Ottawa to host 2012 Juno Awards

The Juno Awards, the annual celebration of Canadian music, will return to Ottawa in 2012, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.

The last time the Capital Region hosted the Junos was in 2003,when Shania Twain served as host.

The music awards ceremony washeld in Torontoin 2011, with rapper Drake hosting the event, but overlooked in themedals.Thegalawasheld in St. John's, N.L. in 2010.

The 2012 Juno gala will be broadcast from Ottawa's Scotiabank Place on April 1.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson hadled a bidfor the celebration, which can draw attention to the city and attract tourists and music lovers.

A week showcasing Canadian talent will precede the ceremony, with the festivities to begin March 26.

The Juno Awards began in 1970 as the Gold Leaf Awards, with a gala held in Toronto.In 1971, it became recognized as the Juno Awards in honour of Pierre Juneau, the first chairman of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission.