TORONTO — Too much Canadian pop talent? Super size me! CTV has stretched The Juno Awards, the country’s music awards, on March 27 to two and a half hours.
The extension will help showcase star wattage like Juno nominees Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Eminem, Taylor Swift and Drake, the homegrown hip hop star who will host the nationwide telecast from Toronto. The latest additions to the Junos’ musical lineup includes Bryan Adams, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Daniel Lanois and Robbie Robertson.
This year’s Junos will air in most parts of Canada from 8 p.m., preceded by ABC’s The Amazing Race at 7 p.m. on the main CTV network.
That marks a reverse from 2007 when the Juno organizers landed in hot water with the Canadian music industry by proposing to air a taped version of the industry kudosfest in eastern Canada to simulcast a two-hour version of The Amazing Race, which drew around 2 million viewers.
With the 2010 Junos securing an average 1.6 million viewers, the Canadian music awards has earned a plum slot alongside U.S. network series that typically dominate Canadian primetime schedules here. “Over the past ten years, we have been fortunate enough to have witnessed the entire country singing in tune together on one magical night each year, and for that we are very grateful,” said Susanne Boyce, president, creative, content, and channels at CTV.
