Juno Awards Restructure Several Catgeories Ahead of 2027 Ceremony

The Junos are changing with the times.

The Juno Awards have announced that they are reshaping certain categories ahead of their 2027 ceremony to more accurately represent current trends in music consumption across Canada, primarily changing certain category names and eligibility criteria.

“CARAS is introducing a series of category and eligibility updates designed to better reflect Canada’s music community today and provide clear, meaningful pathways for artists to have their work recognized,” says the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) on the official Junos website. “The changes are informed by CARAS’ annual review of The Juno Awards, working closely with Music Advisory Committees and the broader music community to examine how categories and criteria can continue to serve Canadian artists.”

The main changes are mergers or name changes in the rap, reggae/dancehall, electronic/dance and contemporary Christian/gospel music categories. Rap album and EP of the year have now been replaced by melodic rap recording of the year and rap recording of the year, while dance recording of the year and electronic album of the year have been merged under one umbrella (dance/electronic), with respective awards for single/EP of the year and album of the year within the genre. The reggae category has been renamed to reggae/dancehall, reflecting an increasing prevalence of dancehall within the mainstream, given recent hits like MOLIY’s 2025 chart hit, “Shake it to the Max (FLY) - Remix.” The contemporary Christian/gospel album of the year category has also swapped “album” for “recording,” enabling singles and EPs to be included in the running.

This year’s awards for "recordings" now accept albums, EPs and singles as submissions, although singles must be standalone releases that do not appear on any short or full-length project. The vocal-instrumental threshold for jazz music has also shifted from 80% to 51%, which speaks to the rise of artists like Laufey and Olivia Dean, whose jazzy style incorporates pop-centric tendencies. The classical music album categories have also shifted to allow compilation albums to be eligible.

These changes mark the latest step in the Junos’ ongoing category evolution. Last year, Alex Cuba won the first-ever Latin music recording of the year award, which was introduced amid a blockbuster year for Bad Bunny and his chart-topping album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which amplified Latin music’s global success on a bigger scale than ever. The new Junos category was specifically suggested in a 2024 national report titled "Understanding the Barriers and Opportunities of the Latin Music Community in Canada," which emphasized the rise of Latin music in Canada and the need for more industry support. Before that, the awards introduced the South Asian recording of the year category, which was won this year by Punjabi stars Karan Aujla & Ikky.

The Junos have also run into controversy for their category decisions. In 2024, public backlash caused CARAS to backtrack on its decision to axe reggae recording and Christian/gospel album categories — both categories that honour genres led by Black musicians

The 2026 Juno Awards generated a record $17.2 million economic impact in Hamilton, the most for any Junos host city ever, and $23.1 million across Ontario. The televised ceremony drew over 2 million television viewers and saw a surprise reunion from Rush, a video tribute by Drake for Nelly Furtado, a performance by Joni Mitchell and big wins by the likes of Daniel Caesar, The Beaches and Cameron Whitcomb.