2023 Juno Awards nominations: The Weeknd leads the pack with 6

The Weeknd is back atop the nominees at this year’s Juno Awards.

The Toronto-raised pop singer earned six nods across some of the main categories including single of the year for Sacrifice, album of the year with Dawn FM and artist of the year.

It’s a repeat performance for the hitmaker, born Abel Tesfaye, who most recently was the top Juno nominee two years ago.

Other big contenders at Canada’s biggest music awards show include Calgary’s Tate McRae who is tied with Napanee, Ont. native Avril Lavigne with five nominations.

Country siblings the Reklaws, rapper Nav and pop newcomers Preston Pablo and Rêve all have three nods apiece.

The Juno Awards broadcast from Edmonton on March 13.

On Monday, ahead of the nominations ceremony, Junos organizers revealed the rap album or EP of the year contenders. They include Vancouver’s Boslen, Halifax-based Classified, and three Toronto rappers, Jazz Cartier, Nav and Tobi.

Find a list of the nominees in the major categories, below.

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TikTok Juno fan choice

Avril Lavigne
Lauren Spencer-Smith
MacKenzie Porter
Preston Pablo
Rêve
Shawn Mendes
Tate McRae
The Reklaws
The Weeknd
Tyler Shaw

Single of the year

Bite Me, Avril Lavigne
Flowers Need Rain, Preston Pablo and Banx & Ranx
When You’re Gone, Shawn Mendes
She’s all I Wanna Be, Tate McRae
Sacrifice, The Weeknd

International album of the year

=, Ed Sheeran
Harry’s House, Harry Styles
Montero, Lil Nas X
Midnights, Taylor Swift
Red (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift

Album of the year

Who Hurt You?, Ali Gatie
Love Sux, Avril Lavigne
Demons Protected By Angels, Nav
I Used to Think I Could Fly, Tate McRae
Dawn FM, The Weeknd

Artist of the year

Avril Lavigne
Lauren Spencer-Smith
Michael Bublé
Shawn Mendes
The Weeknd

Group of the year

Arcade Fire
Arkells
Billy Talent
Metric
The Reklaws

Breakthrough artist of the year

Dax
Devon Cole
Preston Pablo
RealestK
Rêve

Breakthrough group of the year

Banx & Ranx
Harm & Ease
Rare Americans
Tommy Lefroy
Wild Rivers

Songwriter of the year

Abel Tesfaye: Less Than Zero (co-songwriters Tomoko Yamaguch, Hamada Tetsuro, Daniel Lopatin, the Weeknd); “Out of Time” (co-songwriters Max Martin, Fragogian Josefsson, Axel Hedfors, Oscar Holter, Sebastian Ingrosso, Carl Nordstrom, Kevin Duane McCord); Sacrifice (co-songwriters Max Martin, Fragogian Josefsson, Axel Hedfors, Oscar Holter, Sebastian Ingrosso, Carl Nordstrom, Kevin Duane McCord).
Faouzia: Anybody Else (co-songwriters Andre Davidson, Michelle Buzz, Sean Davidson); Puppet (co-songwriters Andre Davidson, Johnny Goldstein, Sean Davidson); RIP, Love (co-songwriters Fran Hall, Jakke Erixson).
Tate McRae: Chaotic (co-songwriter Victoria Zaro); “Feel Like Shit” (co-songwriters Victoria Zaro, Jacob Hindlin, Russell J Chell); She’s all I Wanna Be (co-songwriter Greogry Kurstin).
Tenille Townes: The Last Time (co-songwriters Gordon Sampson, Benjamin Goldsmith); When you Need It (co-songwriter Stephen Wrabel); When’s it Gonna Happen (co-songwriters Stephenie Jones, Stephen Wrabel).
Tobi: Before we Panic (co-songwriters Alex Goose, Eric Hagstrom, John Stephen Sudduth, Kevin Martin, Tony Martin, Stephenie Jones, Stephen Wrabel); Flowers (co-songwriters Alex Goose, Daniele Luppi, Homer Steinweiss, Nick Movshon, Nicole Wray, Leon Michels, Paul Spring); Move (co-songwriters Alex Goose, Jessica Lee Hansell, Jon Bap, Robin Hannibal, Tavon Thompson, Tyler Demorest).

Country album of the year

Way Back, High Valley
Honkytonk Revival, Jade Eagleson
Bronco, Orville Peck
Masquerades, Tenille Townes
Good Ol’ Days, the Reklaws

Adult alternative album of the year

Born Losers, Altameda
The Garden, Basia Bulat
Being Somewhere, Dan Mangan
Colder Streams, the Sadies
How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars, The Weather Station

Alternative album of the year

Blue Rev, Alvvays
Duality, Luna Li
Sewn Back Together, Ombiigizi
The Unraveling of PupTheBand, Pup
Tongues, Tanya Tagaq

Pop album of the year

In the Meantime, Alessia Cara
Love Sux, Avril Lavigne
The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen
I Used to Think I Could Fly, Tate McRae
Dawn FM, the Weeknd

Rock album of the year

Otherness, Alexisonfire
Crisis of Faith, Billy Talent
Get Rollin’, Nickelback
Outta Sight, the Sheepdogs
Explosions, Three Days Grace

Album francophone de l’année

Medium plaisir, Ariane Roy
Mercure en mai, Daniel Bélanger
Pictura de ipse: Musique directe, Hubert Lenoir
Crash, Les Louanges
Chiac Disco, Lisa LeBlanc

Rap album/EP of the year

Gonzo, Boslen
Retrospected (Acoustic), Classified
The Fleur Print Vol. 2, Jazz Cartier
Demons Protected By Angels, Nav
Shall I Continue?, Tobi

Dance recording of the year

Afterglow, Bob Moses and Kasablanca
Shinigami Eyes, Grimes
These Nights, Loud Luxury feat. Kiddo
Ctrl + Alt + Del, Rêve
Spiral, Rezz

Contemporary Indigenous artist or group of the year

Watin, Aysanabee
Zhawenim, Digging Roots
Code Red, Indian City
Beyond the Reservoir, Julian Taylor
The Crossing, Susan Aglukark

Music video of the year

Fraud by Emma Higgins (Jessie Reyez)
Unholy by Floria Sigismondi (Sam Smith and Kim Petras)
Have Mercy by Karena Evans (Chlöe)
Different Than Before by Mayumi Yoshida (Amanda Sum)
Remember me for Me by Sterling Larose (SonReal and Lily Moore)

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For a complete list of all category nominations, please visit the Junos official site.