Nickelback Leads Politically Incorrect Juno Awards

Posted on Mar 30th 2009 12:00PM by Joshua Ostroff
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So much for Canadian politeness. The Juno Awards (Canada's version of the Grammys) kicked off Sunday with Barenaked Ladies cocaine jokes, references to an Anne Murray sex-tape and a pyro-laden performance of Nickelback's mook-rock anthem 'Something in Your Mouth.'

Last year saw a near sweep by indie-turned-mainstream darling Feist, but the 2009 awards in Nickelback's hometown Vancouver were dominated by the mega-selling post-grungers. They won the fan choice award, Best Group and, finally, Best Album for 'Dark Horse,' after which grinning lead singer Chad Kroeger -- in a t-shirt that said "Shove It" -- quipped, "The press are going to have a field day with this one."

Juno Awards 2009

Sam Roberts accepts the Juno Award for Artist of the Year during the 2009 Juno Awards at General Motors Place on March 29, 2009 in Vancouver, Canada. 2009 Juno Awards - Show General Motors Place Vancouver, British Columbia Canada March 29, 2009 Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage.com To license this image (57086504), contact WireImage.com

George Pimentel/WireImage.com

(L-R) Mike Kroeger; Daniel Adair, Chad Kroeger and Ryan Peake of Nickelback accept the Juno Award for Group of the Year during the 2009 Juno Awards at General Motors Place on March 29, 2009 in Vancouver, Canada. 2009 Juno Awards - Show General Motors Place Vancouver, British Columbia Canada March 29, 2009 Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage.com To license this image (57086542), contact WireImage.com

George Pimentel/WireImage.com

Elvis Costello and Diana Krall Present Album of the Year at the 2009 Juno Awards at General Motors Place on March 29, 2009 in Vancouver, Canada. 2009 Juno Awards - Show General Motors Place Vancouver, British Columbia Canada March 29, 2009 Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage.com To license this image (57086485), contact WireImage.com

George Pimentel/WireImage.com

Chad Kroeger of Nickelback performs on stage during the 2009 Juno Awards at General Motors Place on March 29, 2009 in Vancouver, Canada. 2009 Juno Awards - Show General Motors Place Vancouver, British Columbia Canada March 29, 2009 Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage.com To license this image (57086518), contact WireImage.com

George Pimentel/WireImage.com

Kathleen Edwards and Bryan Adams perform during the 2009 Juno Awards at General Motors Place on March 29, 2009 in Vancouver, Canada. 2009 Juno Awards - Show General Motors Place Vancouver, British Columbia Canada March 29, 2009 Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage.com To license this image (57086378), contact WireImage.com

George Pimentel/WireImage.com

LIGHTS accepts the Juno Award for New Artist of the Year during the 2009 Juno Awards at General Motors Place on March 29, 2009 in Vancouver, Canada. 2009 Juno Awards - Show General Motors Place Vancouver, British Columbia Canada March 29, 2009 Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage.com To license this image (57086459), contact WireImage.com

George Pimentel/WireImage.com

But that wasn't the only weird win -- the Stills took home Best New Group a full seven years after their breakthrough debut. The Montreal band's comeback album on Arts&Crafts, 'Oceans Will Rise,' also took Best Alternative Album. Feist returned to the stage to pick up the best video statue (for the puppet-tastic 'Honey Honey') that she curiously lost last year for her iconic '1,2,3,4,' while Toronto rap legend Kardinal Offishall won Best Single for his million-selling, Akon-assisted cross-border hit 'Dangerous' and Best Rap Recording for the album 'Not 4 Sale.'

Dallas Green, who performs solo as City and Colour, as well as fronting screamo band Alexisonfire, won Songwriter of the Year and then brought the house down by bringing out Tragically Hip's Gord Downie for a surprise joint-performance. A similar summit took place towards the show's end with young, fiddle-playing, alt-country star Kathleen Edwards crooning alongside getting-cooler-with-age CanRock legend Bryan Adams.

Overall it was a strong year for the Junos, except for Nickelback's hat-trick. But maybe those voters had something in their ears, as well.

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