Halifax will host the 2024 JUNO Awards, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced Wednesday.
“The historical port city on Canada’s east coast boasts an eclectic and storied music scene that is primed to welcome Canada’s largest celebration of music,” CARAS said in a news release.
The bid came with $1.75 million in public money, $750,000 of which came from HRM. As the Halifax Examiner reported in August 2022, council’s Special Events Advisory Committee heard a presentation from CARAS president and CEO Allan Reid and vice president of business administration Céline Séguin:
The JUNO Awards recognize Canadian musicians annually, and Halifax last hosted them in 2006. In 2019, CARAS approached the municipality and province about hosting in 2020, but with the North American Indigenous Games planned for that year, they declined. Then there was a plan to host the awards in 2022, then 2025, and now 2024.
“In May 2022, CARAS contacted Events Nova Scotia and Events East and requested that Halifax consider submitting a proposal to host the 2024 JUNO Awards week-long celebrations instead of in 2025. The confirmed dates are March 15-24, 2024, with the broadcast held on Sunday, March 24 at Scotiabank Centre,” HRM culture and events manager Elizabeth Taylor wrote in the report to the committee.
“Hosting in 2024 was determined to be more suitable than 2025, for the both the province and the municipality, building on the investment made by both levels of government to the 2023 East Coast Music Awards (ECMAS) to support and showcase the local music industry over two consecutive years. There is no information available if there are other cities being considered by CARAS to host the 2024 JUNOS.”
Following the presentation on Wednesday, committee member Alison Gillian asked Séguin whether other cities are bidding on the 2024 awards.
“At this time, we’re working very closely with Halifax. So not to say that there aren’t any, but we’re very geared towards Halifax,” Séguin said.
Council voted in September in favour of the bid and the funding, with a decision expected in October.
The JUNO festival will run from March 20-24, 2024. The awards show will happen on the final day at the Metro Centre.