Juno Awards to announce new category for underground dance single of the year
Posted June 4, 2021 9:06 am.
Last Updated June 4, 2021 9:08 am.
TORONTO — The Juno Awards are giving clubgoers reason to celebrate.
Organizers of Canada’s biggest night in music are set to announce plans for a new award recognizing underground dance single of the year, launching in 2022.
The details will be unveiled tonight as part of the Juno Awards “opening night” virtual show where winners in 37 categories are being celebrated.
Officials tell The Canadian Press that the new award will cover an array of subgenres, including techno, underground house, dubstep and bass, and Afrohouse.
Those musical flavours have been largely absent from the two existing Junos dance categories – dance recording of the year and electronic album of the year – which cater to more mainstream tastes.
Toronto electronic producer Sydney Blu, who lobbied for the new category, says she hopes it will draw more attention to lesser-known dance genres often rooted in marginalized communities.
The Junos “opening night” event streams live tonight at 8 p.m. ET on YouTube while the 50th annual Juno broadcast airs Sunday on CBC-TV and its digital platforms.
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Listen to a playlist of 2021 Juno Award nominees on Spotify: https://bit.ly/CPJunos2021
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2021.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
