Bryan Adams and Russell Peters to Host CTV's Broadcast of THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS, April 2

– Michael Bublé steps down as host –

TORONTO, March 9, 2017 /CNW/ - CTV and The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced today that iconic rocker Bryan Adams and megastar comedian Russell Peters are set to take the stage as co-hosts of CTV's broadcast of THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS. Adams and Peters take the reins as previously announced host Michael Bublé steps down to focus on his family.

Bringing a mix of rock-and-roll and irreverence to THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS stage, Adams and Peters play host to an impressive list of performers, including A Tribe Called Red, Alessia Cara, Arkells, Ruth B, Sarah McLachlan, Shawn Mendes, and The Strumbellas. Canada's most exciting night in music airs live in 4K from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on CTV and CTV GO on Sunday, April 2 at 7 p.m. ET (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). Additional performer and presenter announcements for THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS will be released in the coming weeks.

"I'm honoured to be co-hosting this year's JUNO AWARDS alongside Russell Peters. We have an incredible music community in Canada and this is the night we celebrate its success," said Adams.

"Third times a charm! And who better to share the stage with than Bryan Adams?! I'm actually really excited to be back, and looking so forward to making THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS a memorable one," said Peters.

"Our thoughts continue to be with Michael - we respect his ongoing commitment to his family and look forward to working with him again in the future," said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. "We are thrilled that his friends Bryan and Russell have stepped up to host this year's broadcast and have no doubt they will deliver an unforgettable show."

**Media Note** – Photos and biographies of THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS host are available at www.bellmediapr.ca/network/CTV and www.junoawards.ca.

With a career spanning over 40 years, rock superstar Adams won his first JUNO award for Male Vocalist of the Year for Cuts Like a Knife in 1983. Thirty-four years and 18 JUNO awards later, Adams' celebrated career also includes a Grammy award, two Ivor Novello songwriting awards, and, in 2006, an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. He is also an Officer of both the Order of Canada and British Columbia, and won the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2010.  Also an established and world-renowned photographer, this marks Adams debut as host of THE JUNO AWARDS.

As unpredictable as he is hilarious, Peters returns to the JUNO stage for a third time following his Gemini Award-winning performance as host at THE 2008 JUNO AWARDS in Calgary, and repeat turn as host of THE 2009 JUNO AWARDS in Vancouver. Recently named in Rolling Stone's 50 Best Stand Up Comics of All Time list, Peters started doing stand-up in 1989 at the age of 19 at open mics in his native Toronto. As the first-ever comedian to produce and star in his own Netflix special, Notorious, in 2013, Peters latest special Almost Famous was recorded at Toronto's historic Massey Hall during his hugely successful Almost Famous World Tour, which took him to over 120 cities across 25 countries. Peters has also been busy over the past twelve months with appearances in the Oscar-nominated The Jungle Book, TV series Life in Pieces, the feature film Supercon, indie feature Public Schooled, and The Clapper with Ed Helms and Tracy Morgan, which will have its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April. Now, Peters is set to launch and star in his first scripted series, CraveTV's THE INDIAN DETECTIVE. Developed in partnership with CTV, the series is currently in production in Cape Town, Mumbai, and Toronto.

A new block of tickets have been released for THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS broadcast.  They are available starting at $59 through the Canadian Tire Centre Box Office, by phone at 1-877-788-3267 and online at ticketmaster.ca.

The JUNO Awards has partnered with Plus 1 so that $1 from every ticket is donated to MusiCounts, helping to ensure that children and youth across Canada have access to musical instruments. Plus 1 is a non-profit that partners with touring artists to facilitate a $1 add-on from every concert ticket to go to a cause the artist partner believes in.

THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS is produced by Insight Productions in association with CTV and The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). Executive Producers are John Brunton and Barbara Bowlby for Insight Productions, Allan Reid and Mark Cohon for CARAS, and Randy Lennox for Bell Media. Lindsay Cox is Executive Producer and Supervising Producer, Insight Productions. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Original Programming, Bell Media. Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Bell Media.

Premier Partners of The 2017 JUNO Awards: CARAS acknowledges the financial support of FACTOR, the Government of Canada and of Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters, Radio Starmaker Fund, Ottawa 2017, the Province of Ontario, the Ontario Media Development Corporation, Ottawa Tourism, Google Play Music and TD Bank Group.

About CARAS
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/L'académie canadienne des arts et des sciences de l'enregistrement (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music industry and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards. The main focus of CARAS is the exploration and development of ongoing opportunities to showcase and promote Canadian artists and music through vehicles such as The JUNO Awards and other year-round initiatives. For more information on the 46^th Annual JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) please visit www.junoawards.ca. 

About CTV  
CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 15 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network's website at CTV.ca.

Web Links:
Official JUNO Awards website: www.junoawards.ca
CTV's JUNO Awards website: www.junos.ctv.ca
JUNO TV: www.junotv.ca
CTV website: www.ctv.ca

Social Media:
@bryanadams
@therealrussellp

SOURCE CTV

For more information about THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS on CTV, contact: Tonia Addison, 416.384.2194 or [email protected]; Amanda Rinaldo, 416.384.5325 or [email protected]; For more information about CARAS and THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS, contact: Michelle Easton, rock-it promotions, [email protected], 416.656.0707 ext.103; Zai Karim, rock-it promotions, [email protected], 416.656.0707 ext. 127