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:
Winner: Celine Dion
Other Nominees:
Winner: Roch Voisine
Other Nominees:
Winner: Jann Arden
Other Nominees:
Winner: The Rankin Family
Other Nominees:
Winner: The Waltons
Other Nominees:
Winner: Leonard Cohen
Other Nominees:
Winner: Cassandra Vasik
Other Nominees:
Winner: Charlie Major
Other Nominees:
Winner: The Rankin Family
Other Nominees:
Winner: Ofra Harnoy
Other Nominees:
Winner: Steven MacKinnon and Marc Jordan, "Waiting for a Miracle" from Reckless Valentine by Marc Jordan
Other Nominees:
Winner: Kevin Doyle, "Old Cape Cod" and "Cry Me a River" by Anne Murray
Other Nominees:
Winner: Rush

Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award

Winner: John V. Mills

Nominated and winning albums

Best Album

Winner: Harvest Moon, Neil Young
Other Nominees:
Winner: Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Susan Hammond, Classical Kids
Other Nominees:
Winner: ', Louis Lortie
Other Nominees:'
Winner: ', Tafelmusik, director Jeanne Lamon
Other Nominees:'
Winner: Debussy Songs, soprano Claudette Leblanc, piano Valerie Tryon
Other Nominees:
Winner: Marty Dolan, Faithlift by Spirit of the West
Other Nominees:
Winner: The Bodyguard, Whitney Houston
Other Nominees:
Winner: Fables and Dreams, Dave Young/Phil Dwyer Quartet
Other Nominees:
Winner: South at Eight/North at Nine, Colin Linden
Other Nominees:
Winner: Don't Smoke in Bed, Holly Cole Trio
Other Nominees:
Winner: Album de Peuple Tome 2, Francois Perusse
Other Nominees:
Winner: Dig, I Mother Earth
Other Nominees:
Winner: My Skies, James Keelaghan
Other Nominees:

Single of the Year

Winner: "Fare Thee Well Love", The Rankin Family
Other Nominees:
Winner: "Among Friends", Chan Ka Nin
Other Nominees:
Winner: "One Track Mind", TBTBT
Other Nominees:
Winner: "The Time Is Right ", Rupert Gayle
Other Nominees:
Winner: Wapistan Is Lawrence Martin, Wapistan
Other Nominees:
Winner: "Informer", Snow
Other Nominees:
Winner: "El Camino Real", Ancient Cultures
Other Nominees:
Winner: "Thankful ", Red Light
Other Nominees:
Winner: Jeth Weinrich, Jann Arden, "I Would Die For You"
Other Nominees: