The best Canadian musicians, from 2000 to the present

Avril. Justin. Drake. Tate.

Over the last 25 years, these Canadian artists and many more have made their mark in music. From the rise of pop-punk and indie-rock in the early 2000s, to the global hip-hop takeover in the 2010s, to the chart-topping pop dominance of the 2010s and onwards, Canadian musicians have not only influenced some of the most prominent genres in the world, but defined them entirely. 

For each year starting in 2000, CBC Music has selected the artist who rose to the top. Assessed by relevance, breakthrough success, ability to capture the zeitgeist as well as the impact they've made on the music industry at large, these are the musicians who pushed the cultural needle forward, releasing great songs along the way. Canada has routinely punched above its weight with the talent coming out of this country — and these artists are proof.

2000: Nelly Furtado

Portuguese Canadian singer Nelly Furtado inconspicuously stepped into the music scene in the late '90s, signing her first record deal with DreamWorks Records in '99 at the age of 21, then arriving to the millennium with the release of her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, in 2000. The album's eclectic combination of pop and trip-hop with traditional Portuguese sounds was the fresh take that was needed for the Y2K era, as well as a catalyst for a wider acceptance of unfettered female pop artists. 

In an extremely short time, Furtado went from largely unknown, to becoming one of the most promising artists in the Canadian music industry — her distinctive, emotive voice was heard all over the radio. Whoa, Nelly! went on to to sell six million copies worldwide, and earn five Grammy nominations including a win for best female pop vocal performance (for her single I'm Like a Bird). The album also caught the attention of music producer Timbaland, who later mentored Furtado into full-blown pop stardom, with pervasive hits including Promiscuous and Maneater. Her charming ability to experiment while speaking her heart and staying true to her roots attracted a loyal fandom all over the world, particularly resonant with young women and queer communities. She also captured attention for her eclectic fashion, characterized by hoop earrings, low-rise pants and Princess Leia-style buns. Now she, and her early work in particular, are revered with wistful nostalgia. 

Honourable mentions

The Tragically Hip: Already one of Canada's most beloved rock bands, in 2000 the Tragically Hip released its sixth studio album, Music @ Work, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian albums chart, and won a Juno Award for best rock album the following year.

Peaches: The Toronto musician released her sex-positive, feminist electroclash album The Teaches of Peaches in 2000, to which her roommate Feist contributed vocals. The album's first track, F--k the Pain Away, became her breakthrough song and an anthem of empowerment for her fans.

 — Emma Johnston-Wheeler

Baby Blue Soundcrew: In 2000, Toronto's Baby Blue Soundcrew, along with Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall and a breakthrough feature by honorary Canadian Sean Paul, released their club-ready anthem Money Jane. It hit No. 24 on the Canadian Singles chart and No. 1 on the MuchMusic Countdown, but more importantly than that, for a few years it had the dance floors locked down. 

— Jesse Kinos-Goodin

2001: Sum 41 

Canada's pop-punk roots date back to the '90s with bands like Chixdiggit and Gob, but it wasn't until the turn of the millennium that a new wave of young acts stepped up to the mainstream, meeting the genre's moment in the spotlight with infectious hooks wrapped in rock anthems. 

Ajax, Ontario's Sum 41 was the first big breakout, with the one-two punch releases of 2000's Half Hour of Power and 2001's All Killer No Filler. Dressed like the skate kids in your high school, the band transformed suburban malaise into mosh pit-ready hits that soundtracked video games, teen comedies and Warped Tour stops across North America. 

While Sum 41's debut single, Makes No Difference, found heavy rotation in Canada and piqued the interest of Americans, Fat Lip, off All Killer No Filler, became a runaway hit, going double platinum in the U.S. and earning the band one of two career No. 1s on Billboard's U.S. Alternative Airplay chart. (The band's second No. 1 wouldn't come until 2024, with Landmines.) 

Sum 41 may not have been a favourite among critics, but its music spoke to a generation of young fans who found a voice for their discontent in the fun and frivolity of the band's shout-along melodies. And as you'll see, Sum 41's success sparked more pop-punk breakthroughs in the years that followed. 

