The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CBC today announced an exciting lineup of honourees and performers for The 55th Annual JUNO Awards, set to take place Sunday, March 29, 2026, live from TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, and nationwide on CBC and CBC Gem.
This year’s celebration will honour Joni Mitchell, one of the most influential songwriters and voices of her generation, with the Lifetime Achievement Award Presented by your National Arts Centre. The distinction recognizes her outstanding artistic contributions and enduring impact on global music culture. Mitchell, a four-time JUNO Award winner and Companion of the Order of Canada, will be celebrated for her trailblazing artistry that has inspired generations of creators across genres.
In an unforgettable moment, 10-time JUNO Award winner Nelly Furtado will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, joining the ranks of Canada’s most celebrated icons. With over 35 million albums sold worldwide and multiple JUNO, GRAMMY, and Latin GRAMMY Awards to her name, Furtado’s genre-defying career continues to shape the global pop landscape.
“Hamilton has always been a city that lives and breathes music,” said Allan Reid, President & CEO of CARAS/JUNO Awards, CEO of MusiCounts. “To return here with an incredible lineup that includes Joni Mitchell and Nelly Furtado – two of Canada’s most influential artists – is a fitting way to celebrate our country’s rich musical legacy.”
The 2026 JUNO Awards Broadcast will also feature electrifying live performances by nine-time JUNO Award winners and Hamilton hometown legends, Arkells and 5-time JUNO Winners, including Group of The Year at The 2025 JUNO Awards, The Beaches, two bands who exemplify the creativity and talent of Canadian music today.
MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with CARAS/The JUNO Awards, will be celebrating The 55th Annual JUNO Awards and amplifying the impact of Canada’s Biggest Night in Music through the MusiCounts Industry Exchange program, which will bring together 10 educators and 10 emerging artists from the Hamilton area for a one-of-a-kind experience combining community-building, celebrating Canadian music, and hands-on music industry learning.
The 55th Annual JUNO Awards, produced by Insight Productions (A Blue Ant Studios Company), will air live across Canada at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and stream globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos and on CBC Music’s YouTube channel.
Tickets to Canada’s Biggest Night in Music go on sale Friday, November 28 at 10 a.m. ET at ticketmaster.ca/junos.
Lifetime Achievement Award Presented by your National Arts Centre Recipient
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, the beloved Canadian singer-songwriter, has profoundly impacted folk, rock, pop and jazz music through her distinctive voice, innovative guitar playing, and a unique ability to craft poetic and thought-provoking lyrics.
Her prolific recording career began in 1968, resulting in a remarkable 19 studio albums and six live records. She is celebrated for her ability to seamlessly blend folk, jazz, and rock influences to create an instantly recognizable sound that is both timely and timeless. Her classic songs like “Big Yellow Taxi,” “A Case of You,” “Help Me,” and “Both Sides, Now,” continue to strike a chord with listeners. Beyond her musical talents, Mitchell is also a gifted painter, having said she considers herself a “painter derailed by circumstance,” and her artwork often graces her album covers, underscoring her boundless creativity.
For nearly six decades, Mitchell’s extensive contributions to music have earned her numerous accolades. She is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (1997), a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (1981), a laureate of the Polaris Music Prize (1996), and a recipient of both the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize (2023) as well as Kennedy Center Honors (2021). Rolling Stone ranks her among the greatest songwriters, singers, and guitarists of all time.
Canadian Music Hall of Fame Inductee
Nelly Furtado (Photo Credit: Valentin Herfray)
With over 20 billion streams, 35 million albums sold worldwide, and multiple #1 hit singles, Nelly Furtado is an undisputed icon whose innovative songwriting shaped an era and transformed pop music. Her unique “Nelly sound” has earned her Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, 10 JUNO Awards, Multi-Platinum certifications, and millions of fans around the world. Effortlessly maintaining her place at the forefront of culture, the multi-talented musician and songwriter has landed three #1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, five within the top ten, has charted #1 on the US Latin Billboard chart, and has sold-out arenas around the world.
In 2024, Nelly Furtado released her highly anticipated album 7, which she wrote and co-produced. The collection of celebratory and liberated pop music received praise and anticipation for the album from Rolling Stone, Billboard, The New York Times, Zane Lowe, Vogue Italy, NME, Complex, Vulture, PAPER Magazine, Grammy.com, Zach Sang, MTV, Stereogum, Wonderland, The Line of Best Fit, and publications around the world. Inspired by an “inner revolution”, Nelly Furtado is an artist thriving in her purpose, continuing her legacy of elevating pop music.
To further celebrate her impact, a new temporary exhibition will open in the spring of 2026 at the National Music Centre in Calgary, the physical home of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Stay tuned for more details.
2026 JUNO Awards Performers
Arkells
Whether they’re rocking stadiums, making a beeline for the discotheque, or gathering around the campfire, the implicit message of Arkells is always the same: everyone is welcome here. Since the beginning, Arkells have never wavered in their mission to be the house band that soundtracks the greatest nights of your life and provides emotional support in your darkest hours. And that communal spirit is reflected in an ever-evolving sound that hits all the perennial pleasure points – fusing the anthemic power of alt-rock, the pulpit-shaking passion of vintage soul, the off-the-cuff intimacy of singer-songwriter music, the urbane edge of 21st-century indie, and the futurist aesthetics of modern R&B.
Thanks to that eclectic ethos, Arkells have continued to evolve, while making everyone feel right at home. As one of the most heavily rotated acts on radio, and all-time record holders of the JUNO Award for “Group of the Year,” Arkells have extended their reach beyond borders by infiltrating all corners of pop culture; from global sports telecasts and top-tier video games to the stages of Coachella and Bonnaroo. But the band’s longevity is ultimately a function of their commitment to never coasting on past glories and to always live completely in the moment.
The Beaches
The Beaches are doing everything their way. After more than a decade together as a band, sisters Jordan Miller (lead vocals, bass) and Kylie Miller (guitar), plus closest friends Leandra Earl (guitar and keys) and Eliza Enman-McDaniel (drums), are entering a new era. On the new album “Blame My Ex,” the 5x Juno Award-winning Toronto band channels heartbreak into self-discovery through 10 exuberant songs that revel in pain and redemption. The lead single, “Blame Brett,” an acerbic pop-rock knockout Jordan calls “a song for all the hot messes out there,” has racked up over 100 million streams and over 10 million views on TikTok. The track peaked at #2 on a US Viral chart, #20 at Alternative Radio in the US and #1 at Alt Radio in Canada for 13 consecutive weeks, making it the biggest alternative radio hit of the year. Mark Hoppus (blink182), Nelly Furtado, and Demi Lovato are all fans of the track.
Their new album No Hard Feelings sees The Beaches at their most fine-tuned and brightest. From the bold and bright anthemic riffs of “Touch Myself” to the indie melancholy of “Lesbian of the Year,” the album is set to solidify the group as one of the driving forces of alt-rock today. Exploring the highs of nights out and lows of losing someone you love, No Hard Feelings is rife with the band’s signature witty lyricism, grungey tones, and unapologetic boldness.