TLDR: The 2025 JUNO Awards nominations were released last week, with rap continuing to be represented in two official categories. The Rap Single and Rap Album/EP of the Year categories highlight Canada’s thriving hip-hop scene.
Canada’s biggest night in music is turning up the heat with an announcement for the 2025 JUNO Awards nominees, and this year’s rap categories are packed with some of the country’s finest lyricists and producers. From veteran artists to emerging stars, the Rap Single and Rap Album/EP of the Year races are shaping up to be some of the most competitive in recent memory, with two acts nabbing a nod in both categories.
Classified and Snotty Nose Rez Kids each secured nominations in both Rap Single of the Year and Rap Album/EP of the Year. Classified’s introspective single “People” and his album Luke’s View have earned him double recognition, showcasing his continued evolution as a veteran in the Canadian rap scene. Snotty Nose Rez Kids also bagged two nominations: “BBE” for Rap Single of the Year and RED FUTURE for Rap Album/EP, reinforcing their powerful voice in both Indigenous and mainstream hip-hop.
Other nominations include Haviah Mighty’s “Double The Fun” and Jessie Reyez’s Big Sean-assisted “SHUT UP,” both vying for best rap single, while Belly’s 96 Miles From Bethlehem, DijahSB’s The Flower That Knew round out the Rap Album/EP of the Year category, along with Dom Vallie’s See You When I See You…, showcasing the next generation’s hunger.
But the rap influence doesn’t stop there. Kaytranada, the Montréal-raised producer and DJ, secured a nomination for Artist of the Year, a testament to his genre-blending prowess that continues to redefine Canadian music. AP Dhillon, riding high off his fusion of Punjabi and hip-hop sounds, nabbed nods for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and South Asian Music Recording of the Year with The Brownprint.
Other notable nods include The Weeknd and Playboi Carti’s “Timeless” for Single of the Year, and DijahSB’s “UH HUH” earning a spot in Dance Recording of the Year. Meanwhile, Maestro Fresh Wes’s children’s album Rhyme Travellers gives The Godfather of Canadian Hip-Hop four straight years with a nomination in the Children’s Album of the Year as his character Young Maestro continues to grow in popularity.
The 2025 JUNO Awards will take place on March 30 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, promising a night that highlights the best in Canadian music across all genres.
2025 JUNO Rap Nominations
Rap Single of the Year
People by Classified
Double The Fun by Haviah Mighty
SHUT UP by Jessie Reyez
BBE by Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Hier encore by Souldia & Lost
Rap Album/EP of the Year
96 Miles From Bethlehem by Belly
Luke’s View by Classified
The Flower That Knew by DijahSB
See You When I See You… by Dom Vallie
RED FUTURE by Snotty Nose Rez Kids
