We’re approaching the tip of awards season, the time of 12 months when the assorted leisure industries attempt to squeeze just a little extra juice out of every thing that was launched over the earlier 12 months. The Junos are just about final on the agenda.
Being subsequent door to the biggest exporter of fashionable tradition within the recognized universe, it’s pure to match our Junos to the Grammy Awards, in all probability the best-known of all of the music awards applications.
So, which is healthier? Let’s dive in.
Staging the occasion
The Grammys are cemented to being in Los Angeles because of a lot of logistical points. The venue is small and is stuffed principally with artists and music trade varieties. The Junos, then again, are a travelling roadshow, providing cities throughout the nation to reap the monetary advantages of Juno week and to showcase the assorted music scenes this nation has to supply. And since Juno venues are usually arenas, there’s much more room for followers to become involved.
Benefit: Junos
The TV broadcast
Let’s be sincere: Watching the Grammys is a slog, I fell asleep on the sofa lengthy earlier than this 12 months’s broadcast wrapped up. Then again, the Junos broadcast is normally very tight with six or seven main award shows together with quite a lot of performances. We’re achieved in round two hours. Excellent.
Benefit: Junos
Credibility
The Grammys have none. What are you able to say about a company that refused to provide The Beatles their due? They gave Christopher Cross’ sappy debut file a boatload of Grammys whereas fully ignoring The Wall by Pink Floyd.
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And who can neglect Jethro Tull profitable Finest Heavy Steel File, beating out Metallica and their Black Album? How can Beyoncé be nominated for Rock Single of the 12 months?
I’m certain the Junos have had some clunkers over time, particularly within the ’70s and ’80s after they received it so flawed with classes like Most Promising Group (Whiter Cats Can Fly? Anybody?) These egregiously out-of-touch picks have largely been eradicated.
Benefit: Junos
Voting
As a result of profitable a Grammy is utilized in advertising and PR campaigns, file labels and managers are eager to have their artists win. The result’s that there’s a variety of lobbying and arm-twisting that goes on behind the scenes. Generally this ends in undeserving winners.
I’m a member of CARAS (Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) and thus referred to as as much as vote for the Junos in quite a lot of classes. Within the 20-plus years I’ve been doing this, nobody has ever tried to twist my arm. That’s simply my expertise, however I’ve by no means noticed anybody being pushed/bullied into voting in a selected manner with the Junos.
Benefit: Junos
The status issue
The Grammys are the best-known of all of the music awards applications, but I maintain listening to from trade insiders that profitable a Grammy isn’t an enormous deal.
Why? Due to behind-the-scenes politics, their lack of credibility, and an ossified operational construction, Grammy winners are usually underwhelmed by the honour. I’ve heard so many tales about Grammys behind displayed in bogs and used as doorsteps. I don’t hear the identical factor from Juno winners. They appear to be genuinely honoured that they received. Profitable a Juno could carry extra gravitas than profitable a Grammy.
Benefit: Junos
The fan issue
If the Junos have ever been held in your metropolis, you’ll realize it’s a week-long celebration with countless Juno-related occasions open to the general public. These occasions typically obtain constructive media protection and do make the Junos really feel like a fan-centric occasion. The Grammys have their very own events and fan occasions, too, however as a result of every thing is at all times in Los Angeles, protection of fan participation is non-existent.
Benefit: Junos
The rock issue
Each the Grammy and Junos TV broadcasts are designed to be mass attraction primetime occasions, which is why we find yourself with probably the most mainstream awards and artists being televised. Rock has been excised from the Grammys for years. Not one of the rock-related awards make the telecast.
The Junos, then again, do attempt to combine it up. This 12 months, for instance, Sum 41 might be honoured for his or her many years of service and can carry out another time. That’s at the very least one thing — extra rock than the Grammys supplied this 12 months.
Benefit: Junos
The host
Trevor Noah is a fantastic host and was about the perfect factor about this 12 months’s Grammy Awards. The Junos have instituted an fascinating coverage of hosts that carry selection to this system. The checklist consists of Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, Brent Butt, Pamela Anderson, Russell Peters, William Shatner, Simu Liu, Drake, and The Barenaked Women. Michael Bublé, certainly one of Canada’s most likable stars, has hosted twice.
Benefit: Junos
The satisfaction issue
The Grammys are simply one other late-winter awards program. The Junos are about Canadian music. And given the rise in nationalistic satisfaction we’ve seen over the past 70 days or so, guess which nation has extra satisfaction of their music awards program?
Benefit: Junos
From my perspective, the Junos win this showdown in a clear sweep. Are they excellent? No, as a result of there’s at all times room for enchancment. But when I had to decide on which occasion to attend/watch, it’s a non-brainer. And it has been for years.
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