It was limited by geography, a lack of positive media coverage and a lack of easy global communication. Back then the hip hop scene in Canada, consisted of artist communities, fans, record companies and other small businesses.
![juno awards juno awards](https://celebmafia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/meaghan-rath-golden-maple-awards-2016-in-los-angeles-10.jpg)
Rather, what became clear was that the awards industry benefited from appearing relevant by including the genres of blue grass, heavy metal and rap in new categories that year.įor many of the nominees this year, like Caesar, Jessie Reyez, Tory Lanez and Belly, the Junos cannot propel their careers in the same way artists 20 years ago might have imagined. What this means is that the kind of exposure an awards show might have once provided is replaced with high artist visibility on multiple digital platforms, such that an artist like Daniel Caesar from Oshawa, Ont., can sell out concerts in Australia before ever being nominated for a Juno award in Canada.īack in 1989 when the Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince decided to boycott the Grammy ceremony and decline their award their actions did not adversely impact their success.
![juno awards juno awards](https://thefader-res.cloudinary.com/private_images/w_760,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best/GettyImages-938207716_ayzidu/grimes-and-buffy-sainte-marie-spoke-on-women-in-music-at-last-nights-juno-awards.jpg)
However, in a non-linear global media environment, a local music scene can now attract national media attention or gain mass appeal across various national borders. They can create greater visibility to transition a musical genre from a local or avant-garde scene to a commercially viable product garnering national attention and industry investment. Both R&B and hip hop artists in Canada have found ways to build global audiences often beyond or before the assistance of major industry players.Īwards ceremonies are usually considered important infrastructure in the growth of a musical genre. Or it could be a genuine realization that hip hop is a driving force in the music industry and not the “fad” many naysayers believed it to be for the last 40 years.Ĭanadian hip hop currently leads the global music charts and that is no thanks to the Juno Awards.
![juno awards juno awards](https://www.thegate.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IMG_5285.jpg)
It could be the public accountability demanded on social media platforms in the attention economy. It might be due to decades of guilt built up from ignoring one of Canada’s leading creative forces. This year’s Juno Awards honouring Canadian music achievement decided to finally celebrate Canadian hip hop by inviting the Rascalz, Kardinal, Thrust, Choclair and Checkmate, the artists from the legendary “Northern Touch” song, to this year’s awards ceremony.