The Beaches at Junos
Canadian rock band The Beaches delivered a live performance of “Lesbian of the Year” at the 2026 Juno Awards, a set that media flagged as part of mainstreaming LGBTQ+ narratives in rock (youtube.com). The performance — available in full online — underscores how award-show stages are still major visibility drivers for indie and rock acts (youtube.com).
The Beaches were awarded Rock Album of the Year for No Hard Feelings and Group of the Year at the 2026 JUNO Awards ceremony held March 29, 2026 at TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. (junoawards.ca) The band accepted the Rock Album trophy at the JUNO industry gala and then returned to the broadcast winners’ list when they secured Group of the Year later in the program, according to coverage of the event. (ca.billboard.com) Broadcast reviews noted the televised rendition of “Lesbian of the Year” was stripped down and presented acoustically with string accompaniment rather than the single’s full-band production. (audiophix.com) “Lesbian Of The Year” was released as a single on August 14, 2025 and was one of six singles that preceded the band’s third LP, No Hard Feelings. (music.apple.com) (en.wikipedia.org)) Keyboardist/guitarist Leandra Earl has said the song addresses the shame she felt coming out later in life and “the pressure of trying to live up to ‘Lesbian of the Year,’ a title given to me by my sweet fans.” (preludepress.com) No Hard Feelings was released August 29, 2025 on AWAL and was supported by the No Hard Feelings North American tour that began the same day. (en.wikipedia.org)) (axs.tv)
