It’s that time of year again, music creators! The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has officially opened submissions for the 2025 JUNO Awards Presented by TD. Whether you’re a veteran in the industry or a fresh face on the scene, here’s your guide to everything you need to know about submitting your work for the JUNO Awards this year.
This year, CARAS is introducing exciting changes to make the JUNO Awards more inclusive and reflective of the Canadian music landscape. Two brand-new categories are making their debut:
Additionally, Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Breakthrough Group of the Year are being combined into a single category called Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year with 10 nominees, giving more emerging artists a chance to shine. However, the International Album of the Year category is being retired for 2025.
Mark your calendars! Here are the important dates for submitting to the 2025 JUNO Awards:
All submissions must meet the eligibility requirements, which means your music must have been released between September 1, 2023, and November 1, 2024.
To be eligible, all music must be available on at least one Digital Service Provider (DSP), with the exception of submissions for Album Artwork of the Year. If your music is available online and falls within the eligibility period, you’re good to go!
CARAS has made some key changes to how nominees are selected for certain categories:
The JUNO Awards wouldn’t be possible without the help of dedicated music industry professionals who serve as judges. If you’re interested in being part of the decision-making process, now’s your chance to get involved. CARAS Academy Delegate applications are open at junoawards.ca/join, and CARAS is also calling for judges to help determine the winners across categories. You can apply to be a judge at junosubmissions.ca
The 54th Annual JUNO Awards and JUNO Week will take place in Vancouver, BC, from March 27 to March 30, 2025. The celebration will culminate with the awards ceremony on Sunday, March 30, 2025, at Rogers Arena. The show will be broadcast live on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos.
Whether you’re an artist, songwriter, producer, or designer, the JUNO Awards offer an incredible opportunity to gain national recognition for your work. With new categories and refreshed nominating and voting processes, this year’s awards promise to reflect the diversity and creativity of Canada’s music scene more than ever.
Head over to junosubmissions.ca starting October 15, 2024, to submit your work. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of Canadian music history!