Honourable mentions

Kardinal Offishall: The Toronto rapper's 2001 album, Quest For Fire: Firestarter Vol. 1, is a foundational part of Canadian hip-hop history. Showcasing the city's multicultural identity by mixing rap with reggae and dancehall influences on songs like BaKardi Slang and Ol' Time Killin', Kardinal Offishall created a template that other artists would later use for global domination. 

Nickelback: The Alberta rock band's success can all be traced back to its third studio album, Silver Side Up. Lead single How You Remind Me represented a heavier, more serious rock sound at the time, and it shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. At the decade's end, Nielsen Soundscan named it the most-played song on U.S. radio. 

— Melody Lau 

2002: Avril Lavigne

By the time she was 18 years old, Avril Lavigne had gone from living in the small southeastern Ontario town of Napanee to being a global superstar, thanks to her 2002 pop-punk debut album, Let Go. 

Lavigne's ascent was so rapid that only three years prior, she was an unknown teen who won a radio contest to perform with Shania Twain in an Ottawa hockey arena in front of 20,000 people. It didn't take long for Lavigne to be able to fill arenas by herself, and see her name next to Twain's on the charts.

Led by the massive hits Complicated and Sk8er Boi, Lavigne's debut sold over one million copies in Canada and four million in the U.S. by the end of 2002. Lavigne took home album of the year at the 2003 Juno Awards alongside three other trophies, while Let Go also earned eight Grammy Award nominations between 2003 and 2004, including best new artist. Twenty-three years later, Let Go is still the best-selling album of the 21st century by a Canadian. 

But record sales and hardware don't fully capture the cultural shift that Lavigne caused. Lavigne was a major figure (and one of few women) in the mainstream rise of pop-punk, her punkish style becoming the hot new trend. Black eyeliner flew off the shelves, neckties were no longer only for businessmen, and the world twinkled with studded belts. She inspired a generation of sk8ers around the world to pick up a guitar and turn their angst into songs. Lavigne was a role model for those who never felt like they belonged.

Video produced by Golan Sahraei

Honourable mentions

Broken Social Scene: The Toronto collective's second album, You Forgot it in People, launched the Toronto-based ensemble into prominence, even earning a coveted 9.2 score in Pitchfork's review. The album's hooky and expansive indie-rock sound would influence rock bands throughout the aughts, while album highlight Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl, led by Metric's Emily Haines, hasn't aged a day. 

Shania Twain: Just 17 days after queen of country pop Shania Twain released her fourth record, Up!, it sold over 1.1 million copies in Canada and became the country's best-selling album of the year, beating out The Eminem Show and Lavigne's Let Go. 

Glenn Lewis: 2002 sounded a whole lot smoother thanks to the sensual slow jams of neo-soul singer Glenn Lewis and his critically acclaimed debut album, World Outside My Window, which debuted at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. 

— Laura Stanley

2003: Fefe Dobson

From the beginning, Scarborough, Ontario-born Fefe Dobson was set on carving her own path in the music industry. In her early teens, she said bye-bye to her then label when she didn't want to be the glossy pop star they were setting out to make her. After a chance encounter at a recording studio, she teamed up with Jay Levine and James Bryan McCollum (the guys behind the cartoon electro-pop duo Prozzäk) and released her pop-rock self-titled debut album in 2003.

Teeming with angst and authenticity, Fefe Dobson debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and sold over 300,000 copies. Dobson, 18 at the time, was a regular on MTV's Total Request Live and landed high-profile ad campaigns with Tommy Hilfiger and Got Milk?. Meanwhile, at home the pop-punk single Bye Bye Boyfriend peaked at No. 8 on the singles chart, Fefe Dobson was certified platinum, and the album earned Dobson her first Juno nomination, for pop album of the year. Reflecting on the album's release 20 years later, Dobson told CBC Music: "My life changed in an instant."

Dobson's arrival in the music industry was nothing short of revolutionary. By following her heart, she became one of the first and few Black Canadian women occupying rock music spaces, inspiring generations of young musicians to follow.   

Honourable mentions

Metric: The Toronto band's new wave-inspired rock debut, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?, highlighted by the catchy singles Dead Disco and Combat Baby, marked the beginning of Metric's ascent to Canadian indie-rock stardom.

