Today, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) is delighted to announce two new Special Award Recipients during the 2025 JUNO Week. Boi-1da will join us onstage at The JUNO Broadcast on March 30, 2025 to be awarded the International Achievement Award, live on CBC and Sarah Harmer will be Awarded with the Humanitarian Award at The JUNO Awards Gala Presented by Music Canada on March 29, 2025.
“This year’s JUNOS Special Award Recipients exemplify the very best of what Canadian music has to offer,” says Allan Reid, President and CEO of CARAS. “From creating superstar recordings to leading with compassion in their humanitarian efforts, we are excited to celebrate Boi-1da and Sarah Harmer for their work and profound impact.”
The 54th Annual JUNO Awards, produced by Insight Productions (a Boat Rocker company), will broadcast and stream live across Canada from Rogers Arena in Vancouver on March 30th at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Music’s YouTube page. Be sure to tune in to catch all the action and see these awards being presented.
Boi-1da receives the International Achievement Award
The JUNO International Achievement Award recognizes Canadian artists who have attained exemplary success on the world stage. The award looks to honour Canadian talent who have not only topped charts, but who have raised the profile of Canadian music around the world. Throughout The JUNO Awards’ history, the International Achievement Award has only been given out nine times, with Boi-1da being the first Producer and 10th recipient of the Award. Boi-1da’s first recognized production credit was on Drake’s 2006 mixtape Room for Improvement, where he produced the track “Do What You Do.” This marked the beginning of his long-standing collaboration with Drake and his rise as a prominent producer in the industry on a global scale.
Boi-1da is a 19X Grammy Award-nominated producer/songwriter and has earned his household name in the music industry. From mixtapes to being named “Hip-Hop’s Secret Weapon” by GrammyNews, he has produced on some of the biggest albums and for the most prominent artists in the Hip-Hop and R&B scene including Drake, Rihanna, Eminem, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, and Beyoncé among countless others. To date, he has garnered 60+ platinum singles, 4 RIAA-Certified Diamond records and 3 Billboard Hot 100 #1s.
“Being recognized with the International Achievement Award at the JUNOS is a huge honour. Canada has always been home, and its music scene shaped me into the producer I am today. To be able to take that foundation and contribute to music on a global scale means everything. I hope this inspires the next generation of Canadian artists and producers to dream big and know that the world is listening,” says Boi-1da.
Sarah Harmer to be recognized with the 2025 Humanitarian Award
At The JUNO Awards Gala Presented by Music Canada Sarah Harmer will be honoured by CARAS with the prestigious 2025 Humanitarian Award for using her voice to engage her audiences and peers in important environmental and human rights issues. This award recognizes outstanding Canadian artists or industry leaders whose humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced the social culture of Canada and whose impact can be felt worldwide.
Sarah Harmer is a multiple award-winning, platinum-selling singer-songwriter and environmental activist. Her solo music career launched with the now classic debut You Were Here (2000) and includes six critically acclaimed albums, including her latest, Are You Gone, released via Arts & Crafts. A deeply personal and political collection of songs motivated by the beauty of life, the urgency of the climate crisis, and the question of loss, Sarah called the album a spiritual successor of sorts to her acclaimed 2000 debut. Between co-founding the citizen’s organization PERL (Protecting Escarpment Rural Land) and leading the successful effort to prevent an open-pit gravel mine in a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve on the Niagara Escarpment, Sarah has become a fixture in local politics and advocacy.
“I truly appreciate this honour. I accept on behalf of all the people who volunteer their time to speak up to protect land, water, and the web of life in their communities, and beyond. Musicians who use their platforms to amplify these struggles give a huge boost to the collective fight. Now more than ever we need to use our powers to build community and respect the natural world that underpins our lives.”
The award will be presented to Sarah at the JUNO Awards Gala Presented By Music Canada on Saturday, March 29 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.