Justin Bieber and the Junos: a timeline
The Canadian musician has seen global success. But has he always gotten the recognition he deserves at home?
With five nominations and widespread recognition for his latest album, Justice, Justin Bieber is poised to have his biggest year yet at the Juno Awards, coming up on May 15.
Since receiving his first nominations in 2010, Bieber has won eight Juno Awards and ranks 36th on the list of top Juno winners of all time. While that may seem impressive for a 28-year-old, five of those have been the Juno Fan Choice Award, which is determined by "consumption (75 per cent) and online buzz (25 per cent)," according to the criteria, not by a jury of industry professionals.
If you disregard those awards, Bieber is left with three Junos, all for pop album of the year. He has been nominated for both album of the year and artist of the year five times, but never won. He has co-written some of the past decade's most indelible songs ("Love Yourself," "What do you Mean?" and "I Don't Care," to name a few), but has never been nominated for songwriter of the year.
This is a surprising discrepancy. It can be partly explained by Bieber's rise to the top alongside two other major Canadian musicians, the Weeknd and Drake, who've edged him out of some top awards. But does it go deeper than that?
The Grammy Awards, with their larger talent pool, have nominated Bieber 22 times. At the American Music Awards, he's been nominated 24 times, winning 18 awards over the years, including artist of the year — twice. Bieber has converted 21 of his 72 Billboard Music Award nominations, including two top male artist awards. The Brit Awards named him international male solo artist of the year in 2016; the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) bestowed Bieber with their artist of the year award in 2021.
The timeline below takes a close look at Bieber's history with the Juno Awards, enumerating his nominations, wins and losses, and compares those results with his showing at other, international music awards. The comparisons are striking.
2010
Nominations:
- Album of the year (My World).
- New artist of the year.
- Pop album of the year (My World).
When 16-year-old Bieber took the stage of Mile One Centre in St. John's and performed "Baby" on the 2010 Juno Awards broadcast, he was still perceived as something of a novelty act: a boy whose voice had barely broken and who'd gone viral on the then relatively new platform YouTube. Never mind that his sophomore album, My World 2.0, had just debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and that he'd been a presenter at the 52nd Grammy Awards three months earlier. His fame, one assumed, would be fleeting.
Drake, who was also a first-time Juno nominee, rapped Ludacris's verse in Bieber's "Baby" performance and edged out Bieber for new artist of the year. (Interestingly, Bieber would be named best new artist at the VMAs the following September.) Michael Bublé's Crazy Love nabbed the other two awards that Bieber was nominated for.
Bieber has not attended another Juno Awards gala in person.
2011
Nominations (wins in bold):
- Juno Fan Choice.
- Album of the year (My World 2.0).
- Artist of the year.
- Pop album of the year (My World 2.0).
Bieber didn't attend the Juno Awards in 2011 because he was touring, but he did send a Skype message thanking fans for what would be his first of five Juno Fan Choice Awards. He also appeared on the broadcast by taking part in a pre-taped skit with Drake (see below), who was the Juno Awards' host that year.
My World 2.0 was chosen as pop album of the year over releases by Bobby Bazini, Faber Drive, Sarah McLachlan and Down with Webster. However, the album's lead single — the phenomenally popular "Baby" — was not nominated for single of the year.
Just a month earlier, Bieber performed "Baby" as well as "Never say Never" at the Grammy Awards, where he was up for best new artist and best pop vocal album. That same year, Bieber received 12 Billboard Music Award nominations, winning six awards.
2012
Nominations (wins in bold):
- Juno Fan Choice.
- Album of the year (Under the Mistletoe).
Only one Christmas album has ever won album of the year at the Juno Awards, and that was in 2012, when Michael Bublé's Christmas prevailed over Bieber's Under the Mistletoe — a justifiable choice considering Bublé is second only to Mariah Carey in the pantheon of Christmas crooners.
But unlike Bublé, Bieber actually did a duet with Carey on his Christmas album.
2013
Nominations (wins in bold):
- Juno Fan Choice.
- Album of the year (Believe).
- Pop album of the year (Believe).
