'We are not for sale': Canadian defiance and national pride colour 2025 Juno Awards

Three-time big Michael Bublé opened the 2025 Juno Awards with a connection that was some somewhat expected, and rather dissimilar thing heard astatine a Canadian awards amusement before.

"We are the top federation connected Earth," helium said of the state helium had conscionable finished describing arsenic beautiful, expansive and unique. "And we are not for sale."

Stars-and-stripes level of patriotism isn't thing emblematic for Canadian artists, fto unsocial ones astatine a ceremonial usually conscionable warring for a crushed to beryllium alongside the Grammys.

But successful the look of a spiraling commercialized warfare and market store maple leafage stickers, the Vancouver-set Junos seemingly got a much-needed injection of national pride that popped up arsenic the nighttime continued on. 

In a beingness accomplishment grant acceptance code by Team Canada jersey-wearing Anne Murray, she explained wherefore she fought against relocating to the U.S. early connected successful her career.

"I knew instinctively that I needed a spot to go, to flight erstwhile my enactment was done," she said. "Canada was my harmless haven, my information blanket, my airy astatine the extremity of the tunnel. And it inactive is."

Canadian pridefulness was besides successful shaper Boi-1da's gracious convey you to Drake, aft Boi-1da was presented with an planetary accomplishment award.

He was seemingly undaunted astir coming retired successful Drake's corner despite the rapper's extended rap feud with Kendrick Lamar, who penned the anthem Not Like Us about the Canadian star's seeming region from American Black culture.

"The top rapper of each time, the top creator of each time," helium said onstage of his predominant collaborator. "And he's from Canada. Drizzy Drake, that's my brother."

When asked if helium was successful immoderate mode tense to prime sides successful a beef that has roped successful everyone from Rick Ross to DeMar DeRozan to Serena Williams, helium said the thought hadn't crossed his mind.

"That full picking sides worldly is conscionable connected the internet, due to the fact that erstwhile you spell anyplace other successful the existent satellite everybody listens to Drake," helium said successful the property country backstage.

WATCH | Michael Bublé says Canada is 'not for sale' successful Junos opening: 

As the amusement came to a close, seven-time nominee and Vancouver section bbno$ (pronounced "baby nary money," helium said, not "B.B. nos") grabbed his archetypal vocation golden successful the fan choice category. It was 1 of the biggest upsets of the ceremony's astir 50 awards, arsenic helium bushed retired dense hitters similar the Weeknd, Shawn Mendes and Tate McRae.  

After acknowledging the accomplishment and thanking his hometown, bbno$ had thing other to extremity his code with.

"Also, Elon Musk is simply a portion of garbage," helium said. He was met with roaring applause.

The camera rapidly chopped to a somewhat sheepish Bublé, standing adjacent to Max Kerman, pb vocalist of the set Arkells.

"Man, I didn't perceive that, but radical liked it," Bublé joked.

"I heard it and it was right," Kerman said.

Along with that defiance, the amusement was bolstered by immoderate large names, even if they weren't each successful attendance.

Tate McRae had already emerged arsenic the Juno's large victor astatine Saturday's awards gala, taking location trophies for single, album, creator and popular medium of the twelvemonth — though she wasn't successful attendance either night.

Calgary's Lowell and Toronto's Jack Rochon won mainly for their enactment connected Beyonce's Cowboy Carter album, with Rochon winning best producer and Lowell the inaugural non-performing songwriter, a class she championed for years. 

Sunday may person had less awards to announce, but determination was inactive nary shortage of notoriety. It started with a bombshell opening that featured Bublé cycling done his hits Feeling Good, Home and Just Haven't Met You Yet — paired with an archetypal rap conception by Maestro Fresh Wes, and verses by nominees Jonita Gandhi, Roxane Bruneau and Elisapie employing Punjabi, French and Inuktitut, respectively. 

The archetypal grant of the nighttime was radical of the twelvemonth for The Beaches, making it the 2nd twelvemonth successful a enactment the Blame Brett rockers managed to snag the victory. They were joined by a slew of different unrecorded acts, fleshing retired the astir two-hour broadcast that included lone 4 main categories. 

There was bbno$ performing his It Boy alongside TV property Priyanka, and chap Vancouverites Peach Pit showing disconnected their deed Magpie. 

There was singer-songwriter Nemhasis, who would triumph breakthrough creator oregon group, belting her Stick of Gum and crooner Josh Ross singing Leave Me Too, conscionable aft taking location state medium of the twelvemonth for his Complicated. 

There was Jazzy B, Inderpal Moga and Chani Nattan going done Coolin'. The track was nominated for the inaugural South Asian euphony signaling of the year, created for the euphony style's stratospheric emergence successful Canada that Jazzy B touched connected astatine the extremity of their performance: "From Surrey, to the world, to the Junos," helium said, holding his manus to the sky.

There was Snotty Nose Rez Kids — who won champion rap medium the nighttime before, becoming the archetypal Indigenous radical ever to bash truthful — moving done a medley of their hits including Red Future, One of the Best, Shapeshifter and Free alongside collaborator Tia Wood. 

And last, determination was Sum 41, likewise rocking retired to a medley of their hits for their last-ever unrecorded performance. Good Charlotte's Benji and Joel Madden besides inducted the band into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame earlier successful the show. 

It was a bittersweet showing. There was a loving video tribute to Sum 41, featuring everyone from Tommy Lee to Run DMC, George Stroumboulopoulos and Iggy Pop marvelling astatine the In Too Deep rockers' influence. But the show itself was somewhat marred by dependable issues which— for immoderate broadcasts — chopped the opus disconnected earlier it was done.

Despite the method foible, the set soldiered done similar thing was wrong. And successful their Hall of Fame acceptance speech, adjacent made an elliptical remark that could person been interpreted arsenic a remark connected wherefore — or arsenic a remark connected the night's ascendant Canadian-identity-crisis theme. 

"The large Iggy Pop told america 1 time, 'Forget who you deliberation you are, and ever conscionable beryllium who you truly are," said pb vocalist Deryck Whibley.

"No substance what you bash successful life, beryllium yourself, judge successful yourself and — supra each — enactment persistent."