Michael Bublé: Pop crooner Michael Bublé, with help from Canadian heavyweight producer David Foster, found international success with the release of his self-titled major label debut. The record peaked at No. 47 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and Bublé helped lead a fresh wave of adult contemporary singers.

Céline Dion: Led by her dance-pop take on I Drove All Night, Céline Dion's 19th studio album, One Heart, debuted atop Billboard's Canadian album charts. Overshadowing this accomplishment, she also debuted A New Day…, her first concert residency in Las Vegas, which became the most successful residency of all time over its four-year run.

— LS

2004: Arcade Fire

In 2005, the New York Times crowned Montreal the next big musical hotbed, declaring, "You can hear music with a Montreal address on any radio in America." There were a variety of acts coming out of the city, from electro-funk duo Chromeo to pop-punkers Simple Plan. But the city's biggest export at the time had to be its indie-rock acts, including the Unicorns, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Wolf Parade.

The most influential and critically acclaimed was Arcade Fire, which Time Magazine anointed "The World's Most Intriguing Rock Band." Although Canada's indie-rock surge had been building for years thanks to breakthrough releases from Broken Social Scene and the New Pornographers, these international headlines wouldn't have emerged without Arcade Fire's blockbuster hit: 2004's Funeral. 

Benefitting from a glowing 9.7 Pitchfork review during a time when the influence of music blogs was almost as powerful as traditional mainstream media outlets, Arcade Fire quickly became the face of indie-rock's rise. Their sound was ramshackle and cacophonous, always teetering on the edge of falling apart, but through sheer hope and determination came together into an emotional rallying cry that you couldn't resist joining in on. Among those who literally joined the band onstage live were heavyweights including David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen, which felt like watching the passing of an anthemic torch.

Two decades later, many people's relationship with Arcade Fire has curdled because of allegations of sexual misconduct against lead singer Win Butler. The goodwill the band had amassed for putting its city on the map has perhaps run out, and in the aftermath, many are working through what it means to untangle a band's place in history from the alleged unconscionable acts of its frontman. To present a snapshot of Canadian indie-rock in this era without this band is like leaving a gaping hole in its centre. But as we move forward, we may reconsider how Arcade Fire fits into Canadian music's present and future. 

Honourable mentions

K-os: In a time when Canadian hip-hop was still finding its sound and identity, Toronto's k-os put out an album that sounded like nothing else. Joyful Rebellion showed off a genre-defying versatility, mixing hip-hop, rock and pop into chart-climbing hits including Crabbuckit and Man I Used to Be. K-os also mastered a style of hip-hop that seamlessly blended singing and rapping — a skill that other notable artists would go on to adapt. 

Tegan and Sara: The twin sisters released their fourth album, So Jealous, on the same day as Funeral. This would also mark a breakthrough moment for the Calgary-born duo: their single Walking With a Ghost became an indie pop-rock hit, and was covered by the White Stripes the following year. Plus, album cut Where Does the Good Go was featured in the first season of Grey's Anatomy, just as TV and film started becoming an important launching pad for indie artists. 

— ML 

2005: Nickelback

In 2005, there were indie-rock explosions going off across the country, particularly in Montreal and Toronto, which created the groundswell for the CBC Radio 3 podcast, which launched in June 2005. But it was Nickelback, the gritty, no-frills rock band out of small-town Hanna, Alta., that was actually earning the most commercial radio play, the most record sales, and selling the most concert tickets.

Although Nickelback has been long derided by critics, the band became a legit international rock phenomenon in 2005 with the release of its fifth album, All the Right Reasons. It became the highest-selling rock album of the year, eventually becoming diamond-certified. The singles from the album became hits around the world, dominating the Billboard Hot 100 with three Top 10 and five Top 20 singles including Rockstar, Photograph and Far Away. It set Nickelback up so that by the end of the 2000s, the band had become one of the most successful Canadian rock acts ever, having sold more than 50 million albums worldwide.

Honourable mentions

The New Pornographers: Vancouver supergroup the New Pornographers released their brilliant and bombastic third album, Twin Cinema, which was shortlisted for the inaugural Polaris Music Prize in 2006.

