Canadian Icon William Shatner to Host CTV's Broadcast of the 2012 JUNO AWARDS, April 1

- Multi-talented actor, director, producer, recording artist and author set to helm Canada's biggest night in music -    

- Tickets available beginning February 10 through www.capitaltickets.ca -

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TORONTO, Feb. 7, 2012 /CNW/ - CTV and The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced today that Canadian icon William Shatner will host CTV's broadcast of THE 2012 JUNO AWARDS on Sunday, April 1 from Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. Tickets for the 2012 JUNO Awards go on sale on Friday Feb.10, beginning at 10 a.m. ET through the Scotiabank Place Box Office, The Sens Store locations at Carlingwood Mall and Place D'Orleans, Ottawa Sports Experts, Les Galeries de Hull; by phoning (613) 599-FANS (3267), (toll free) at 877-788-FANS (3267) or online at www.capitaltickets.ca.

**Media Note**- Download photos of William Shatner at www.bellmediapr.ca

"I'm so pleased to be a part of THE JUNO AWARDS," said William Shatner. "To be part of Canada's entertainment industry is a point of pride."

"A true Canadian icon, we are thrilled to welcome the man and the legend, William Shatner, as host of THE 2012 JUNO AWARDS broadcast," said Phil King, President CTV Programming and Sports. "A recording artist himself, Mr. Shatner will bring his irreverent sense of humour and love for his home country to his role as host of Canada's Music Awards."

"We're delighted to welcome one of our nation's shining stars to Canada's biggest night in music," said Melanie Berry, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards. "William Shatner is a Canadian hero, and with his love for music, the stage, and entertaining as a whole, it's sure to be an incredible show!"

Best known for roles as Captain James T. Kirk on STAR TREK and the Emmy® Award- winning role of Denny Crane on BOSTON LEGAL, Shatner is one of entertainment's most recognizable stars. Born and raised in Montreal, Québec, Shatner has a career spanning over 50 years as an award-winning, actor, director, producer, recording artist and author. His television and film credits span about 200 titles, including $#*! MY DAD SAYS, T.J. HOOKER, TEKWAR, THE PRACTICE and Miss Congeniality. And Shatner is no stranger to the music industry. Known for being a quirky and dramatic spoken word artist, Shatner has released three albums over the span of his career, titled The Transformed Man, Has Been and the recently released Seeking Major Tom. His renditions of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" have become cult hits. In February, Shatner opens on Broadway with Shatner's World at the Music Box Theatre in New York City.

Following announcements made by CTV and CARAS today, the current performance lineup for THE 2012 JUNO AWARDS broadcast is Blue Rodeo, City and Colour, deadmau5, Feist, Hedley and Nickelback. Additional performer announcements will be released in the coming weeks.

Since CTV joined forces with CARAS in 2002, The JUNO Awards have travelled across Canada, bringing a live, electrifying stadium show to millions of Canadians. CTV has broadcast THE JUNO AWARDS from St. John's (2002), Ottawa (2003), Edmonton (2004), Winnipeg (2005), Halifax (2006), Saskatoon (2007), Calgary (2008), Vancouver (2009), back to St. John's (2010), Toronto (2011) and now back to Ottawa (2012). The 2013 JUNO Awards are confirmed for Regina, SK.

THE 2012 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, and Melanie Berry and Ed Robinson for CARAS. Lindsay Cox is Supervising Producer. Phil King is President, CTV Programming and Sports.

Broadcast sponsors of THE 2012 JUNO AWARDS are Chevrolet, Garnier, Rogers and TD Canada Trust.

Sponsors of the 2012 JUNO Awards include FACTOR, Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters and The Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage's "Canada Music Fund," Radio Starmaker Fund, National Capital Commission (NCC), Province of Ontario, and the City of Ottawa.

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 and recording industries 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 41st Annual JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' (CARAS) website please visit www.junoawards.ca or www.carasonline.ca.

About CTV:
CTV, Canada's Olympic Network, is also Canada's largest private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV is Canada's most-watched television network and lead broadcaster of the London 2012 Olympic Games. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital. 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 www.ctv.ca.

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

Twitter:
@WilliamShatner

For more information on THE 2012 JUNO AWARDS on CTV, contact:

Alison Salinas, 416.384.2865 or [email protected]
Mary Costa, 416.384.7702 or [email protected]

For more information on CARAS and the 2012 JUNO Awards, contact:

Adrienne Kakoullis, 416.628.5610 or [email protected] 
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