FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Details announced for Juno Fan Fare, Songwriters’ Circle, As well as the superb line-up of Juno Cup participants including NHL greats, 2009 JUNO Award nominees and more artists

Vancouver, BC (February 23, 2009) - The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced today the details of its popular JUNO Awards Weekend Events including Juno Cup, Juno Fan Fare and Songwriters’ Circle. Tickets to select Juno Weekend Events go on sale starting Saturday, February 28 at 10:00 a.m. (PST) and are available through Ticketmaster.

To kick off the upcoming four-day weekend in Vancouver, March 26-29, JUNO Awards organizers staged a morning face-off at General Motors Place between 12-time JUNO Award winner Jim Cuddy and former Vancouver Canuck Cliff Ronning to help announce this year’s team rosters for the 6th Annual Juno Cup game presented by The Keg Steakhouse & Bar. The Rockers have gathered an enormous roster with artists such as Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Great Big Sea, Kathleen Edwards and Sarah McLachlan.

Juno Cup - Presented by The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
Date: Friday, March 27
Location: UBC Thunderbird Arena
Time: 7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Tickets: $14.99

Juno Cup is an ever-growing popular event among fans that mixes music with sport, matching NHL alumni with top artists and entertainers in support of MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity, associated with CARAS. Juno Cup has helped raise more than $700,000 for MusiCounts and music programs across Canada. The 2009 roster to-date includes:

NHLers:
Bob Probert
Brad Dalgarno
Cliff Ronning
Dave Babych
Mark Napier
Mike Pelyk
Paul Coffey
Russ Courtnall

Rockers: (*2009 JUNO Award nominees)
Ian Thornley (Coaching)
Aaron Pritchett*
Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea)*
Barney Bentall
Brad Keller (Creaking Tree String Quartet)*
Brian Kobayakawa (Creaking Tree String Quartet)*
Cam Melnyk (State of Shock)
Craig Northey (Odds)
Dustin Bentall
Jay Bodner (Eagle & Hawk)
Jesse Wainwright (State of Shock)
Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo)* – Team Captain
John Dinsmore (NQ Arbuckle & Kathleen Edwards)*
Kathleen Edwards*
Luke Doucet
Mark Sasso (Elliott Brood)*
Matthew Barber*
Nathan Ferraro (Midway State)*
Peter Kesper (NQ Arbuckle)*
Rob Higgins (Dearly Beloved)
Sarah McLachlan (2009 Allan Waters Humanitarian Award)
Sean McCann (Great Big Sea)*
Steve Dawson*
Tyler Stewart (Barenaked Ladies)*
Tyson Yerex (Acres of Lions)
Vince Fontaine (Eagle & Hawk) …/MORE

TSN’s Off the Record host, Michael Landsberg, will be announcing the live play-by-play commentary during the game’s exciting two periods as well as the skills competition. Media Partners for Juno Cup: CTV, The Fox, Rock 101 and Vancouver 24 Hours. For more information on Juno Cup, go to www.junocup.ca.

Juno Fan Fare - Presented by Sirius Satellite Radio
Date: Saturday, March 28
Location: Granville Street Party (at Robson)
Time: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tickets: FREE public event

Music fans rejoice at this live and interactive event that brings them up-close to their favourite 2009 JUNO Award nominees. The all-day extravaganza is packed with autograph sessions, interviews and prize giveaways – and is FREE to attend!

2009 JUNO Award Nominees participating in Juno Fan Fare:

Aaron Pritchett
City and Colour
Crystal Shawanda
Divine Brown
Doc Walker
Elise Estrada
George Canyon
Kreesha Turner
Saint Alvia
Sam Roberts Band
Tara Oram
The Trews
More to be announced…

Media Partners: CTV, The Fox, The Beat 94.5, TALK 1410, 93.7 JRfm, JACK FM and The Vancouver Sun. For more information on Juno Fan Fare, go to www.junofanfare.ca

Songwriters’ Circle - Sponsored by CMPA and SOCAN
Date: Sunday, March 29
Location: The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
Time: Noon – 2 p.m.
Tickets: $34.75/$39.75

Intimate, live and unscripted. A select group of 2009 JUNO Award nominees will take to the stage in an afternoon event where artists share songs, stories and reveal their creative processes to give audiences a first-hand narrative of inspirations behind their lyrics.

Presented by the Canadian Music Publishers Association (CMPA) and the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), Songwriters’ Circle will be hosted by two-time JUNO Award-winning artist and 2009 JUNO Award nominee, Hawksley Workman, who will join fellow esteemed Canadian songwriters and 2009 nominees Doc Walker (Chris Thorsteinson and Dave Wasyliw), Jim Cuddy, Ndidi Onukwulu and Sarah Slean as well as 1995 Canadian Music Hall of Fame recipient, Buffy Sainte-Marie.

CBC Radio 2 will broadcast the event live to listeners across Canada. Hosted by Radio 2 Drive’s Rich Terfy, known as Buck 65, bringing the best in current singer-songwriters and emerging Canadian talent.

Proceeds from this event will go to benefit MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity, associated with CARAS to keep music alive in schools.

Media Partners: CTV, 103.5 QM-FM, and CBC Radio 2. For more information on Songwriters’ Circle, go to www.junosongwriterscircle.ca.

Additional performers and participants in JUNO Awards Weekend Events will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

The weekend culminates with The 2009 JUNO Awards broadcast on CTV, Sunday, March 29 from Vancouver’s General Motors Place. The stellar line-up of performers confirmed to-date includes City and Colour, Nickelback, Sarah McLachlan and Simple Plan, with more artists to be announced next week.

The 2009 JUNO Awards tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.ca, or by phone at 604-280-4444. Tickets are priced between $69.00 and $189.00 (plus service charges) and are limited to four per person.

For more information on The 2009 JUNO Awards, go to www.junoawards.ca.

Sponsors of The 2009 JUNO Awards include FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund,” The Province of British Columbia, The City of Vancouver, Music BC and Radio Starmaker Fund.

Broadcast sponsors of The 2009 JUNO Awards are Garnier, Pepsi, Pontiac and Rogers.

About CARAS:
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/L’academie canadienne des arts et des sciences de l’enregistrement (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music and recording industries and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards. The main focus of CARAS is the exploration and development of opportunities to showcase and promote Canadian artists and music through vehicles such as The JUNO Awards. For more information on The 38th Annual JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) please visit our websites at www.carasonline.ca and www.junoawards.ca.

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Media Contacts:

Chris McDowall
Holmes Creative Communications
(416) 628-5648


Tiffany Astle
Holmes Creative Communications
(416) 628-5603