Elimination of reggae, gospel awards raises concern Junos backtracking on inclusivity

Changes to several categories at the 2025 Juno Awards are raising concerns among musicians that Canada’s top music celebration is backtracking on inclusivity.

Jason Wilson, a two-time Juno nominee and adjunct professor in music at the University of Guelph, says a move to eliminate the reggae category from next year’s Junos can only “ring alarms of racism.”

“There’s a lot of anger among us reggae folks,” Wilson said in a phone interview.

“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, who’s published a book on the history of Canadian reggae music, says the genre is intrinsically tied to the country and has had “a tremendous effect on the way all music was played in Canada.”

Jamaican migrants brought the sound to Toronto in the 1960s and 1970s, he said, and within years its popularity made it essential for the city’s working musicians to know how to play reggae.

“I think there’s a very compelling argument that there’s no Drake and no Weeknd without reggae, that’s how foundational this music is to Canadian music at large,” he added.

Wilson suggested Junos organizers seemed to ignore those facts when they decided to sideline the category at next year’s ceremony.

In a letter obtained by The Canadian Press this week, the Junos told committee members of plans to put on “hiatus” reggae recording, children’s album, Christian/gospel album and international album of the year.

Junos organizers declined requests to detail or explain the changes saying they will have “additional information to share in the next couple of weeks.”

That lack of acknowledgment has frustrated musicians and industry players who say Junos organizers at the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences have opted to stay silent on major changes mere weeks before submissions open for the 2025 awards.

Some of those artists had planned to submit their latest albums to categories they now understand won’t exist in the work’s qualifying year.

K-Anthony, last year’s winner for Christian/gospel album, is one of those artists. His newest record is set for release in October, which would qualify it for next year’s Junos.

He said removing any specific Junos category reduces the diversity of genres the awards celebrate.

“I’m saddened,” the musician added.

“I’ve seen how (my win) has raised my profile. I didn’t take that for granted…. When you remove this category, it will impact the hope people would have gotten to strive and work for greatness.”

“Diversity is crucial in celebrating the wide range of music created within the Canadian space,” he added.

Seven-time reggae nominee Ammoye noted that Junos recognition is about more than just winning.

Attention from a nomination alone has boosted her profile. Each year, national news outlets interview her at the Juno nominations media event in Toronto, and photographers capture her red-carpet outfits at each Juno Awards ceremony.

Without a nomination, none of that media coverage is certain.

She also pointed to the incomparable value of Junos Week, an industry event that unfolds in the days leading up to the broadcast.

“To be in the room with people that you wouldn’t otherwise,” she said.

“That’s an opportunity that I always look forward to, as well, to network with these people and rub shoulders and collaborate.”

The Jamaican-Canadian musician, born Shernette Amoy Evans, said she’s hopeful the Junos plan a “recalibration” that will find another home for reggae artists.

“It’s shocking for me as well, but I’m not surprised for some reason,” she added.

“I feel that we do need a little bit of a shift and shakeup.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.