The Juno Awards Gala held in Hamilton, Ontario, on Saturday, March 28, 2026, was a big night for Tate McRae. The singer won four awards, including some of the biggest ones, although she was not present to celebrate her achievements. McRae, now a global pop phenomenon, dominated the first night of the gala, winning in four major categories: single of the year (“Sports Car”), album of the year (So Close To What), artist of the year, and pop album of the year.

Despite being nominated alongside superstars like Justin Bieber and The Weeknd, McRae did not attend the ceremony, which took place at the Hamilton Convention Centre during a music industry dinner, also streamed on CBC's online channels.

All but four of the Juno Awards were handed out at the event, with the televised broadcast the following day from the TD Coliseum featuring presentations in the fan choice, breakthrough artist or group of the year, group of the year, and contemporary R&B recording of the year categories. Justin Bieber and The Weeknd were also absent from this year's Junos. The Weeknd, nominated for five awards, with four of them given out at the Saturday gala, did not win any, despite the possibility of tying Anne Murray for the most awards won of all time.

The gala also highlighted other notable winners, such as Daniel Caesar, who won the songwriter of the year award, but was also not present to receive it, although he did perform on the following day's broadcast. Cameron Whitcomb, a breakthrough artist, won the country album of the year award. Aysanabee, an emerging Indigenous singer-songwriter, won the alternative album of the year awards for Edge Of The Earth and the contemporary Indigenous artist or group of the year. Alex Cuba, winner of two previous Juno Awards and a Latin Grammy, was the first winner in the new category of Latin music recording of the year for Índole. Karan Aujla & Ikky, Punjabi-Canadian stars, won in the South Asian music recording of the year category for their collaboration, P-Pop Culture.

Debby Friday, winner of the Polaris Prize, earned her first Juno for dance recording of the year, expressing her goal to “tell the truth and make it beautiful.” Vinny Cinquemani, one of the three recipients of the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award, reflected on his four decades as an agent and expressed optimism about the state of live music in Canada, despite economic challenges. Sandy Pandya, founder of ArtHaus, joked about receiving the award and highlighted the need for mental health support for artists. Patrick Rogers, head of Music Canada, expressed optimism about the Canadian music industry, referencing the recent IFPI Global Music Report. Maestro Fresh Wes, a Canadian hip-hop icon, won a Juno in a new category for him, children’s album of the year as Young Maestro, recalling the inspiration of his son and his travels. An unusual tie was recorded in the adult alternative album of the year category, between Begonia and Bahamas.

Despised Icon, winners of the metal/hard music album of the year award, highlighted their status as “underdogs.” The Beaches, winners of the rock album of the year award, emphasized the importance of attending the Junos. Billy Talent received the humanitarian award. Sarah McLachlan won the adult contemporary album of the year award for Better Broken, her comeback album, expressing her love for music creation.