SiriusXM Canada celebrates best in Canadian music with JUNO Radio

-       Past and present JUNO nominees, award predictions and interviews
-       SiriusXM JUNO KickOff with The Sheepdogs and Tokyo Police Club
to open JUNO Weekend
-       SiriusXM to present JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards

TORONTO, March 11, 2015 /CNW/ - SiriusXM Canada (TSX: XSR), the country's leading audio entertainment company, today announced the return of JUNO Radio on Friday, March 13. Running through Sunday, March 15 on Sirius (channel 161) and XM (channel 173), the limited-run takeover will feature the best musical talent in the country from the past and present. 

The JUNO Awards, being held this year in Hamilton, Ontario, honour Canada's vast collection of talented musicians and place the spotlight on the artists making music today. JUNO Radio will offer SiriusXM subscribers exclusive interviews, special moments, award predictions and more from artists such as Arkells, Billy Talent, Michael Bublé, Carly Rae Jepsen, Feist, Tegan and Sara, USS, Whitehorse and more. Listeners can also hear classic content from the JUNO vault spanning from across the Awards' history and live behind-the-scenes coverage of the 2015 JUNO Awards.

"We want all of our subscribers to have access to this very important celebration of Canadian music," said Jeff Leake, Director of Music Programming, SiriusXM Canada. "The JUNOs are more than an awards show; they showcase this country's unbelievable emerging and established talent who we work with every day in our studios. That's why we love capturing the thrill of the weekend over three special days for our listeners from coast to coast."

To officially get the weekend under way, The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (CARAS) and SiriusXM Canada will host the SiriusXM JUNO KickOff on Thursday, March 13, featuring four-time JUNO Award winners The Sheepdogs. Joining The Sheepdogs at Hamilton's historic Liuna Station will be three-time JUNO nominees Tokyo Police Club and Say Yes (members of Alexisonfire and Saint Alvia). Tickets are available now at www.ticketmaster.ca with all proceeds from ticket sales going toward MusiCounts, Canada's music education charity associated with CARAS and part of SiriusXM's ongoing dedication to music charities developed for youth.

JUNO Radio will start the weekend with a rebroadcast of the 2014 SiriusXM JUNO KickOff in Winnipeg, featuring The Trews on Friday, March 13 at 10 am and 10 pm EST. A live recording of the 2015 SiriusXM JUNO KickOff will air for the first time on Saturday, March 14 at 8 pm EST.

SiriusXM Canada will also be the presenting sponsor of this year's JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards on Saturday, March 14, 2015 in Hamilton, featuring performances from 2015 JUNO nominees Alvvays, Daniel Lanois, Matt Andersen and more. Hosted by Jessi Cruickshank, 35 awards will be given out at the industry event, including Songwriter of the Year sponsored by SiriusXM and the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award, awarded this year to Rush. JUNO Radio will be backstage during the Gala getting all the behind-the-scenes action from winners, presenters and performers.

Subscribers can hear JUNO Radio starting Friday, March 13 at 10 am EST through to Sunday, March 15. Sirius listeners can tune in on Iceberg (channel 161) and XM listeners can hear the same on The Verge (channel 173). Those satellite radio subscribers who add SiriusXM Internet Radio access to their subscription can also listen to JUNO Radio on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App and online. 

SiriusXM is a proud and long-time sponsor of the JUNO Awards and has a legacy of supporting and furthering the best emerging Canadian music, including many of the 2015 JUNO Award nominated artists. Through Canadian indie music channels The Verge (XM 173) and Iceberg (Sirius 161), francophone channels Influence Franco (XM 174) and Attitude Franco (Sirius 164), plus many more, SiriusXM continues to offer a leading platform for Canadian artists.

For more information, visit www.siriusxm.ca/junoradio2015.

About SiriusXM Canada
Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. (TSX: XSR) operates as SiriusXM Canada. SiriusXM Canada, with over 2.6 million subscribers, is the country's leading audio entertainment company and broadcasts more than 120 satellite radio channels featuring premier sports, news, talk, entertainment and commercial-free music. SiriusXM Canada offers an array of content from the most recognized news, entertainment and major sports brands including the NHL, NFL, NBA, NASCAR, CNN, CBC, FOX, BBC, Howard Stern, Disney, Comedy Central and more.

SiriusXM programming is available on a variety of devices including pre-installed and after-market radios in cars, trucks and boats, smartphones and mobile devices, and consumer electronics products for homes and offices. SiriusXM programming is also available online at www.siriusxm.ca and on Apple and Android-powered mobile devices.

SiriusXM Canada has partnerships with every major automaker and its radio products are available at more than 3,000 retail locations nationwide. To find out more about SiriusXM Canada (TSX: XSR), visit our website at www.siriusxm.ca.

SiriusXM Canada has been designated one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies five years in a row and 2013 and 2014 rankings in PROFIT 500's list of Canada's Fastest Growing Companies.

Join SiriusXM Canada on Facebook at facebook.com/siriusxmcanada, on Twitter at twitter.com/siriusxmcanada and on Youtube at youtube.com/siriusxmcanada.

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 44^th Annual JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) please visit www.junoawards.ca or www.carasonline.ca.

SOURCE Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc.

SiriusXM Canada contact: Mike Calnek, Director, Publicity, Promotion and Sponsorship, 416-513-7459, [email protected]; For more information on CARAS and the 2015 JUNO Awards, contact: Adrienne Kakoullis, 416-628-5610, [email protected]