The Juno Award for Group of the Year has been awarded annually since 1970 in recognition of the best musical group or band in Canada. It is presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). The five nominees in the category are decided through a combination of sales and CARAS member voting, and the recipient is chosen from among these nominees by member voting. [1]
The award was previously named as Top Vocal Instrumental Group (1970–1971), Vocal Instrumental Group of the Year (1972–1973), and Best Group (1999–2002). In 1972 and 1973, awards were also given for Outstanding Performance of the Year – Group.
With six wins, the alternative rock band Arkells is the most winning group in the category. Arkells is also tied for most consecutive wins, three, with rock band Loverboy and country rock band Blue Rodeo. Blue Rodeo's 13 total nominations is slightly edged out by the 14 garnered by hard rock and progressive rock band Rush, including a record eight consecutive nominations from 1977 to 1984. The record for the most nominations without ever winning is held by April Wine, who were nominated 8 times from 1975 to 1983.
Country and folk group The Rankin Family, winners in 1994, are the first non-rock group to ever win the award. The next were electronic dance music groups A Tribe Called Red in 2018 and Loud Luxury in 2020. Though several French-language groups have been nominated, none has ever won the award.
In 2014, Tegan and Sara became the first all-female band and the first duo to win this award.
Year | Winner | Ref. |
---|---|---|
1970 | The Guess Who | [2] |
1971 | The Guess Who | [3] |
In 1972 and 1973, two awards were given for group of the year and outstanding performance by a group.
Year | Vocal Instrumental Group of the Year | Outstanding Performance of the Year – Group | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|
1972 | The Stampeders | Lighthouse | [4] [5] |
1973 | Lighthouse | Edward Bear | [6] [7] |
Year | Winner | Nominees | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1974 | Lighthouse | [8] [9] | |
1975 | Bachman–Turner Overdrive | [10] | |
1976 | Bachman–Turner Overdrive | [11] | |
1977 | Heart | [12] | |
1978 | Rush | [13] | |
1979 | Rush | [14] | |
1980 | Trooper | [15] | |
1981 | Prism | [16] | |
1982 | Loverboy | [17] | |
1983 | Loverboy | [18] | |
1984 | Loverboy | [19] | |
1985 | The Parachute Club | [20] | |
1986 | Honeymoon Suite | [21] | |
1987 | Tom Cochrane and Red Rider | [22] | |
No award ceremony was held in 1988 | |||
1989 | Blue Rodeo | [23] | |
1990 | Blue Rodeo | [24] | |
1991 | Blue Rodeo | [25] | |
1992 | Crash Test Dummies | [26] | |
1993 | Barenaked Ladies | [27] | |
1994 | The Rankin Family | [28] | |
1995 | The Tragically Hip | [29] | |
1996 | Blue Rodeo | [30] | |
1997 | The Tragically Hip | [31] | |
1998 | Our Lady Peace | [32] |
Year | Winner | Nominees | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1999 | Barenaked Ladies | [33] | |
2000 | Matthew Good Band | [34] | |
2001 | Barenaked Ladies | [35] | |
2002 | Nickelback | [36] |
Year | Winner | Nominees | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Sum 41 | [37] | |
2004 | Nickelback | [38] | |
2005 | Billy Talent | [39] | |
2006 | Nickelback | [40] | |
2007 | Billy Talent | [41] | |
2008 | Blue Rodeo | [42] | |
2009 | Nickelback | [43] | |
2010 | Metric | [44] | |
2011 | Arcade Fire | [45] | |
2012 | Arkells | [46] | |
2013 | Marianas Trench | [47] | |
2014 | Tegan and Sara | [48] | |
2015 | Arkells | [49] | |
2016 | Walk Off the Earth | [50] | |
2017 | The Tragically Hip | [51] | |
2018 | A Tribe Called Red |
| |
2019 | Arkells | [52] | |
2020 | Loud Luxury | [53] | |
2021 | Arkells | [54] | |
2022 | Arkells | [55] | |
2023 | Arkells | [56] | |
2024 | The Beaches | [57] | |
2025 | TBA | [58] |