Juno Awards Backtrack on Decision to Drop Reggae and Gospel Categories Following Widespread Criticism
Artists and politicians spoke out about the previously revealed decision to drop four categories, including reggae and Christian/gospel, from the 2025 awards, pointing out inclusivity concerns over eliminating awards for Black-led genres.
Juno Award
The 2025 Juno Awards will include awards for reggae recording, Christian/gospel album, and children's album, after all.
CARAS, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), has reportedly reversed a planned decision to put those three categories on hiatus, as well as the award for international album, the fate of which remains unknown.
Earlier in September, The Canadian Press obtained a letter which revealed the planned suspension of the four categories, part of a "broader set of updates" still to be announced.
Response was swift from the music industry and beyond, with many citing concerns that reggae recording and Christian/gospel album, especially, are categories that honour genres led by Black musicians.
"There's a lot of anger among us reggae folks," Juno nominee Jason Wilson told The Canadian Press, adding that the removal of the reggae award could only "ring alarms of racism."
"While (the Junos) might be saying the right things about inclusion, in the very same breath they're ditching reggae and gospel. How can this be reconciled?" Wilson said.
Politicians spoke out as well, with federal MP Michael Coteau — also the former Ontario Minister of Culture — advocating for the reggae, Christian/gospel, and children's album categories to be re-instated. "Revisit this really bad decision," Coteau said on X. City councillor Josh Matlow added his voice to the chorus as well.
Juno Awards President and CEO Allan Reid announced the decision to re-instate the categories on Tuesday, September 17.
"I want to personally address the recent discussions surrounding changes we were considering for the 2025 Awards," Reid wrote on Instagram. "Over the course of last year, CARAS underwent an extensive process reviewing all Award categories, taking into consideration data such as consumption, number of submissions, and other metrics" Reid explained. "Given the feedback from the community, CARAS will not put these three categories on hiatus this year."
Speaking with the Toronto Star, publicist and cultural commentator Dalton Higgins (who previously called the decision to eliminate reggae "a slap in the face to...the Black community” and “a PR nightmare of epic proportions”) emphasized that CARAS shouldn't have considered eliminating those categories without consulting the communities that contribute to them.
“To not engage the Jamaican community or the broader Caribbean community in a healthy two-way dialogue," Higgins said, "it felt like we were taking 20 steps backwards.”
This isn't the first time artists have called out the Junos on issues of recognition and representation, including boycotts of the show over the decades by hip-hop artists Rascalz and Drake.
Some commenters rejoiced after Reid's decision to reverse the decision.
"Thank you for listening to our many voices," commented Dr. Jill Andrew, Member of Provincial Parliament.
"We did it!" cheered councillor Matlow on X.
Others, meanwhile, stressed that the reversal did not deserve praise because categories should not have been eliminated in the first place.
More information about the 2025 Juno Awards category changes will be announced on September 23, Reid clarified in his post.
The 2025 Junos will take place in Vancouver.
