Feist scores 1 2 3 4 and 5 at Junos

Feist, whose hit single 1 2 3 4 became a worldwide sensation when it was featured in an iPod commercial, can add "5" to her ditty after sweeping this year's Junos.

The 32-year-old singer received three awards including album of the year as the best in Canadian music were honoured during the ceremony at Calgary's Saddledome on Sunday night. Feist had already snagged two major prizes songwriter of the year and artist of the year when most of the awards were given in a separate ceremony on Saturday night.

"I am a soft and sucky person, and I would be soft if it wasn't for my human shields," said the singer as she read out a list of people she wanted to thank.

Corb Lund and Suzie McNeil presented Feist with the first award of the night, single of the year for her worldwide juggernaut 1 2 3 4.

Feist, who was raised in Calgary and now lives in Toronto, thanked her label, her producers and the band she travels with, "the boys in the cube."

Then, 15 minutes later, Feist whose full name is Leslie Feist was up on stage again, having captured pop album of the year for The Reminder: "I'm so grateful, so very grateful."

The gala kicked off with a rousing version of Paul Brandt's Alberta Bound featuring five of the nominees for country recording of the year gracing the stage.

The Calgary-born Brandt shared the stage with Aaron Lines, Gord Bamford, Johnny Reid and Shane Yellowbird.

Comedian and host Russell Peters bounded onto the stage as screaming fans greeted him, making a joke about his limo driver, Chad Kroeger lead singer of Nickelback. Kroeger was recently found guilty of drunk driving.

Peters, backed by a jumble of silver oil barrels, admitted that he had never watched the Junos which, he said, makes him "just like every other Canadian."

He derided Avril Lavigne, sitting in the audience, for not recording her big hit Girlfriend in any of the South Asian languages. Lavigne re-recorded her single, which she performed with a backup line of four dancers, in eight languages.

Peters strode down to the audience, some 17,000 people, to make more jokes.

Brandt thanks the Lord

Veteran country crooner Ian Tyson presented the award to Brandt for Country Recording of the Year for Risk.

"I want to thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," said the black-hatted Brandt.

Finger Eleven conquered stage in a dramatic way, starting with a calm musical introduction by the Calgary Youth Orchestra before jetting into their song Paralyzer.

The band from Burlington, Ont., had already grabbed the rock album division the night before for Them vs. You vs. Me.

Opera singer Measha Brueggergosman, winner of a classical vocal Juno, sang two songs in salute of the late jazz giant Oscar Peterson, who passed away Dec. 24.

Halfway through the show, Feist graced the stage yet again to perform Sealion a cover version of Nina Simone's See-Line Woman along with her four-piece band, all of them dressed in white.

The singer had the crowd clapping and stomping with an impassioned performance.

Next up, came the Fan Choice Award the only trophy voted on by the public which went to Michael Bubl. The jazz singer beat out the likes of Nelly Furtado, Claude Dubois, Cline Dion and Lavigne.

"This is for all the people who said I couldn't vote for myself enough times to win," said a self-deprecating Bubl, who had the audience chuckling throughout his speech.

Triumph inducted into Hall of Fame

Anne Murray, who attended her first Junos in 1971, did a duet with Jann Arden on Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye and then launched into Snowbird with British soprano Sarah Brightman.

Murray released a new album of her old hits, each one featuring duets with different female singers including Olivia Newton John, Carole King, Cline Dion and k.d. lang.

Tom Cochrane inducted hard rockers Triumph Rik Emmett, Gil Moore and Michael Levine into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

The arena band, formed in 1975, had a slew of hit singles such as Hold On, Spellbound and Follow Your Heart. They won Junos for group of the year in 1979, 1985, 1986 and 1987.

"I'd like to thank the fans for whom beats the independent heart of rock music," said Emmett.

Next, Halifax indie band Wintersleep snatched the new group of the year trophy, whose previous winners include Billy Talent, Tragically Hip and Nickelback.

Blue Rodeo named group of the year

Then, it was in with the old as Blue Rodeo was named group of the year.

Formed in 1984, the band which consists of Jim Cuddy, Greg Keelor, Bazil Donovan, Glenn Milchem, Bob Egan and Bob Packwood has released 14 albums, selling three million worldwide so far.

"I don't think we really expected to win," said frontman Cuddy who thanked the band's manager as well as his "beautiful wife" and family. Keelor stepped up to the microphone to thank the fans for their support over the years.

The veteran rockers were winners in the non-televised gala, taking home best adult alternative album for Small Miracles, and best video for C'mon.

Notably going home empty-handed were Dion, who had six nods heading in for two discs, D'elles and Taking Changes, as well as Lavigne, who had five nominations.

The two-hour gala wrapped up with a glittering Jully Black, the Saturday recipient of the R&B/Soul recording of the year, singing Seven Day Fool.