- Artist of the year.
With Believe, Bieber marked a turning point, putting forth music with a mature sound that leaned unmistakably toward R&B. The album included collaborations with Ludacris ("All Around the World"), Big Sean ("As Long as You Love Me"), Drake ("Right Here") and Nicki Minaj ("Beauty and a Beat"). But all that was no match for Carly Rae Jepsen's Kiss, which won the Junos for album of the year and pop album of the year in 2013. Leonard Cohen was named artist of the year.
Meanwhile, Bieber picked up seven Billboard Music Award nominations, winning three, including top male artist. After singing "Take You" from Believe on the Billboard broadcast, he returned to the stage with will.i.am for a performance of their global hit, "#thatPower."
2014
This was a relatively quiet year for Bieber at the Junos. He had just released his compilation album, Journals, which didn't get full label support and has never risen above cult status among his fans. Nevertheless, he was nominated for, and won, the Juno Fan Choice Award. But this news was eclipsed by his widely publicized arrest in Miami on charges of driving under the influence, driving with an expired licence and resisting arrest.
"Not proud of where I was at in my life. I was hurting, unhappy, confused, angry, misled, misunderstood and angry at God," he recently reflected on the incident, adding, "don't allow shame to ruin your 'today.'"
2015
Bieber received no Juno nominations in 2015. We now know he was busy preparing for the release of Purpose, his fourth studio album, in November of that year.
Elsewhere, he won the award for top social artist at the Billboard Music Awards.
2016
Nominations (wins in bold):
- Juno Fan Choice.
- Artist of the year.
- Album of the year (Purpose).
- Single of the year ("What do you Mean?").
- Pop album of the year (Purpose).
Bieber didn't attend the Junos because he was at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. (More on that, below.) He was also busy with his Purpose world tour.
He did not convert his third nomination for artist of the year. The Weeknd won, with the other nominees being Drake, Shawn Mendes and City and Colour — admittedly superlative company.
"What do you Mean" and Drake's "Hotline Bling" were edged out by the Weeknd's "Can't Feel my Face" for single of the year. The Weeknd also nabbed album of the year for Beauty Behind the Madness.
Recognition for Purpose was more robust in the States. A couple of months earlier, Bieber had won the Grammy for best dance recording for "Where Are Ü Now," which didn't get a Juno nomination. He performed that song, plus "Love Yourself" at the Grammys. ("Love Yourself" has never received a Juno nomination.)
Bieber got five iHeartRadio nominations and won three: male artist of the year, dance song of the year ("Where are Ü Now") and best fan army. Of his 12 Billboard Music Award nominations, he won two, including top male artist.
2017
Bieber's only Juno nomination in 2017 was for the Fan Choice Award, which ended up going to Shawn Mendes.
Because of different date criteria, this is the year Purpose got attention at the Grammy Awards with four nominations: album, pop album, and song of the year and best pop solo performance for "Love Yourself." While he didn't win any of those, he did win an iHeart Radio Award for best lyrics ("Love Yourself").
2018
Again, Bieber's only nomination was for the Juno Fan Choice Award, and again it went to Mendes.
But this was also the year Bieber appeared on Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito" remix, which got nominated for three Grammys, six iHeartRadio Awards and eight Billboard Music Awards. It won five of the latter.
2019
While there were no Juno nominations for Bieber in 2019, his focus had shifted to his own emotional state, which improved dramatically the previous September when he married Hailey Baldwin.
On Instagram, he opened up about his past struggles. "I started doing pretty heavy drugs at 19 and abused all of my relationships," he wrote. "I became resentful, disrespectful to women, and angry. I became distant to everyone who loved me, and I was hiding behind a shell of a person that I had become.... Now, I am navigating the best season of my life: marriage!"
This catharsis would fuel Bieber's creativity to unprecedented levels during the next two years, resulting in his two biggest albums to date, an EP of sacred songs and countless high-profile collaborations.
2020
Announced for Saskatoon, but cancelled at the last minute due to COVID-19, the 2020 Juno Awards were eventually held in an online format on June 29. Bieber was again nominated for the Juno Fan Choice Award, but that honour went to Avril Lavigne.
