Feist dominated Canada’s music awards on Sunday, scooping up five Junos for a year in which the singer-songwriter shot to international stardom when Apple Inc. used her single “1234” in iPod TV ads.
Feist, 32, won the top Canadian music honors for single of the year for the breezy “1234,” album and pop album for “The Reminder,” as well as artist and songwriter of the year.
She collected the trophies and performed at the Juno Awards show at the Saddledome arena in her hometown of Calgary, Alberta, two blocks from a community hall where she began her musical career as Leslie Feist, her full name.
“This was a good event and it was a nice marker for a year — a nice recognition for everyone who’s out there, sweating blood and tears,” she told reporters. “It’s a nice moment but I don’t know that music is meant to be a competition.”
She was joined in multiple honors by veteran alt-country rockers Blue Rodeo, who won group for the year, best adult alternative album for “Small Miracles” and best video for “C’mon.”
For Feist, the Junos cap a whirlwind year in which her album sold more than half a million copies in the United States and “1234” reached No. 4 on the Billboard list of Hot Digital Songs. She was also nominated for Grammy and Brit awards.
“This is better, not because I won a whole bunch of them — thank you very much — but it’s just more comfortable,” she said.
The awards for Blue Rodeo, the Toronto-based outfit led by Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, bring their Juno tally to 10 over a more than three-decade run.
The band is viewed as nearly as much a Canadian institution as Anne Murray, who also performed on Sunday. The 62-year-old pop songstress, who ruled the easy-listening airwaves in the 1970s and 1980s with such tunes as Snowbird and You Needed Me, was joined on stage by Jann Arden and Sarah Brightman.
Among other winners, modern-day crooner Michael Buble took home the Juno fan choice award, and later lamented good-naturedly to reporters about the attention Feist garners.
“I just kept kicking the shit out of myself for not writing “1234” I could have crooned it,” he said before launching into a few bars a cappella.
Halifax, Nova Scotia-based indie band Wintersleep took home the Juno for new group, while Paul Brandt — another Calgary artist — won country recording of the year for “Risk.”
Triumph, the 1970s-era power trio, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The members said they are planning a reunion tour.
