Junos backtrack on shelving reggae, gospel, children's categories

The Juno Awards are reversing course on their plan to shelve three awards after strong blowback from the music community.

Junos head Allan Reid posted a message on his Instagram Tuesday saying that given the feedback the organization has decided to reinstate the categories for the 2025 show.

He said the children's album, reggae recording and Christian/gospel album of the year categories will be part of the honours handed out next year inVancouver.

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which oversees Canada's biggest music awards show, has been undergoing a review of the ceremony and its categories over the past year.

Reid said the leadership was "taking into consideration data such as consumption, number of submissions, and other metrics."

However, he added, "given the feedback from the community, CARAS will not put these three categories on hiatus this year."

Earlier this month, a letter obtained by The Canadian Press was sent by Juno organizers to committee members of the affected categories, notifying them of plans to pause the three award categories.

The decision led to a swift negative reaction from musicians and others in the music scene who called on the Junos to reconsider its decision.

Reid said CARAS will outline all of the planned Junos changes on Monday with details on the "direction and vision for the awards now and into the future."

His post did not mention the fate of the international album of the year award, a fourth category that was also set to go on hiatus next year.