Juno Awards of 1994


The Juno Awards of 1994, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 20 March 1994 in Toronto at a ceremony in the O'Keefe Centre. Roch Voisine was the host for the ceremonies, which were taped that afternoon for broadcast that evening on CBC Television.
Nominations were announced 8 February 1994. Starting in 1994, the Best New Solo Artist combined the former Most Promising Male and Female Vocalist categories. Reggae also received its own category, after years of being included under banners such as "world beat" or mixed with calypso.
A new category for aboriginal music was also introduced and was awarded by Robbie Robertson. The award faced controversy after nominee Sazacha Red Sky was accused of cultural appropriation by Leonard George son of Chief Dan George, the alleged writer of the song that has since been registered as Public Domain, because she was not personally a member of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation and according to Leonard George did not have the right to record it under their cultural traditions. His son Leonard George sought a legal injunction to prevent the award from being presented at the Juno Awards ceremony at all, and a final compromise revising Red Sky's nomination to reflect the album instead of the song was announced on the morning of the ceremony.
Around the time of the 1994 ceremonies, there were plans to host the 1995 ceremonies in Winnipeg. However, Juno organisers CARAS was demanding substantial funding from the Winnipeg committee attempting to host the awards.
Atlantic group The Rankin Family was the major winner in 1994, winning awards in four categories including Entertainer of the Year.

Nominees and winners

Canadian Entertainer of the Year

This award was chosen by a national poll rather than by Juno organisers CARAS.
Winner: The Rankin Family
Other Nominees:

Best Female Vocalist

Winner: Celine Dion
Other Nominees:

Best Male Vocalist

Winner: Roch Voisine
Other Nominees:

Best New Solo Artist

Winner: Jann Arden
Other Nominees:

Group of the Year

Winner: The Rankin Family
Other Nominees:

Best New Group

Winner: The Waltons
Other Nominees:

Songwriter of the Year

Winner: Leonard Cohen
Other Nominees:

Best Country Female Vocalist

Winner: Cassandra Vasik
Other Nominees:

Best Country Male Vocalist

Winner: Charlie Major
Other Nominees:

Best Country Group or Duo

Winner: The Rankin Family
Other Nominees:

Best Instrumental Artist

Winner: Ofra Harnoy
Other Nominees:

Best Producer

Winner: Steven MacKinnon and Marc Jordan, "Waiting for a Miracle" from Reckless Valentine by Marc Jordan
Other Nominees:

Best Recording Engineer

Winner: Kevin Doyle, "Old Cape Cod" and "Cry Me a River" by Anne Murray
Other Nominees:
  • Marc Ramaer, "Just Keep Me Moving", "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" by k.d. lang
  • Andy Hermant, "Life on the Inside Track", "Sweet Airs That Give Delight", "When Daisies Pied", "Sweet Airs That Give Delight" by Stratford Orchestra
  • Stephen Traub, "Window of Opportunity" from Bombazine by Meryn Cadell
  • Michael Phillip Wojewoda, "Beginning of Time" and "Calling All Angels" by Jane Siberry

Canadian Music Hall of Fame

Winner: Rush

Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award

Winner: John V. Mills

Nominated and winning albums

Best Album

Winner: Harvest Moon, Neil Young
Other Nominees:The Future, Leonard CohenI'll Always Be There, Roch VoisineRocking Horse, Alannah Myles12 Inches of Snow, Snow

Best Children's Album

Winner: Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Susan Hammond, Classical Kids
Other Nominees:Candles, Snow and Mistletoe, Sharon, Lois and BramThe Child's Play Connection, Barbara Nichol and othersDream Catcher, Jack GrunskyCan't Sit Down, Eric Nagler

Best Classical Album (Solo or Chamber Ensemble)

Winner: Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Opus 10, No 1-3, Louis Lortie
Other Nominees:Mozart: Two-Piano Sonata, Louis Lortie and Helene MercierRomantic Works for Guitar, Norbert KraftSchmelzer: Sonatas, Tafelmusik, director Jeanne LamonSimphonies des noels: A Treasury of Baroque Christmas Concerti, Les Violins du Roy, directory Bernard Labadie

Best Classical Album (Large Ensemble)

