Alessia Cara leads winners of virtual Junos show | CBC News

Alessia Cara, lead nominee and host of the scrapped Juno Awards in Saskatoon in March, was the big winner Monday night during a revamped online edition of the annual Canadian celebration of music. 

The young singer-songwriter from Brampton, Ont., picked up a leading three trophies during the streamed broadcast, which came about three months after the Junos festivities were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cara ⁠— who earned a Grammy for best new artist in 2017 ⁠— added a trio of major Junos honours to her growing list of accolades. She won songwriter of the year, best album and best pop album for The Pains of Growing.

Pickering, Ont., pop singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes earned a pair of Junos. He received the prestigious artist of the year designation, as well as single of the year, which he shared with romantic partner Camila Cabello for their popular duet Senorita. 

Tory Lanez, another Brampton, Ont., artist and another leading nominee along with Cara, was also a double Juno winner Monday night. His track Freaky was named best rap recording, while the hip hop star also shared in the win for Feel It Too (R&B/soul recording of the year) with singer Jessie Reyez and reggaeton producer Tainy. 

Thank you to my amazingly dedicated fans who voted for me for this @TheJUNOAwards two years in a row. I love you guys so much. And thank you to the Junos ! I hope to party with you next year. Xoxox pic.twitter.com/xjlrkg3Jo4

—@AvrilLavigne

Other prominent wins include:  

• Group of the year:  Loud Luxury.
• Breakthrough artist:  Lennon Stella.
• Breakthrough group:  Neon Dreams.
• Juno fan choice:  Avril Lavigne.
• International album:  When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Billie Eilish.

As coronavirus restrictions on large gatherings continue, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts opted for a virtual celebration. The show combined the traditional two nights of in-person Juno Award celebrations into a singl