Expert insight: How the Junos helped define the Canadian music industry
National award ceremonies help define who belongs, what's considered "Canadian"
by Rosheeka Parahoo, PhD, Musicology, Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University (pictured above)
Each year, as Canadians sit down to watch the Juno Awards – this year airing live on CBC and CBC Gem on March 29 – it’s worth thinking about how award shows are never just simple celebrations.
National arts award ceremonies like the Junos are part of a cultural system that help define who belongs, who succeeds and what counts as “Canadian” in the first place.
My doctoral research investigated equity, diversity and inclusion across the Canadian music industry at three levels: individual, institutional and regulatory. What emerged was a clear picture of how industry practices and cultural policy shape the very idea of Canadian identity.
The history of the Junos cannot be separated from the history of attempts at exploring and solidifying Canadian identity, and this is one reason they deserve more critical attention today.
Read full article via Western News (by Rosheeka Parahoo, February 27, 2026)
This article was republished in Western News from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Expert Insight reflects the perspective and scholarly interest of Western faculty members and is not an articulation of official university policy on issues being addressed.
Image sourced from The Conversation author profile.