Winner: Handel: Concerti Grossi, Op.3 No. 1-6, Tafelmusik, director Jeanne Lamon
Other Nominees:Barok: The Miraculous Mandarin, Montreal Symphony OrchestraGluck: Ballet Pantomimes, TafelmusikRachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 4, Arthur Ozolins, Toronto Symphony OrchestraStravinsky, Szymanowski: Violin Concertos, Chantal Juillet and Montreal Symphony Orchestra

Best Classical Album (Vocal or Choral Performance)

Winner: Debussy Songs, soprano Claudette Leblanc, piano Valerie Tryon
Other Nominees:Elektra Women's Choir, Elektra Women's ChoirFull Well She Sang, The Toronto ConsortSchubert: Lieder, soprano Edith Wiens, piano Rudolf Jansen, clarinet Joaquin ValdepenasVenetian Vespers of 1640, Vancouver Cantata Singers, director James Fankhauser

Best Album Design

Winner: Marty Dolan, Faithlift by Spirit of the West
Other Nominees:

Best Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic)

Winner: The Bodyguard, Whitney Houston
Other Nominees:Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, Meat LoafFully Completely, The Tragically HipGet a Grip, AerosmithKeep the Faith, Bon Jovi

Best Mainstream Jazz Album

Winner: Fables and Dreams, Dave Young/Phil Dwyer Quartet
Other Nominees:Just BB, Oliver JonesOur 25th Year, Rob McConnell and the Boss BrassStandard Idioms, Sonny GreenwichWheel Within a Wheel, Bernie Senensky

Best Blues/Gospel Album

Winner: South at Eight/North at Nine, Colin Linden
Other Nominees:Bluesology, Whiteley BrothersColin James and the Little Big Band, Colin JamesTerra Firma Boogie, Triple ThreatYou Can't Have Everything, Dutch Mason

Best Contemporary Jazz Album

Winner: Don't Smoke in Bed, Holly Cole Trio
Other Nominees:Face the Music, Garbo's HatMichael Farquharson, Michael FarquharsonNotorious, Five After Four, with Vito RazzaThe Standard Line, David Mott

Best Selling Francophone Album

Winner: Album de Peuple Tome 2, Francois Perusse
Other Nominees:Ca Va Bien, Kathleen SergerieCorridors, Laurence JalbertEurope Tour, Roch VoisinePelchat, Mario Pelchat

Hard Rock Album of the Year

Winner: Dig, I Mother Earth
Other Nominees:Counterparts, RushCrush, DoughboysGivin Blood, Wild T and the SpiritSplendor Solis, The Tea Party

Best Roots & Traditional Album">Juno Award for Best Roots and Traditional Album">Best Roots & Traditional Album

Winner: My Skies, James Keelaghan
Other Nominees:At a High Window, Garnet RogersChristmas, Bruce CockburnHome in Halifax, Stan RogersJigzup, Oliver Schroer

Nominated and winning releases

Single of the Year

Winner: "Fare Thee Well Love", The Rankin Family
Other Nominees:

Best Classical Composition

Winner: "Among Friends", Chan Ka Nin
Other Nominees:

Best Rap Recording

Winner: "One Track Mind", TBTBT
Other Nominees:

Best R&B/Soul Recording

Winner: "The Time Is Right ", Rupert Gayle
Other Nominees:
  • "All I Need", George St. Kitts
  • "And the Song Goes", Carol Medina
  • "Love Me Right", MCJ and Cool G
  • "Mothers of Hope", John James

Best Music of Aboriginal Canada Recording

Winner: Wapistan Is Lawrence Martin, Wapistan
Other Nominees:

Best Reggae Recording

Winner: "Informer", Snow
Other Nominees:
  • "Child Support", Inspector Lenny
  • "Love and Affection", Tanya Mullings
  • "Save the Children", Leejahn
  • "Secret Admirer", D.J. Ray

Best Global Recording

Winner: "El Camino Real", Ancient Cultures
Other Nominees:

Best Dance Recording

Winner: "Thankful ", Red Light
Other Nominees:

Best Video

Winner: Jeth Weinrich, Jann Arden, "I Would Die For You"
Other Nominees: