Honeyed ballads edged out rock anthems with Michael Buble winning a leading four Juno Awards this weekend, as the music community gathered in Halifax to fete its best offerings with a sexy celebration.
A scantily clad Pamela Anderson kicked off Sunday's televised show gushing about the Canadian music scene, but quickly turned to her political views on the East Coast seal hunt.
"I don't mind a little blood on the ice when it's a hockey rink but I hate seeing blood on the ice when it's from baby seals," she said.
The crowd at the Halifax Metro Centre reacted with boos and just a few cheers.
"I can take it," she shot back. "I have high heels and they dig in deep."
Buble took home all the night's big awards. He was crowned artist of the year, and his song Home, a soft-hearted track about feeling homesick, was named single of the year.
"You know, I hoped that you liked my music but to win artist of the year is to know that you actually love my paintings," he said.
"Canada, you made my night."
The Vancouver singer's It's Time, the country's top-selling CD by a Canadian last year, won album of the year as well as best pop album.
Nickeback wasn't entirely shut out of the Juno game, having earned two trophies, including best group, the night earlier at a dinner celebration where the majority of the 39 awards were distributed.
With just seven awards handed out, Sunday's two-hour celebration was mostly about live music, featuring plenty of performances including Nickelback with Savin' Me.
The Junos paid homage to the country's flourishing indie-rock community, rewarding Arcade Fire with best songwriter honours for songs Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies) and Neighbourhood No. 3 (Power Out). The Montreal outfit beat out Neil Young, who had been favoured to win.
Toronto collective Broken Social Scene snagged the hotly-contested best alternative album award, edging out Hot Hot Heat, Metric, Tegan & Sara, and the New Pornographers.
Bryan Adams was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Born in Kingston, Ont., Adams launched his career in 1980 and became a household name thanks to a slew of catchy, arena anthems like Straight for the Heart, Run to You and Summer of '69.
Best new group honours went to Bedouin Soundclash, a reggae-rock outfit formed while its three members were attending Queen's University in Kingston. The group made a huge splash last year with the infectious ditty When The Night Feels My Song.
Bedouin's win shut out Canadian Idol finalist Jacob Hoggard's psuedo-punk band Hedley.
In fact, all four Canadian Idol alumni - including Newfoundland's Rex Goudie - who'd been nominated this year went home empty-handed.
Aside from Nickelback, Young, the Tragically Hip and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra were double Juno winners.
Superstars Coldplay and Black Eyed Peas tied for best international album, a category determined by both sales figures and votes.
Singer Diana Krall won best vocal jazz album for Christmas Songs. It was the only win for Krall, who'd been contending for five awards this year.
Jason McCoy's Road Hammers received the trophy for best country recording, while Winnipeg's The Duhks were honoured with best group roots album.
K'Naan's Dusty Foot Philosopher snagged best rap recording. Daniel Powter, of Vernon, B.C., was crowned best new artist.
More than 1,000 industry members descended on Halifax for a weekend of festivities.
The celebrations included a charity hockey game Friday night that featured Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy and TV stars the Trailer Park Boys.
Nickelback, Jully Black and Hot Hot Heat were among the musicians who spent close to five hours signing autographs for several thousand fans on Saturday.
Next year's Juno Awards will be hosted by Saskatoon.