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.
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.
Achievements
With six wins, the alternative rock band Arkells is the most winning group in the category. Four groups are tied for the most consecutive wins, three each: in chronological order Loverboy, Blue Rodeo, Arkells, and The Beaches.
Country rock band 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.
Recipients
Top Vocal Instrumental Group (1970–1971)
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Year
! scope="col" | Winner
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Ref.
|-
! scope="row" | 1970
| The Guess Who
|
|-
! scope="row" | 1971
| The Guess Who
|
|}
Vocal Instrumental Group of the Year and Outstanding Performance of the Year – Group (1972–1973)
In 1972 and 1973, two awards were given for group of the year and outstanding performance by a group.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Year
! scope="col" | Vocal Instrumental Group of the Year
! scope="col" | Outstanding Performance of the Year – Group
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Refs.
|-
! scope="row" | 1972
| The Stampeders
| Lighthouse
|
|-
! scope="row" | 1973
| Lighthouse
| Edward Bear
|
|}
Group of the Year (1974–1998)
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Year
! scope="col" | Winner
! scope="col" | Nominees
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Ref.
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1974
| align="center" | Lighthouse
|
- Gary & Dave
- The Guess Who
- The Stampeders
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1975
| align="center" | Bachman–Turner Overdrive
|
- April Wine
- Lighthouse
- The Guess Who
- The Stampeders
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1976
| align="center" | Bachman–Turner Overdrive
|
- April Wine
- Beau Dommage
- Harmonium
- The Stampeders
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1977
| align="center" | Heart
|
- April Wine
- Bachman–Turner Overdrive
- Rush
- The Stampeders
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1978
| align="center" | Rush
|
- April Wine
- Bachman–Turner Overdrive
- The Stampeders
- Trooper
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1979
| align="center" | Rush
|
- Chilliwack
- Prism
- Triumph
- Trooper
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1980
| align="center" | Trooper
|
- April Wine
- Max Webster
- Prism
- Rush
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1981
| align="center" | Prism
|
- April Wine
- Harlequin
- Max Webster
- Rush
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1982
| align="center" | Loverboy
|
- April Wine
- Prism
- Rush
- The Rovers
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1983
| align="center" | Loverboy
|
- April Wine
- Chilliwack
- Rush
- Saga
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1984
| align="center" | Loverboy
|
- Chilliwack
- Payola$
- Red Rider
- Rush
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1985
| align="center" | The Parachute Club
|
- Helix
- Honeymoon Suite
- Strange Advance
- Triumph
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1986
| align="center" | Honeymoon Suite
|
- Loverboy
- Platinum Blonde
- Rush
- Triumph
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1987
| align="center" | Tom Cochrane and Red Rider
|
- The Parachute Club
- Rock and Hyde
- The Box
- Triumph
| align="center" |
|-
| align="center" colspan="4" | No award ceremony was held in 1988
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1989
| align="center" | Blue Rodeo
|
- Glass Tiger
- Honeymoon Suite
- Rush
- Tom Cochrane and Red Rider
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1990
| align="center" | Blue Rodeo
|
- Cowboy Junkies
- Rush
- The Jeff Healey Band
- Tom Cochrane and Red Rider
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1991
| align="center" | Blue Rodeo
|
- Cowboy Junkies
- Rush
- The Jeff Healey Band
- The Northern Pikes
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1992
| align="center" | Crash Test Dummies
|
- Blue Rodeo
- Glass Tiger
- Rush
- The Tragically Hip
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1993
| align="center" | Barenaked Ladies
|
- 54-40
- Blue Rodeo
- Les B.B.
- The Tragically Hip
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1994
| align="center" | The Rankin Family
|
- Blue Rodeo
- Moxy Früvous
- Rush
- The Jeff Healey Band
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1995
| align="center" | The Tragically Hip
|
- Barenaked Ladies
- Crash Test Dummies
- Spirit of the West
- The Watchmen
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1996
| align="center" | Blue Rodeo
|
- Headstones
- Odds
- The Rankin Family
- The Tea Party
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1997
| align="center" | The Tragically Hip
|
- 54-40
- I Mother Earth
- Moist
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 1998
| align="center" | Our Lady Peace
|
- Big Sugar
- Blue Rodeo
- Great Big Sea
- The Tea Party
| align="center" |
|}
Best Group (1999–2002)
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Year
! scope="col" style="width:10em;" | Winner
! scope="col" | Nominees
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Ref.
