The acclaimed star of Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings and Kim’s Convenience will return to his hometown to celebrate Canada’s biggest night in music on Sunday, May 15
The 51st annual celebration will broadcast and stream live from Budweiser Stage, moving the show to an open-air venue for the first time in JUNOS’ history
Tickets to Canada’s biggest night in music go on sale Friday, March 4
TORONTO – The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CBC announced today that Simu Liu, Marvel Studios star of Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, is returning to his hometown to take on a new role: host of The 2022 JUNO Awards Broadcast. The first in-person iteration of the show since 2019, this year’s event will be held at Budweiser Stage in Toronto, on Sunday, May 15 and broadcast and streamed live across Canada at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Music’s Facebook,YouTube and Twitter pages.
“It’s an absolute honour to be hosting The 51st Annual JUNO Awards,” said Simu Liu. “Canadian entertainment and culture hold a very important place in my heart and getting the chance to experience the festivities in my hometown makes the experience even more special to me.”
"We’re thrilled to have Simu Liu joining us as host for this year’s JUNO Awards," said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards. "From Kim’s Convenience to Shang-Chi, to Saturday Night Live, Simu has established himself as a versatile and tremendously talented performer and I can’t wait to see him become a champion for Canadian music live on the Budweiser Stage.”
This past year, Liu made history as the star of the first Asian-fronted movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings (2021), which earned him The People’s Choice Award for Favourite Action Movie Star. He also made headlines last December after a widely-applauded hosting debut on Saturday Night Live. Prior to that, Liu starred for five seasons in the CBC original comedy series Kim’s Convenience, which won the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in 2017. The show later went on to win the award for Best Comedy Series at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards. Liu’s other film and television credits include ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens and NBC’s Taken. His memoir, “We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story,” will be released by HarperCollins in May 2022.
Tickets for The 2022 JUNO Awards start at $39.95 and go on sale Friday, March 4 at 10 a.m.
The 51st annual JUNO Awards, produced by Insight Productions (A Boat Rocker Company) , will make history on Sunday, May 15 as it broadcasts and streams for the first time from an outdoor venue at Budweiser Stage in Toronto, live across Canada at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos.
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Web Links:
Official JUNO Awards website: www.junoawards.ca
Social Media:
Twitter: @TheJUNOAwards
Instagram: @TheJUNOAwards
Facebook: @TheJUNOAwards
Hashtag: #JUNOS
CBC Music
Twitter: @CBCMusic / Facebook: @CBCMusic / YouTube: @CBCMusic
Simu Liu
Twitter: @SimuLiu / Instagram: @SimuLiu
Exclusive Broadcast and Content Partner: CBC
CARAS acknowledges the financial support of FACTOR, the Government of Canada, and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters.
Premier Sponsor: TD Bank Group
Lead Sponsor: SiriusXM Canada, TikTok and SONOS
Funding Partners: The Province of Ontario, The City of Toronto and Radio Starmaker Fund
About CARAS
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music industry and promote higher artistic and industry standards. CARAS’ mandate is comprised of four key pillars: Educate through our music education charity, MusiCounts, programs and initiatives, Develop emerging artists through mentorship and development programs, Celebrate Canadian artists with year-round JUNO Awards showcasing, and Honour music industry icons through the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In 2021 The JUNO Awards celebrated its 50th Anniversary, with a national celebration of Canadian music. For more information on the JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) please visit www.junoawards.ca.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
About CBC Music
CBC Music is the leading curator of emerging and diverse Canadian music talent across platforms, playing the most Canadian artists and genres on radio, CBC Listen and cbcmusic.ca. We prioritize Canadian artists in a wide variety of genres on over 200 playlists available on CBC Listen, and publish daily national music coverage. CBC Music Live features live music recordings from across the country. Our music partnerships and events include The JUNOS, the Polaris Music Prize, Searchlight, the CBC Music Festival, The Canadian Music Class Challenge and Canada Listens.
About Insight Productions
Insight Productions (A Boat Rocker Company) is known for its award-winning ratings juggernauts and is Canada’s most established content producer and an industry leader in the development, financing, and production of hit programming. Insight Senior Vice President Lindsay Cox serves as Executive Producer – alongside Insight’s Chairman, CEO, and Executive Producer John Brunton, on The 2022 JUNO Awards. The company has created some of the most dynamic and top-rated programs including Canada’s New Year’s Eve: Countdown, The Amazing Race Canada (the most watched Canadian show on record), ratings hits Big Brother Canada, Stronger Together/Tous Ensemble (the largest multi-platform broadcast and highest viewed non-sporting broadcast in Canadian television history) and The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration, a live concert special on CBC watched by one in three Canadians. Insight has also worked in close collaboration with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation as executive producers on Every Child Matters: Reconciliation Through Education and National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Insight Productions was founded in 1979 and has since created thousands of hours of ground-breaking content. For more information on Insight Productions, please visit www.insighttv.com or on Twitter @insightprod or Facebook www.facebook.com/InsightProductions .
For interview requests, image requests or additional information, please contact:
Dillon Shaver, rock-it promotions, dillon@rockitpromo.com
Cherise Williams, rock-it promotions, cherise@rockitpromo.com
For more information about The 2022 JUNO Awards Broadcast on CBC, contact:
Teaghan Hawke, CBC, teaghan.hawke@cbc.ca