Metric: Electro-rock favourites Metric stepped out with its platinum-selling second album, Live It Out, which also nabbed a spot on the Polaris short list.

Joel Plaskett: The singer-songwriter released what is arguably his most beloved fan-favourite album of his 30-year career: La De Da, featuring the unofficial East Coast anthem Love This Town.

City and Colour: Dallas Green made his solo debut with Sometimes, and the lead single Save Your Scissors reached No. 9 on the Canadian rock charts.

— Grant Lawrence

2006: Nelly Furtado

Loose was the introduction to a new Nelly Furtado. Gone was the girl-next-door energy of Whoa, Nelly! and Folklore — this iteration of Furtado was a proud "maneater." At the time, the shift in her image was a point of controversy, more reflective of mid-aughts misogyny than anything else. Despite any hand-wringing over her bare midriff or risqué song titles, the album was a commercial juggernaut. When Loose came out in June, the Guardian called it "the first great pop album of the year." The numbers don't lie: Loose debuted at No. 1 on Canadian album charts, was certified five-times platinum and the breakout single, Promiscuous, was nine-times platinum. While Beyoncé, Rihanna, Madonna and Shakira were banging out hits, Promiscuous was able to rise above the crowd to clinch a six-week run at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first time that a Canadian female artist had charted that high in eight years. The Director X music video remains a time capsule of the unabashed, pre-smartphone club era. 

At the time, Loose presented a new blueprint for pop music: fusing hip-hop, R&B and even reggaeton into Furtado's bright pop sound. Thanks to Timbaland's inspired production, as integral to the album's success as Furtado's chameleonic vocals, Loose widened Furtado's appeal to entirely new audiences. Promiscuous was nominated for a Grammy, won best pop single at the Billboard Music Awards, and Furtado swept the 2007 Junos, winning album, pop album, artist and single of the year.

Honourable mentions

Michael Bublé: The singer was the king of the 2006 Juno Awards, winning album, pop album, artist and singer of the year for his 2005 album, It's Time. The single Home also went No. 1 on the Canadian and U.S. adult contemporary charts.

Tokyo Police Club: Newmarket, Ont., band Tokyo Police Club released its debut EP, A Lesson in Crime, in 2006. A favorable Pitchfork review said the band had "the potential to become a real five-tool player in indie for a long time." Off the strength of its plucky indie-rock jams, Tokyo Police Club landed a deal with Saddle Creek Records and performed on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2007. 

 — Kelsey Adams

2007: Feist

Thanks to Feist's first two albums, Monarch (1999) and Let it Die (2004), the singer-songwriter was starting to become a household name in her home country by the mid-aughts. But it was 2007's The Reminder that catapulted Feist into her current stratosphere.

Mainly recorded over two weeks in a house outside of Paris with her full band — and often using live-off-the-floor takes — The Reminder was the coming together of Feist's voracious multitude of skills, experiences and connections. Years of performing, touring and recording with musicians including By Divine Right, Peaches, Broken Social Scene and Chilly Gonzalez (who produced the 2007 album) had distilled the Nova Scotia-born, Calgary-raised and Toronto-based artist's sound into The Reminder's distinct mix of folk and pop, Feist's heart beating into each note, each word.

But the album would have an unimaginable boost thanks to one company: Apple. After dropping an incredible, one-shot video of glittering choreography for the single 1234 in summer 2007, Feist licensed the song to an iPod Nano commercial that was released in the back-to-school peak of September — and the rewards for both the song and album were immediate. Originally selling about 2,000 downloads per week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, 1234 started selling 73,000 instead. The album, five months after its release, jumped nearly 10 spots on the Billboard 200. The Reminder would go on to win Feist five Juno Awards — and garner the artist four Grammy nominations, currently her only ones.

Honourable mentions

Tegan and Sara: 2007's The Con, Tegan and Sara's first album produced by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, was "a bridge between their past and their future," as NPR wrote for the album's 10th anniversary, and it solidified the twins as indie rock stars.

Nelly Furtado: The year after Loose's release continued to give the singer her flowers: she hosted the Junos, won all five awards she was up for, and kicked off a world tour. She also garnered her third No. 1 single, Give It to Me with Justin Timberlake.

Jully Black: The queen of R&B was signed to Warner in the mid-'90s at 19 years old but, due to many factors, including a shelved album, it wasn't until 2007 that Jully Black garnered a Top 10 hit in Canada — Seven Day Fool, an Etta James cover produced by Black Eyed Peas drummer/songwriter Keith Harris. Black's sophomore album, Revival, was certified gold.

Avril Lavigne: The singer released her third album, The Best Damn Thing, in 2007, giving the pop-punk star her third No. 1 album in a row. Lead single Girlfriend also hit No. 1 in several countries, and proved to be Lavigne's first Hot 100 chart-topper — kicking Furtado and Timberlake's Give It to Me out of first place.

 — Holly Gordon

2008: Kardinal Offishall

With his 2008 single Dangerous, Kardinal Offishall became the first Canadian rapper to crack the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, acting as a harbinger of the mainstream Canadian hip-hop wave to come. This instantly catchy song from Not 4 Sale, helped in no small part by Senegalese American pop star Akon's high-pitched chorus, found Kardi finally showcasing his boundless charisma and patois-tinged lyricism — honed in underground circles for over a decade — to a mainstream audience worldwide. Kardi had already established himself as Toronto's premiere hip-hop artist through the lexicon-affirming BaKardi Slang and the soundclash strut of Ol' Time Killin, but Dangerous made sure the world was aware of what Canada already knew. Beating out the formidable lineup of Michael Bublé, Céline Dion and Nickelback for single of the year at the Junos underscored the song's universal appeal. 

Video produced by Vanessa Francis

Honourable mentions

Feist: The singer's whimsically infectious 1234 continued to rise a year after its release, taking Feist all the way to Sesame Street. 

Wintersleep: Shrewd TV and film sync placements of Wintersleep's Weighty Ghost garnered worthy attention for the brooding ambience of the Halifax band. It ensured a well-deserved breakthrough for Wintersleep's third album, Welcome to the Night Sky, which led the band to win breakthrough group of the year at the Junos. 

City and Colour: Dallas Green bolstered City and Colour's stripped-down, folk-fuelled leanings on Bring Me Your Love, replete with Gord Downie collaboration Sleeping Sickness, consolidating Green's career outside of Alexisonfire and proving his Sometimes debut was no fluke.

— Del F. Cowie

2009: Metric 

Toronto synth-rock band Metric had been slowly cultivating a fervid fanbase for years by the time it released its fourth studio album, Fantasies. But 2009 marked a significant turning point for the band, graduating from underground rock faves to a mainstream ascendance that continued to assert the early-to-mid-aughts dominance of Canadian indie-rock. 

Indie is an important distinction here, as Metric received multiple major label offers after the success of its first three albums. But instead of signing away significant rights to its music, the band made a radical move to establish its own imprint, Metric Music International. This was a crucial point in music history, where big record companies were losing their hold on the industry and artists like Radiohead were finding more direct ways of connecting with fans, like releasing 2008's In Rainbows online for free. In a time of seismic change, Metric chose to bet on itself. 

The sound of Fantasies matched this ambition: Help I'm Alive became a Top 40 hit in Canada and found placements in video games and TV shows, while Stadium Love later became the official anthem of the Toronto Blue Jays. And a cut that was left off the album, Black Sheep, extended Metric's reign into 2010 when it was prominently featured in Edgar Wright's cult film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. 

Honourable mentions

Drake: The rapper made his official breakthrough in 2009 with his mixtape So Far Gone, establishing him as a rising star in hip-hop. Teaming up with collaborators and producers like Boi-1da and Noah "40" Shebib, who would go on to help him architect a distinct Toronto rap sound, scoring early hits with Best I Ever Had and Successful. 

K'naan: The rapper scored his biggest hit to date with 2009's Wavin' Flag, an ode to his home country of Somalia that took on a life of its own the year after its release. The Young Artists for Haiti remake, a charity single in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake featuring Avril Lavigne, Nelly Furtado, Dallas Green and more, reached No. 1 on the Canadian Hot 100. Then Coca-Cola selected the song as the anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, bringing K'naan to a global audience. 

— ML 

2010: Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber's rise began in 2008, when he signed his first record deal and released his first EP, My World, the following year. But 2010 was the year Bieber Fever truly swept the globe, when the then baby-faced, floppy-haired singer with crystalline vocals released his debut album, My World 2.0. With infectious singles including Baby, Somebody to Love and Eenie Meenie, Bieber expertly blended pop, R&B and crisp choreography (see: the twists, pops and spins in the iconic Somebody to Love music video) to create a perfect storm of tween pop superstardom. His passionate fandom of Beliebers — who famously beefed with Jonas Brothers fans during this era over which JB reigned superior — drove his album up the charts, earning Bieber his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The then 16-year-old Biebs became the youngest solo male artist to pull off the feat since Stevie Wonder, who clinched the top spot more than 40 years before.

It wasn't simply talent that cemented Bieber's dominance (in addition to singing and dancing, he knew his way around the drums, guitar, piano and trumpet), but also his work ethic. "The harder you work, the more successful you can be," he shared, and went on to earn Grammy nominations for best new artist and best pop vocal album that fall.

While other countries tried to serve up their boyish JB counterparts (think: Australia's Cody Simpson, America's Austin Mahone, or England's Conor Maynard), those teen idols lacked the same charm or star power. As one of the first global pop titans to find success from YouTube organically, Bieber outshone them and, in the process, kicked open the door for the future discovery of Canadian stars such as Shawn Mendes and Alessia Cara. As his mentor Usher would correctly predict in 2010, in another 12 years Bieber would be "10 times better than he is today." By 2022, Bieber had won two Grammys and added eight Junos to his trophy cabinet.

Video produced by Golan Sahraei

Honourable mentions

Arcade Fire: The Montreal band released one of its biggest albums in 2010, The Suburbs, which lifted Arcade Fire out of circles of adoring indie-rock fans and bloggers and catapulted it into the mainstream. The album was critically acclaimed by outlets including NPR, CBC Music and more, and went on to win the coveted album of the year Grammy Award the following year, as well as a Juno and the Polaris Music Prize.

Drake: The rapper continued his rise in 2010, releasing his debut album, Thank Me Later. He won two Junos that year for So Far Gone and best new artist, signifying that the success of his 2009 mixtape was only a small taste of the chart-topping dominance yet to come.

— Natalie Harmsen

2011: Drake

By the time 2011 rolled around, Drake had already been building his recognition for a few years, eventually outgrowing his Degrassi fame and showing signs of living up to the next-big-thing hype around him. But if there was any doubt, the release of Take Care completely wiped that away. It's not hyperbole to say the album was a watershed moment for the music industry, with Drake helping to completely change the sound of rap and R&B going forward with what became known as the Toronto Sound. Together with Noah "40" Shebib and a stable of other Toronto producers, including Boi-1da, Drake fused hip-hop and R&B with ambient electronic influences while also leaning into Toronto's Caribbean culture.

Take Care was atmospheric and moody, which perfectly matched Drake's emotionally raw and introspective rhymes of heartbreak, insecurity and family issues. Drake wasn't the first sad rapper to be in touch with his feelings by any means — take lyrics like "I'm just sayin' you could do better," from Marvin's Room, or "You tell me I'm just like my father, my one button, you push it," from Look What You've Done — but he leaned into it harder than anyone before him, spawning countless memes — and imitators — to follow. And then of course there were the hits, like Headlines, The Motto and the title track, featuring Rihanna, which not only helped the album debut at No. 1 on Billboard, but refocused the music world's attention to the sounds and artists coming out of Canada. 

Honourable mentions 

The Weeknd: You cannot have a conversation about the Toronto Sound, or even Take Care, without mentioning the Weeknd. In 2011, Abel Tesfaye released three critically acclaimed, dark, mysterious R&B mixtapes that sounded like nothing else that came before. On top of that, he wrote five songs on Drake's Take Care, including fan favourite Crew Love. "That OVO and that XO is everything you believe in," the Weeknd sings on it, shouting out both his and Drake's labels and symbolizing, however briefly, their joint ascent to the top. 