|-
! scope="row" | 1999
| align="center" | Barenaked Ladies
|
- Matthew Good Band
- Philosopher Kings
- The Rankins
- The Tragically Hip
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" | 2000
| align="center" | Matthew Good Band
|
- La Chicane
- Moist
- Our Lady Peace
- The Tea Party
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" | 2001
| align="center" | Barenaked Ladies
|
- Blue Rodeo
- soulDecision
- The Moffatts
- The Tragically Hip
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" | 2002
| align="center" | Nickelback
|
- Matthew Good Band
- Our Lady Peace
- Sum 41
- The Tea Party
| align="center" |
|}
Group of the Year (2003–present)
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Year
! scope="col" style="width:10em;" | Winner
! scope="col" | Nominees
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Ref.
|-
! scope="row" | 2003
| align="center" | Sum 41
|
- Blue Rodeo
- Our Lady Peace
- Swollen Members
- The Tragically Hip
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2004
| align="center" | Nickelback
|
- Barenaked Ladies
- Finger Eleven
- La Chicane
- Our Lady Peace
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2005
| align="center" | Billy Talent
|
- Great Big Sea
- Simple Plan
- Sum 41
- The Tragically Hip
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2006
| align="center" | Nickelback
|
- Barenaked Ladies
- Blue Rodeo
- Our Lady Peace
- Theory of a Deadman
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2007
| align="center" | Billy Talent
|
- Alexisonfire
- Hedley
- The Tragically Hip
- Three Days Grace
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2008
| align="center" | Blue Rodeo
|
- Arcade Fire
- Finger Eleven
- Hedley
- Kaïn
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2009
| align="center" | Nickelback
|
- Great Big Sea
- Simple Plan
- The Trews
- Tokyo Police Club
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2010
| align="center" | Metric
|
- Billy Talent
- Blue Rodeo
- Hedley
- The Tragically Hip
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2011
| align="center" | Arcade Fire
|
- Broken Social Scene
- Down With Webster
- Great Big Sea
- Three Days Grace
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2012
| align="center" | Arkells
|
- Down With Webster
- Hedley
- Nickelback
- Sam Roberts Band
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2013
| align="center" | Marianas Trench
|
- Billy Talent
- Metric
- Rush
- The Sheepdogs
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2014
| align="center" | Tegan and Sara
|
- Arcade Fire
- Blue Rodeo
- Hedley
- Walk Off the Earth
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2015
| align="center" | Arkells
|
- Chromeo
- Mother Mother
- Nickelback
- You+Me
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2016
| align="center" | Walk Off the Earth
|
- Hedley
- Marianas Trench
- Metric
- Three Days Grace
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2017
| align="center" | The Tragically Hip
|
- Arkells
- Billy Talent
- Tegan and Sara
- The Strumbellas
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2018
| align="center" | A Tribe Called Red
|
- Alvvays
- Arcade Fire
- Broken Social Scene
- <s>Hedley</s> - nomination withdrawn
| align="center" |
|-
! scope="row" align="center" | 2019
| align="center" | Arkells
|
- Chromeo
- Metric
- The Sheepdogs
- Three Days Grace
| align="center" |
|-
! style="text-align:center;" scope="row"|2020
| align=center| Loud Luxury
|
- 88Glam
- Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine
- The Reklaws
- Walk Off the Earth
|align="center"|
|-
! style="text-align:center;" scope="row"|2021
| align=center| Arkells
|
- Half Moon Run
- Loud Luxury
- The Glorious Sons
- The Reklaws
|align="center"|
|-
! style="text-align:center;" scope="row"|2022
| align=center| Arkells
|
- Loud Luxury
- Mother Mother
- The Reklaws
- Valley
|align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|2023
| align="center" | Arkells
|
- Arcade Fire
- Billy Talent
- Metric
- The Reklaws
|align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|2024
| align=center| The Beaches
|
- Arkells
- Loud Luxury
- Nickelback
- Walk Off the Earth
|align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|2025
|align=center| The Beaches
|
- Crash Adams
- Mother Mother
- Spiritbox
- Sum 41
|align="center"|
|-
! scope="row"|2026
| align=center| The Beaches
|
- Arcade Fire
- Mother Mother
- Peach Pit
- Three Days Grace
|align="center"|
|}
See also
- List of bands from Canada
- Music of Canada
References
External links
- Official website of the Juno Awards
- Official website of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences