VANCOUVER — Singer Michael Bublé says he's letting his actions speak for his national pride by hosting the Juno Awards in Vancouver this weekend, as Canada-U.S. tensions surge in the background.
Bublé, a multiple Grammy and Juno winner, said Friday that he doesn't want to "add to the energy of a troll" by being too vocal amid the dispute.
But he said Canadian sovereignty "means everything" to him, and he asked fellow Canadians to focus on contributing positive energy to the conversation.
"Right now, I think it's a great time to focus on why we're so special and why we are so unique, and why people slap Canadian flags on their suitcases when they travel," Bublé said.
"I love my country. And when you love your country, you show up for it. And so I'm really proud of my fellow artists who are going to be here."
This year's Juno Awards festivities — beginning Saturday before the main broadcast on Sunday — will include pop-punk band Sum 41 being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame while Anne Murray is to be presented with a lifetime achievement award.
Bublé is hosting the Junos for the third time after having hosted previously in 2013 and 2018.
He said it's not his place to comment on U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs against Canada and his repeated threats of annexation.
"I'm so happy that I'm a singer and my job is not to be political," he said. "My job is to brighten people's lives with music and hopefully humour, and to infuse it with a little more love than I got here with.
"But I understand, because I'm one of those Canadians who's stressed."
Allan Reid, the chief executive of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which presents the Junos, said Bublé is more than a typical host in that he is integral in producing this year's show.
Reid said Bublé jumped at the opportunity to host when asked, and everyone realizes this year's show is taking on new importance in the context of the Canada-U.S. trade dispute.
"I think our artists are at the forefront of culture," he said. "They help define who we are as a nation. And so, to have a platform that helps them be recognized, we couldn't be happier to do that."
The show will also feature a new Juno recognizing South Asian music, highlighting a push for more diversity that Bublé said was crucial for him returning as host.
"My 'yes' came with asking if they would execute on my hope to be inclusive, not because we're supposed to be," Bublé told reporters in Vancouver about his decision to return as host.
"I wanted to be inclusive because it's who we are. It's why I love my country so much."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2025.
Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
