Saskatchewan’s Hunter Brothers have a lot to celebrate.
With the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences revealing the nominees for the 2020 Juno Awards Tuesday, it was announced the country group earned two nominations: Country Album of the Year and Breakthrough Group of the Year.
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Speaking with ET Canada after finding out the news, band member J.J. Hunter opens up about their first Juno nominations, telling us, “It was a special moment for us, it’s just a huge honour.”
The band – composed of brothers Luke, J.J., Ty, Brock and Dusty Hunter – released their sophomore album State of Mind in 2019, which remained the No. 1 selling Canadian country album for four consecutive weeks.
Celebrating their nominations from a tour stop in Mexico, the singer admits they never expected to be honoured, revealing, “Growing up hearing about the Junos and knowing about the incredible artists across our great nation, it’s just a humbling feeling and we’re just incredibly grateful.”
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Coming from a family of four boys, the singer weighs is on the topic of female representation across all genres, telling us he’s proud that the Junos are recognizing all artists.
“Watching the excellence of all the female artists come out is so important,” says Hunter. “They’re doing such a fantastic job and we’re proud to be associated with them. It’s great music and great talent needs to be recognized.”
Alessia Cara leads the pack with six nods, while fellow country acts Tenille Townes and Meghan Patrick each earned a nomination.
Juno Week 2020 will be held in Saskatoon from March 9 to 15, with the 49th annual Juno Awards broadcast airing on Sunday, March 15, live from the SaskTel Centre.
