​The Tragically Hip Got Played Off Stage at the Junos and Canadians Are Pissed

Amongst the early winners at the Juno Awards this weekend, the Tragically Hip took home hardware for Rock Album of the Year. They were toasted again during last night's (April 2) broadcast, receiving the title of Group of the Year, but their acceptance speech was cut short — and Canadian music fans aren't happy about how it was handled.
 
Although frontman Gord Downie didn't attend the ceremony (he did, however, send in a recorded message to accept Songwriter of the Year), the band's Rob Baker and Paul Langlois were on hand to accept the Group of the Year trophy. As Langlois's speech ran past the allotted time, the show's producers tried to play him off stage with music. After Langlois questioned: "Oh, you're actually going to play me out?" and continued to deliver his speech, producers changed the tune — to the Hip's own "Ahead by a Century."
 
The guitarist/vocalist held his ground, saying, "Go to commercial, go ahead. This is my arena, not yours." He then proceeded to thank his bandmate Downie to rapturous applause.
 
Watch the clip in question below.
 

Congrats to @thehipdotcom for wining Group of the Year and owning the arena! @TheJUNOAwards #junos #Junos2017 #Canada #ottawa #badass #hip pic.twitter.com/s6cX98I9fl

— Breaching Vista (@BreachingVista) April 3, 2017

 
And although the show followed through on Langlois's suggestion to cut to a commercial, public support seems to be on the side of the beloved Canadian band.
 
Many took to Twitter to voice their disapproval of the cut-off, and the band's official account even snuck one last jab in this morning with a tweet that simply reads: "#thisismyarenanotyours"
 

#thisismyarenanotyours

— The Tragically Hip (@thehipdotcom) April 3, 2017

 
See some of the other reactions to the cut-off controversy down below.
 

Well, that was the biggest fuck-up the #junos could have made, cuttin' the mike on the Tragically Hip right at the mention of Gord Downie.

— Benjamin Rayner (@IhateBenRayner) April 3, 2017

It's the classiest of bands that will extensively thank sound, lighting and road crew during final moment in spotlight #TragicallyHip

— Michael Barclay (@mmmbarclay) April 3, 2017

Wow. The Junos just played off the Tragically Hip WITH A TRAGICALLY HIP SONG in the middle of acknowledging Gord Downie. Smh.

— Said The Whale (@saidthewhale) April 3, 2017

Pretty sure ya let The Tragically Hip talk for 12 hours straight if that's what they wanna do. #junos

— Nikki Balch (@NikkiBOnAir) April 3, 2017

Playing the Tragically Hip off at the Junos before they finish speaking is punishable under Canadian law. #Junos2017

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) April 3, 2017

Cut off Paul Langlois' mic while he's shouting out Gord Downie? Good work, #JUNOS. #classy

— Lowest Of The Low (@LowestOfTheLow) April 3, 2017