Bieber's fifth studio album, Changes, had just dropped and, propelled by singles "Yummy" and "Intentions," was destined to nab nominations the following year.
Elsewhere, Bieber picked up two iHeart Radio Awards: best lyrics for "10,000 Hours" with Dan and Shay, plus a titanium award (1 billion spins) for "I Don't Care" with Ed Sheeran. "10,000 Hours" also won a Billboard Music Award for top country song.
2021
Nominations (wins in bold):
- Single of the year ("Intentions" featuring Quavo).
- Juno Fan Choice.
- Album of the year (Changes).
- Artist of the year.
- Pop album of the year (Changes).
While the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, the 2021 Juno Awards — the 50th edition — were held without an audience on June 6. Bieber made an appearance via a pre-recorded performance of "Somebody."
Bieber had already released Justice, his second album in two years, but at the 2021 Junos, the focus was on his previous year's album, Changes.
Lead single "Yummy" did not get a Juno nomination, but you'd have thought "Intentions," which has now surpassed one billion streams, was a shoo-in for single of the year. However, it was a stacked field, with the juggernaut of the Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" nabbing the Juno statuette. The Weeknd also won album of the year for After Hours and, predictably, artist of the year as well. The Juno Fan Choice Award went to Mendes for a third time.
At the Grammys, Bieber got four nominations: best pop vocal album, best pop solo performance ("Yummy"), best pop duo/group performance ("Intentions") and best country duo/group performance ("10,000 Hours" with Dan and Shay). He won the latter. He also got five iHeart Radio nominations and five Billboard Music Award nominations, including best R&B song for "Intentions."
Later in the year, Bieber was the most nominated musician at the VMAs, winning artist of the year and best pop song ("Peaches").
2022
Nominations:
- Pop album of the year (Justice).
- Artist of the year.
- Album of the year (Justice).
- Single of the year ("Peaches").
- Juno Fan Choice.
Will this be Bieber's biggest year yet at the Junos?
While this is his fifth nomination for artist of the year, fellow nominees the Weeknd, Shawn Mendes, Charlotte Cardin and JP Saxe all stake a legitimate claim to that honour, so this category is anyone's guess.
The same goes for album of the year: will Justice be the album to nab this award that has previously eluded Bieber on four occasions? Tate McRae, Charlotte Cardin, JP Saxe and Shawn Mendes stand in his way.
Justice certainly had the biggest impact of the five albums nominated for pop album of the year. The next biggest nominated album, in terms of streams, is Shawn Mendes' Wonder, whose most popular song, "Monster," is a duet with Bieber. It's hard to imagine this award going to any album but Justice.
The Junos did not follow the Grammys' lead by nominating "Peaches" in an R&B category. Instead, the global hit, which spawned a remix by Snoop Dogg, Usher and Ludacris, will vie for single of the year alongside songs by Brett Kissel, Jessia, Charlotte Cardin and the Weeknd — all deserving, but none of which approached the reach of "Peaches."
Finally, the Fan Choice Award could be Bieber's for a sixth time. Or, it could go to a newcomer such as Jessia, 347Aidan, Pressa or Forest Blakk — musicians whose fan armies model themselves on Beliebers.
In any case, this year's Juno Awards will surely be more fruitful than the Grammy Awards were for Bieber. His eight nominations — the most he has ever received — went unrewarded, putting him in a five-way tie with Paul McCartney, Rihanna, Kanye West and Jay Z for the most nominations without a win at a single edition of the Grammy Awards.
Bieber also got nine iHeart Radio nominations this year, winning for best collaboration ("Stay" with the Kid Laroi). Two of his 13 Billboard Music Award nominations are for best R&B song: "Peaches," and "Essence" with WizKid and Tems.
Wherever you are in the world, you can tune in to the 2022 Juno Awards on Sunday, May 15. You can watch live on CBC-TV and CBC Gem, listen on CBC Radio One and CBC Music and stream globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos. Use the code CBCMUSIC to access presale tickets on Ticketmaster.
