Junos showdown to kick off in Hamilton, but Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Tate McRae aren’t attending.

Most Juno Awards trophies are on the line tonight, with The Weeknd, Tate McRae and Justin Bieber among the top nominees — however none of those A-listers are expected to attend the ceremonies.

McRae and Bieber lead the field with six nominations each, including artist of the year, album of the year and single of the year — putting them head-to-head across categories set to be awarded at an industry gala in Hamilton.

McRae is recognized for her album “So Close to What” and her Y2K throwback single “Sports Car,” while Bieber is up for his LP “Swag II” and his lo-fi track “Daisies.”

The Weeknd follows closely with five nominations, including album of the year for “Hurry Up Tomorrow” and single of the year for “Cry For Me.” Already one of the most decorated artists in Juno history, he enters the weekend with 22 trophies — just two shy of Anne Murray’s record 24 — and could claim first place tonight.

One of this year’s biggest surprises is country newcomer Cameron Whitcomb, who racked up five nominations — including album of the year for his debut “The Hard Way” and single of the year for “Options.” He’s also up for best country album, breakthrough artist and the fan choice award, which will be handed out at Sunday’s televised ceremony.

Hosted by comedian Mae Martin, Sunday’s show will feature performances by Whitcomb, R&B star Daniel Caesar and Hamilton rockers Arkells, plus a rare public appearance by Joni Mitchell to accept a lifetime achievement award. The broadcast will also include a tribute to Nelly Furtado, who is being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Junos organizers confirmed The Weeknd, Bieber and McRae are all expected to miss the celebrations.

This year’s nominations also introduce a new category: Latin music recording of the year. The inaugural nominees include Alex Cuba, Lido Pimienta, Andy Rubal, Isabella Lovestory and Mario Puglia.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2026.

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press

#Nigerian #afrobeat singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has begun constructing his Eko Atlantic mansion.

#Taylor Swift asks U.S. government to block ‘#Swift Home’ trademark.

Pop superstar Taylor Swift has asked the U.S. Patent and #Trademark Office to block a bedding company from securing a federal trademark featuring the phrase “Swift Home,” arguing it would confuse shoppers.

Swift’s company TAS Rights Management LLC told the agency in a filing on Wednesday the cursive “Swift” in Cathay Home Inc’s logo closely resembles the singer’s trademarked signature and would likely mislead consumers into thinking that she endorsed Cathay’s products.

Attorneys and spokespeople for Swift and Cathay Home did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the filing.

Cathay’s website says it sells its products through Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Nordstrom and other retailers. It applied last year to register a federal “Swift Home” trademark covering bedding items including pillows, mattresses and sheets.

Taylor Swift is a 14-time Grammy Award winner whose recent “Eras” tour was the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Her company’s filing on Wednesday said she owns federal trademarks covering the use of her name on bed linens, clothing and other products, and that Cathay’s proposed trademark would cause consumer confusion.

Swift has experience with intellectual property disputes, but Josh Gerben, a trademark attorney who first reported the filing, told Reuters the pop megastar has filed relatively few trademark oppositions for a celebrity of her stature. Gerben, who is not involved in the case, said the logo’s similarity to her signature may have been the trigger.

“Normally, somebody that has as much invested in IP as Taylor does, we would see more activity at the Trademark Office,” Gerben said. “There just hasn’t been this really strong enforcement or policing effort around ‘Swift.’”

Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Reuters

Legendary #gospel #musician Benjamin Dube has been accused of reneging on a verbal agreement and could have his assets auctioned to pay off a R1 million debt.

Britain’s Ozzy Osbourne, who died Tuesday at the age of 76, was a pioneer of heavy metal music as lead singer of Black Sabbath, producing songs with a powerful and often sinister mix of distortion and dark lyrics. #Music, #news