It was a night of positivity and resilience at the Juno Awards as the stars of Canadian music focused on celebrating the upsides of life.
Host Michael Buble set the tone early on Sunday night by announcing his wife鈥檚 third pregnancy 鈥� but other performers were quick to grab the tide of optimism during their own stage moments.
鈥淚 just hope that we can all rise above negativity in our lives and just do what we believe in,鈥� said Arcade Fire鈥檚 Win Butler as he accepted the band鈥檚 album award for 鈥淓verything Now.鈥�
鈥淪peak your truth and don鈥檛 be afraid to just do whatever the hell you want.鈥�
Gord Downie鈥檚 brothers Mike and Patrick echoed an unbounded sense of resolve as they accepted a posthumous award for the singer, who died last October of brain cancer.
鈥淚f we鈥檝e learned anything from Gord it was the value of taking care of each other,鈥� said Patrick.
鈥淭his is Gord鈥檚 award. It鈥檚 artist of the year, but he was our man of a lifetime. I鈥檇 like to believe we鈥檙e all better artists and people because of him. We love you Gord and we鈥檙e all taking good care of each other.鈥�
An acoustic tribute to Downie was led by Sarah Harmer and Dallas Green, alongside Barenaked Ladies keyboardist Kevin Hearn, who performed 鈥淏obcaygeon鈥� as archival clips of the Tragically Hip frontman played behind them.
It was Buble whose seemingly effortless charm kept the show on an upbeat track.
Without fully addressing why he stepped aside from his Juno hosting duties last year, he acknowledged this was a comeback of sorts. He pulled out of the 2017 Junos after his son was diagnosed with cancer.
Buble told the audience that after being 鈥済one for a while鈥� he wondered if he might have lost 鈥渨hatever it is鈥� that built his name.
鈥淏ut honestly after standing here for 40 seconds, I realize that I鈥檓 even better than I was before,鈥� he added.
Buble later joined Diana Krall for a charming duet of the Nat King Cole classic 鈥淟-O-V-E.鈥�
Daniel Caesar grabbed R&B/soul recording for his album 鈥淔reudian鈥� while Jessie Reyez scored breakthrough artist. She offered an emotional acceptance speech reflecting on her sudden rise to fame.
鈥淚t means so much to get this love out at home,鈥� she said.
Both performers reappeared later to duet on Reyez鈥檚 song 鈥淔igures.鈥�
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There were a number of pseudo surprises throughout the show.
The rappers behind the Canadian hit 鈥淣orthern Touch鈥� took it upon themselves to improvise a version of the song they were once denied performing on the Junos telecast 20 years ago.
The Northern Touch All-Stars announced Tory Lanez as the winner of this year鈥檚 rap award, but when he wasn鈥檛 around to accept it, rapper Kardinal Offishall jumped in to ask the audience a question.
鈥淒on鈥檛 you all wish we had some more hip hop in here tonight?鈥� he said.
鈥淚 know this is going to mess up the Junos a little bit 鈥� but I don鈥檛 care. Do you want to do 鈥楴orthern Touch鈥� right now?
The group 鈥� which also includes rappers Red1, Misfit, Checkmate, Thrust and Choclair 鈥� then launched into a full version of 鈥淣orthern Touch,鈥� which appeared on the Rascalz 1998 album 鈥淐ash Crop.鈥�
Junos president Allan Reid acknowledged the moment was partly staged. He said the Junos organizers approached the rap group earlier in the afternoon with the idea.
One of the night鈥檚 other big surprises wouldn鈥檛 have shocked gossip magazine readers.
Recent tabloid speculation that Buble鈥檚 wife is pregnant became an official announcement on the show as the singer revealed actress Luisana Lopilato is expecting their third child.
He told the audience it was the second time her pregnancy has been linked to the Junos. Five years ago when he hosted in Regina, she was expecting their first child.
鈥淥ops you did it again!鈥� Buble said as the audience cheered the revelation.
Grimes and Buffy St. Marie introduced pop artist Lights with an impassioned speech for gender equality led by the Indigenous folk singer.
鈥淚t鈥檚 time for change, it鈥檚 time for women to be recognized for our accomplishments and our value to this industry,鈥� St. Marie said with powerful delivery.
鈥淲e need to build a foundation upon which we can support an environment that actually encourages success for women鈥� because it鈥檚 not here yet.鈥�
Barenaked Ladies and former bandmate Steven Page were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
After singing a brief tune as they accepted their award, the band closed the broadcast by launching into some of their old hits, starting with 鈥漁ne Week.鈥� It was the first time they鈥檇 performed with Page since he went solo nearly a decade ago.
The group wasn鈥檛 alone on stage for long, as it evolved into an all-star tribute, with guests who spanned the music genres and fit comfortably with the band鈥檚 offbeat sense of humour.
Jann Arden, Jim Cuddy and Nunavut band The Jerry Cans danced alongside members of the Northern Touch All-Stars as they all performed a sing-along to 鈥淚f I Had $1,000,000,鈥� which finished with balloons and fake million-dollar bills falling from the rafters.
Page then pulled from one of the song鈥檚 most famous lines about Kraft Dinner to pose a question that鈥檚 lingered for years:
鈥淐ome on, 30 years now, Kraft. Isn鈥檛 it time for a sponsorship?
David Friend, The Canadian Press
