In the “elbows up” era of Canadian culture, the 2026 Juno Awards in Hamilton were a standout, star-studded celebration of the country’s musical legacy and talent. CARAS president Allan Reid celebrated his full-circle moment, returning to the city where he celebrated his first Junos at the helm of the organization in 2015 from his career as a veteran record executive. Its lineup reflected Canadian music milestones, legends and history — past, present and future, drawing 1.8 million streaming viewers and 2.6 million on network television. Where the ceremony has sometimes struggled with attracting A-list talent, this year’s brought in Rush for their first-ever Junos performance and the surprise early start of their reunion tour, a celebration of icon Joni Mitchell with Prime Minister Mark Carney and the biggest fish of them all, Drake, who set aside old slights long enough to send a special tribute to Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Nelly Furtado. At the helm, Reid has helped evolve the Junos into a platform beyond the ceremony to serve talent across the board, from emerging creators to established global stars, through its stated four pillars: to educate, develop, celebrate and honour Canadian artists. That extends to the music education charity MusiCounts, where he makes a year-round impact.