Grammys while completely ignoring The Wall by Pink Floyd.
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And who can forget Jethro Tull winning Best Heavy Metal Record, beating out Metallica and their Black Album? How can Beyoncé be nominated for Rock Single of the Year?
I’m sure the Junos have had some clunkers over the years, especially in the ’70s and ’80s when they got it so wrong with categories like Most Promising Group (Whiter Cats Can Fly? Anyone?) These egregiously out-of-touch picks have largely been eliminated.
Advantage: Junos
Voting
Because winning a Grammy is used in marketing and PR campaigns, record labels and managers are keen to have their artists win. The result is that there’s a lot of lobbying and arm-twisting that goes on behind the scenes. Sometimes this results in undeserving winners.
I’m a member of CARAS (Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) and thus called up to vote for the Junos in a variety of categories. In the 20-plus years I’ve been doing this, no one has ever tried to twist my arm. That’s just my experience, but I’ve never observed anyone being pushed/bullied into voting in a particular way with the Junos.
Advantage: Junos
The prestige factor
The Grammys are the best-known of all the music awards programs, yet I keep hearing from industry insiders that winning a Grammy isn’t a big deal.
Why? Because of behind-the-scenes politics, their lack of credibility, and an ossified operational structure, Grammy winners tend to be underwhelmed by the honour. I’ve heard so many stories about Grammys behind displayed in bathrooms and used as doorsteps. I don’t hear the same thing from Juno winners. They seem to be genuinely honoured that they won. Winning a Juno may carry more gravitas than winning a Grammy.
Advantage: Junos
The fan factor
If the Junos have ever been held in your city, you’ll know it’s a week-long celebration with endless Juno-related events open to the public. These events often receive positive media coverage and do make the Junos feel like a fan-centric event. The Grammys have their own parties and fan events, too, but because everything is always in Los Angeles, coverage of fan participation is non-existent.
Advantage: Junos
The rock factor
Both the Grammy and Junos TV broadcasts are designed to be mass appeal primetime events, which is why we end up with the most mainstream awards and artists being televised. Rock has been excised from the Grammys for years. None of the rock-related awards make the telecast.
The Junos, on the other hand, do try to mix it up. This year, for example, Sum 41 will be honoured for their decades of service and will perform one more time. That’s at least something — more rock than the Grammys offered this year.
Advantage: Junos
The host
Trevor Noah is a fine host and was about the best thing about this year’s Grammy Awards. The Junos have instituted an interesting policy of hosts that bring variety to the program. The list includes Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, Brent Butt, Pamela Anderson, Russell Peters, William Shatner, Simu Liu, Drake, and The Barenaked Ladies. Michael Bublé, one of Canada’s most likable stars, has hosted twice.
Advantage: Junos
The pride factor
The Grammys are just another late-winter awards program. The Junos are about Canadian music. And given the rise in nationalistic pride we’ve seen over the last 70 days or so, guess which country has more pride in their music awards program?
Advantage: Junos
From my perspective, the Junos win this showdown in a clean sweep. Are they perfect? No, because there’s always room for improvement. But if I had to choose which event to attend/watch, it’s a non-brainer. And it has been for years.
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