What started as the RPM Gold Leaf Awards in 1964 by RPM editor and publisher Walt Grealis and record label executive Stan Klees, soon became The JUNO Awards in 1971. Named in tribute to Pierre Juneau, the first chairperson of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the JUNO Awards were founded to raise the public profile and recognition of musical artists in Canada.

The JUNO Awards has evolved from an industry awards event to a weeklong festival that travels city to city across the country. It encompasses both public-facing fan events and industry/networking opportunities featuring a diverse array of Canadian artists and emerging talent. In addition to The JUNO Awards Broadcast, JUNO Week event programming includes JUNO Songwriters' Circle, JUNOfest, and more.

In 2002, The JUNO Awards went on the road to take the music to the fans and expanded its scope to include a series of public and private events outside of the Awards broadcast. Each host city has embraced their opportunity to support the JUNO Awards and build an enduring legacy of music programs in their market.