“Over the course of last year, CARAS underwent an extensive process reviewing all Award categories, taking into consideration data such as consumption, number of submissions, and other metrics,” Reid wrote. “Given the feedback from the community, CARAS will not put these three categories on hiatus this year.”

The post did not mention the fate of the international album of the year award, a fourth category that was also set to go on “hiatus” next year.

The decision to drop the four awards, which was first reported earlier this month, sparked outrage from Canadian artists, community leaders and music fans.

“It felt like a slap in the face to the reggae community, to the Caribbean community and to the Black community,” Dalton Higgins, a music writer and publicist in Toronto, told the Star on Tuesday.

Higgins, who describes the incident as “a PR nightmare of epic proportions” said that CARAS’s original decision was made without consulting the communities that it would impact the most.

Michael Coteau, member of Parliament for Don Valley East and the former Ontario minister of Culture, and Toronto Councillor Josh Matlow also weighed in on decision this week.

“As a long-time advocate for the arts and cultural diversity in Canada, I am deeply concerned by the decision to remove these key categories from the JUNO Awards,” Coteau said in a press release on Tuesday. “Reggae and Gospel music are cornerstones of cultural expression for many communities in Canada, particularly in cities like Toronto, which have rich Caribbean and Gospel traditions.”

Matlow, who represents Toronto’s Little Jamaica neighborhood, joined Coteau in demanding that the Junos reverse their decision.

“Little Jamaica, an area I’m proud to represent, has been a global center of reggae music, and gospel could be heard from church on Sunday mornings- even out on the streets,” Matlow posted on X on Monday night. “I was also delighted to name a playground to honor Sharon, Lois & Bram because of how much their music touched so many of our childhoods.”