The nominees for the 51st Annual JUNO Awards have been announced by The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) during a virtual presentation streamed online with BMG artists Spiritbox receiving two nominations.

The JUNO Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. The JUNO Awards are often referred to as the Canadian equivalent of the Brit Awards in the UK or the Grammy Awards in the US.

First-time nominees Spiritbox received two nominations for Breakthrough Group of the Year and Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year, following the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Eternal Blue, released via Rise Records/BMG. The group have accumulated more than 163 million streams across their catalog, sold over 100,000 album since September 2021 release, and have had the Number One song on SiriusXM Liquid Metal for two consecutive years.

Sean Heydorn, VP, Rise Records, said, “Spiritbox is an incredible band, who have had a phenomenal year since the launch of their debut full-length, Eternal Blue. To see them get the recognition from the JUNO Awards in their home country, in two categories is really special and well deserved.”

Spiritbox, one of the year's hottest and fastest rising bands in heavy music, hit charts around the world with their critically acclaimed debut album Eternal Blue, released via Rise Records/BMG. One of the most anticipated first albums in recent years, Spiritbox’s quick rise was propelled by the Top 5 Hard Rock hit ‘Circle With Me’, Top 20 Hard Rock song ‘Constance’, and singles ‘Holy Roller’, ‘Secret Garden’, and ‘Hurt You’. Named after a device some believe is capable of communicating with the dead, there’s a gleeful sense of the paranormal running through all that Canadian metallers Spiritbox do, but this is a group of artists who are very much brimming with life and creating something remarkable with their music.

Having toured the world many times over with their previous bands, Spiritbox absorbed the highs and lows of living as working musicians and decided to try a different and more sustainable approach when it came to releasing their music. Forming the band in the midst of a global pandemic, Spiritbox focused on developing a global fanbase through social media and releasing shorter bodies of music. They quickly garnered a cult-like online following which led to tens of millions of streams while consistently selling out the CDs, vinyl, and merch items they've released to date.

This year’s winners will be revealed during the closing weekend of JUNO Week, at The JUNO Opening Night Awards on Saturday, May 14 with The JUNO Awards broadcast on Sunday, May 15.

Canada’s biggest night in music will broadcast and stream live across the country from Toronto at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally online at CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Music’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages.