Heartthrob at the Junos

It's official: The 43rd annual Juno Awards were all about Tegan and Sara.

The twins picked up awards for Group of the Year and Single of the Year -- for the cotton-candy synth-pop gem Closer -- at Sunday night's broadcast from the MTS Centre. Their latest album, Heartthrob, was crowned Pop Album of the Year at Saturday night's industry-only gala where the bulk of the awards were passed out.

Heartthrob has been nothing short of a game-changer for Tegan and Sara. They shoved aside indie rock in favour of resplendent pop -- and the risk paid off. The album allowed the 33-year-old sisters to break into Top-40 consciousness in a big way; they're even opening for Katy Perry on her arena tour this summer.

"This was an important one for us -- we've been all kinds of bands," Sara said when she accepted the pop album award on Saturday. "We wanted to make a pop record. Thanks for honouring that."

Some more awards, unofficially

When a big name drops out of the Juno Awards, something of a similar quality always takes its place.

In 2005, when the legendary Neil Young dropped out of his hometown Junos due to brain aneurysm, the amazing k.d. lang graciously agreed to perform in his slot.

In 2014, when the questionably Canadian and lyrically suspect Robin Thicke dropped out of the Winnipeg Junos due to vocal problems, Manitoba got a crap-tastic late-season snowstorm in his place.

Aside from this piece of perfect symmetry, here's what else happened at the MTS Centre and throughout Winnipeg during Juno Week, in the form of arbitrarily assigned awards:

Stick to the singing

AS awards-show telecasts go, The 2014 Juno Awards was, well, another awards-show telecast.

Buoyed by some crackling performances and dressed up nicely by a killer set, but dragged back down by dry-as-dust category intros, acceptance speeches and rather tepid attempts at comedy, Sunday night's two-hour broadcast was a decidedly middle-of-the-road affair.

The show opened promisingly with co-hosts Serena Ryder and Classified sharing the stage for an energetic opening number, and the crowd was pumped up by fellow co-host Johnny Reid's cheap-applause invocation of the Jets, Bombers and pretty much anybody from Winnipeg who ever got famous in the music biz.

Tegan and Sara were the show's first award winners, for single of the year (Closer), and Walk Off the Earth followed with a rootsy, old-time-radio-flavoured performance.

Critics say feds hurt musicians with policies

The same weekend Winnipeg hosted Canada's Juno Awards, federal opposition critics came to the city to draw attention to what they see as Ottawa's missteps in the music industry.

Cuts to one program geared to help musicians market their work in the post-CD world and new fees for small bars and restaurants that book non-Canadian bands are two measures that show Ottawa doesn't understand the music industry, the critics say.

NDP heritage critic Pierre Nantel and rock musician and writer Andrew Cash, now a Toronto NDP MP, were at a news conference Sunday outside the Burton Cummings Theatre.

Nantel said federal budget cuts wiped out a small but vital fund under the $25-million Canada Music Fund program. Its loss makes it harder for artists to come up with new Internet streaming strategies to market their music, he said. Nantel said he believes the cut amounts to $1.25 million.

Sharing gift of music her way of giving back

Annaka van Huizen's favourite childhood memory was when she was eight. Her mom took her to run errands. One of those errands included a trip to pick up a puppy named Bella.

"At first, I was dragging my feet and was too busy looking down at the ground. I didn't see the sign that said 'puppies for sale,' " said the high school student. "I always begged for a pet."

The 17-year-old was born in China. Due to the country's one-child policy -- a family planning regulation put into law by the government to control its population -- van Huizen was put up for adoption. At 14 months old, she was adopted and moved to her new life in Winnipeg.

"If I wouldn't have been adopted, it would have been a totally different life," she said. "I can't even imagine it."

Junos Backstage: BTO

Four members of BTO meet with media backstage at the Junos.

Junos Backstage: The Hosts

The three Junos hosts chat with media following the big event.

Junos Backstage: Chris Hadfield

Cmdr. Chris Hadfield had the honour of introducing BTO's Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction.

Juno Awards 2014

Photographs from the 2014 Juno Awards show and backstage at MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

Junos Backstage: Tegan and Sara

Duo Tegan and Sara speak to media after their multiple award winning night at the Junos in Winnipeg.

Junos all about Tegan & Sara

It’s official: the 43rd annual Juno Awards were all about Tegan and Sara.

The twins picked up awards for Group of the Year and Single of the Year — for the cotton-candy synth-pop gem Closer — at Sunday night’s ceremony at the MTS Centre. Their latest album, Heartthrob, was crowned Pop Album of the Year at Saturday night’s industry-only gala where the bulk of the awards were passed out.

Heartthrob has been nothing short of a game-changer for Tegan and Sara. They shoved aside indie rock in favour of resplendent pop — and the risk paid off. The album allowed the 33-year-old sisters to break into Top-40 consciousness in a big way; they’re even opening for Katy Perry on her arena tour this summer.

“This was an important one for us — we’ve been all kinds of bands,” Sara said when she accepted the pop album award on Saturday. “We wanted to make a pop record. Thanks for honouring that.”

Junos 2014 red carpet

Photos from the red carpet arrivals at MTS Centre in Winnipeg for the 2014 Juno Awards.

Thicke cancels Juno performance: voice needs rest

The Juno Awards broadcast has lost one of its biggest performers, as triple-nominee Robin Thicke has been scratched from tonight’s show at the MTS Centre.

Broadcaster CTV announced this morning Thicke had to cancel “after being placed on mandatory vocal rest,” a problem that also forced the Canadian-American to cancel concerts slated earlier this weekend.

“This is show business, so we’re always prepared for this type of situation,” Juno executive producer John Brunton said in the CTV statement.

“This morning’s announcement will not impact what is looking to be a hell of a show. If rehearsals are any indication, viewers will be treated to a fantastic broadcast and a few surprises as well.” 

Downes, Ehnes ‘Toba triumphs

While 13 Manitoba-grown acts were nominated at the 43rd annual Juno Awards -- handed out over two nights this weekend in Winnipeg -- only two emerged with hardware: Winnipeg-born jazz bassist/composer Mike Downes and Brandon-born violin virtuoso James Ehnes.

Thirty-five Juno awards were handed out at Saturday night's Jian Ghomeshi-hosted, industry-only gala. The remaining six will be awarded during tonight's broadcast which airs on CTV at 8 p.m. from the MTS Centre.

The belle of the ball was broadcast host and five-time nominee Serena Ryder, who was crowned Artist of the Year -- one of the most prestigious awards of the night -- beating out Céline Dion, Michael Bublé, Drake and Robin Thicke. She's up for four more prestigious awards at Sunday night's telecast, including Single of the Year, Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year.

And Tegan and Sara finally got their Juno.

Gala is good fun yet also serious

Good morning, Winnipeg. The forecast high is 0 C, the Jets have almost no chance of making the playoffs and the 2014 Junos are 85 per cent over.

As of 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, 35 out of the 41 awards honouring the best and beardiest in Canadian music were handed out at the Juno Awards gala -- the part of the glassware-apportioning proceedings you don't get to watch on television.

A grand total of six awards -- yes, I am a mathematical genius -- will be presented at the broadcast component of the show, which CTV airs from the MTS Centre tonight at 8 p.m.

For decades, rappers, jazz musicians and other recordings consigned to the "genre" categories have lamented the fact the vast majority of the Junos are not deemed worthy of a national TV spotlight.