F--ked Up: On the other side of the music spectrum, Toronto's F--ked Up released its magnum opus, a rock opera called David Comes to Life, not only transcending the band's punk roots but making what Spin magazine called the best album of the year. 

 — Jesse Kinos-Goodin

2012: Carly Rae Jepsen

If any artist held 2012 in their grip, it was Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen, whose hit single Call Me Maybe propelled her to instant, global fame. Though the song was Jepsen's first venture into pop music, its supremely catchy, simple lyrics about infatuation at first sight permeated the culture of the time and secured the singer a core following. Having been first released in 2011, it reappeared on her six-track EP Curiosity and again on Jepsen's full-length studio album Kiss, in 2012. Call Me Maybe became the best-selling single of 2012 worldwide, topping the charts in 19 different countries, including going to No. 1 on both Billboard's Canadian and U.S. album charts. There wasn't anywhere you could go without hearing it, and very few could claim to not know the lyrics. 

Famously, fellow Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber tweeted about (and lip-synced to) the song, which led his then manager Scooter Braun to sign Jepsen to a joint contract with his label, Schoolboy Records, and Interscope Records. Her reputation as a pop icon was cemented, and thus inspired countless women to adopt her heavy front bangs. Recognized by every music awards body there was, Jepsen earned two Grammy nominations, new artist of the year at the American Music Awards, Billboard's top song of the year and Rising Star Award, NRJ Music Awards' international breakthrough of the year, as well as three Juno Awards, including single of the year.    

Honourable mentions

The Weeknd: Tesfaye may have introduced himself to the music world through his mixtapes, but 2012 was the year he broke into the mainstream by releasing his acclaimed compilation album Trilogy, featuring remastered versions of his 2011 mixtapes with additional tracks. The same year, he made a cameo on Drake's Club Paradise tour to perform his Take Care collaboration, Crew Love.

Justin Bieber: In 2012, Bieber released Believe, and the album was a commercial success: it hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, went platinum, and Boyfriend soared to No. 2 on the Hot 100.

 — EJ-W

2013: Tegan and Sara

2013 was the year Alberta-born duo Tegan and Sara left the comfort of their indie-rock roots and launched into mainstream pop with their seventh studio album, Heartthrob. Dubbed the "most commercial record of their career" by Rolling Stone, the album saw Tegan and Sara shift from their quintessential folk sound to what Tegan described as "supercharged," with radio-friendly hit singles Closer, I Was a Fool and Goodbye, Goodbye.

"A compulsion to queer the mainstream" was a big motivator for the duo, having already established a loyal fanbase from playing music professionally since 1997. "As indie musicians who had been relegated to the margins, we felt convinced that our music and story would resonate with a wider audience, which is what drove us to try to make something vibrant, relatable and commercial," they told CBC Music in 2023. Heartthrob's success certainly levelled up the band and garnered them four Juno nominations in major categories, with three wins: single of the year, group of the year and pop album of the year.

Honourable mentions

Drake: 2013 saw Drake's dominance in Canadian music continue. He dropped his third studio album, Nothing Was the Same, launching major hits Started From the Bottom and Hold On, We're Going Home into the hip-hop/pop sphere, and taking home a Juno for video of the year for his collaboration with Director X on HYRF featuring Lil Wayne, off his previous album, Take Care. 

The Weekend: Not to be outdone, the Weeknd was also on the up, releasing his official debut studio album, Kiss Land, and taking home two Juno Awards, for breakthrough artist and R&B/soul recording of the year.

A Tribe Called Red: That same year, DJ group A Tribe Called Red — who blended the sounds of hip-hop, reggae, moombahton and electronic music with elements of traditional First Nations sounds — released its second album, Nation II Nation. The album was shortlisted for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize, and A Tribe Called Red won the Juno for breakthrough group of the year in 2014, making it the first Indigenous act to do so. The group has since changed their name to the Halluci Nation.

