Organizers of the Juno Awards say theyB次元官网网址檙e postponing this yearB次元官网网址檚 50th anniversary show in Toronto until June 6 as COVID-19 cases rage.

ItB次元官网网址檚 the second time the countryB次元官网网址檚 biggest night in music has been pushed this year as the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences contends with ever-changing Ontario rules meant to slow the spread of the virus.

Already the annual celebration had been moved to May 16 from an originally planned date in mid-March under hopes that warmer weather might allow some performances to be held outdoors with safety efforts in place.

However, the province has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases more recently, with a larger proportion coming from more contagious variants that led to more hospitalizations and pushed the province to issue stay-at-home orders.

The latest Junos delay was made B次元官网网址渙ut of an abundance of caution in response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic,B次元官网网址� CARAS said Wednesday in a statement.

Juno Awards head Allan Reid declined an interview request.

Complicating matters is the award showB次元官网网址檚 role in supporting CanadaB次元官网网址檚 music industry, which is caught in the middle of Ontario COVID-19 guidelines that favour film and TV productions over streaming concerts.

Earlier this month, several Ontario concert venue owners called on Premier Doug FordB次元官网网址檚 government to offer more transparency around why his B次元官网网址渆mergency brakeB次元官网网址� plan outlawed live streaming concerts at local venues while film and TV shoots could continue to move ahead with COVID-19 protocols.

As a nationally televised broadcast put on by Insight Productions, the Juno Awards would likely qualify under FordB次元官网网址檚 current COVID-19 production rules. But on the other hand, the show would be packed with live performances from the very industry thatB次元官网网址檚 being prevented from streaming in small concert venues.

The Junos organizers had hoped to stage some of the music moments inside prominent local venues, including TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Horseshoe Tavern, a move that blurred the lines between TV production and live streaming rules even further.

This yearB次元官网网址檚 Junos was originally set to be a splashy event with some of the countryB次元官网网址檚 biggest stars in attendance, but organizers have been forced to rein in expectations over the past year as the reality of COVID-19 made some of their ideas impossible.

The Weeknd leads the 2021 Junos with six nominations while Toronto pop singer/songwriter JP Saxe, Justin Bieber and Jessie Reyez all have five nods.

Details on performers, presenters and Juno Week virtual events will be revealed in the coming weeks, CARAs said.

David Friend, The Canadian Press