Here are the opening night winners from the 50th-anniversary Junos

The big Junos telecast is tomorrow night, but that will only feature half a dozen or so of the major awards. Here’s who won want in the categories most pertinent to readers of this site Friday night. The full list can be found here.

Oh, and one more thing. The Junos will return in a live format (i.e. like the Before Times) in Toronto in 2022.

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Blinding Lights The Weeknd The Weeknd XO/Republic/Universal

INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Fine Line Harry Styles Columbia*Sony

GROUP OF THE YEAR (PRESENTED BY SIRIUSXM CANADA)
Arkells Arkells*Universal

BREAKTHROUGH GROUP OF THE YEAR (PRESENTED BY FACTOR, THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND CANADA’S PRIVATE RADIO BROADCASTERS)
Crown Lands Universal

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (PRESENTED BY SOCAN)

The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye), Belly (Ahmad Balshe), & Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville
Publishers – Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music Canada, & Universal Music Publishing Canada
“After Hours” – co-songwriters Carlo “Illangelo” Montagnese, Mario Winans
“Blinding Lights”, “Save Your Tears” – co-songwriters Max Martin, Oscar Holter
AFTER HOURS – The Weeknd The Weeknd XO/Republic/Universal

ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Sad Hunk BAHAMAS Barchords*Universal

ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR (PRESENTED BY LONG & MCQUADE))
Pray For It July Talk Majesticsilk*Universal

ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Ruthless JJ Wilde Black Box*Fontana North

RAP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
ELEMENTS Vol. 1 TOBi RCA*Sony

DANCE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
BUBBA KAYTRANADA RCA*Sony

CONTEMPORARY R&B RECORDING OF THE YEAR
After Hours The Weeknd The Weeknd XO/Republic/Universal

REGGAE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
I Pray TÖME x Sean Kingston Kiza Music*M.A.D. Solution

INDIGENOUS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR (PRESENTED BY APTN) /
North Star Calling Leela Gilday Diva Sound*Outside

CONTEMPORARY ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Bravado Rose Cousins Outside

TRADITIONAL ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Bet On Love Pharis & Jason Romero Lula*Fontana North/Free Dirt

JACK RICHARDSON PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
WondaGurl
“Aim For The Moon (feat. Quavo)” (co-producers 5ive Beatz, 808Melo, Dani, Dez Wright, Tyy Beats)
SHOOT FOR THE STARS AIM FOR THE MOON – Pop Smoke Victor Victor/RepublicUniversal “GANG GANG” (co-producer Vou) JACKBOYS – JACKBOYS & Sheck Wes Epic/Cactus JackSony

RECORDING ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Serban Ghenea
“Blinding Lights”
AFTER HOURS – The Weeknd The Weeknd XO/Republic/Universal
“positions”
POSITIONS – Ariana Grande Republic*Universal

ALBUM ARTWORK OF THE YEAR
Julien Hébert (Art Director), David Beauchemin (Designer), Florence Obrecht (Illustrator), Marc-Étienne Mongrain (Photographer)
NOTRE-DAME-DES-SEPT-DOULEURS – Klô Pelgag Secret City*Fontana North

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
NO ONE’S IN THE ROOM Emma Higgins Jessie Reyez FMLY/Island/Universal
Canadian Contributors
Director of Photography: Jack Yan Chen
Producers: Alison Honey Woods, Cherie Sinclair, Katy Maravala
Editor: Kat Webber
Art Department: Stephen Trivieri
Special Effects: The Butcher Shop, Urban Prairie Post

ELECTRONIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR (PRESENTED BY FORD OF CANADA))
Suddenly Caribou Merge*F.A.B.

METAL/HARD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR / ALBUM DE MUSIQUE MÉTAL/HARD DE L’ANNÉE
Abyss Unleash The Archers Napalm*Sony

ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Such Pretty Forks in the Road Alanis Morissette Epiphany Music/Sony*The Orchard

COMEDY ALBUM OF THE YEAR (PRESENTED BY SIRIUSXM CANADA)
Horse Power Jacob Samuel 800 Pound Gorilla*Independent/ADA/Warner