 — Ashley Catania

2014: Drake

In the decade of Drake, 2014 stands out in particular because it was a year he didn't release an album, but inexplicably stayed at the centre of the conversation. It was the year Drake hosted both the ESPY Awards and Saturday Night Live — and, oh yeah, dated Rihanna. He also won the Juno for rap recording of the year, won best male hip-hop artist at the BET Awards, and was nominated for five Grammys, including best rap album, best rap performance and best rap song. Drake did all of this riding off the momentum of 2013's Nothing Was the Same, his third album, which featured defining tracks Worst Behaviour, Started From the Bottom and Hold On, We're Going Home, arguably channelling his versatility better than any other project up until that point. Yet he still tossed off loosies, like the anthemic Trophies and the Boi-1da/Frank Dukes-produced 0 to 100/The Catch Up for good measure. There's a good reason that Billboard dubbed 2014 "The Drake-over."

Honourable mentions 

Tanya Tagaq: In accepting the 2014 Polaris Music Prize, Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq also eschewed convention by yelling "F--k PETA" during her acceptance speech. Her words followed arguably the most powerful performance in the award show's history, featuring Tagaq's impassioned singing, a 40-member choir and a sobering scroll of the names of countless murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls.

Shawn Mendes: Pickering, Ontario's Shawn Mendes generated his early following via Vine, and the release of the singer's debut single, Life of the Party, led to the 15-year-old becoming the youngest artist to chart in the Top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100. 

Alvvays: The melodic indie fuzz from this band formed in both P.E.I. and Nova Scotia arrived fully formed as vocalist Molly Rankin et al. critiqued societal expectations on the indelible Archie, Marry Me. 

— DFC

2015: The Weeknd

2015 was a really big year for Canadian music. In fact, it might have been one of the biggest, at least at the time. Not only did a number of Canadian artists dominate the charts — at one point occupying seven spots in the Billboard Top 10 for the first time — but Canadian musicians, collectively, actually sold more albums internationally than they ever had before up until that point. And while Justin Bieber, Drake and Alessia Cara all had incredible years, there's no denying this was the year of the Weeknd.

After faltering on 2013's Kiss Land, Abel Tesfaye released the commercially and critically acclaimed Beauty Behind the Madness, the Grammy-winning album that perfectly balanced his darker R&B roots with a more pop-focused approach to production, proving that he was one of the most important voices in modern music. The Weekend went from being a Canadian success to a global phenomenon, driven off the strength of singles including The Hills and Earned It, the latter of which was included on the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack and earned the Weeknd his only Academy Award nomination. That's not to mention the absolutely inescapable Can't Feel My Face, his first No. 1 hit and a single that is as dark as it is catchy, giving it the distinction of being the only song about doing cocaine to be nominated for a Kids' Choice Award. 

Honourable mentions

Justin Bieber: In 2015, Bieber reinvented himself, showing fans a more mature side to his music with the release of Purpose. A carefully crafted album full of hits, such as Sorry, What Do You Mean? and Love Yourself, Bieber turned his back on the trope of being a troubled teen idol, even apologizing for past missteps and agreeing to be the guest of honour at a Central Comedy roast.  

Alessia Cara: The Mississauga, Ont., singer's debut single, Here, with its introspective, introverted themes over moody production and an Isaac Hayes sample, marked the arrival of a fresh voice in Canadian music that was here to stay. 

Carly Rae Jepsen: Call Me Maybe is the song that introduced Carly Rae Jepsen to the world, but the release of her 2015 album, Emotion, proved she was far more than a one-hit wonder. A joyful pop record from start to finish, songs like Run Away with Me, Your Type and the undeniably catchy I Really Like You showed she was one of Canada's best songwriters. 

 — JK-G

2016: Drake

Thanks to Kanye West, Chance the Rapper and Travis Scott all making splashes with acclaimed albums, 2016 was a seismic year for hip-hop. But the rap crown would go to Drake, who correctly predicted in January on his deliciously petty Meek Mill diss track, Summer Sixteen, that he would own the year. Drake's fourth album, Views, arrived like a tidal wave, quickly going to No. 1 and becoming one of his most commercially successful albums ever. It spawned the sultry Wizkid and Kyla-assisted One Dance, which introduced Afrobeats to global listeners and became the first song in history to pass one billion streams on Spotify. It also featured the infectious club banger Hotline Bling, which, despite being released in 2015, continued to gain steam with its colourful music video that spotlighted the memeable, carefree dance moves of the turtleneck-clad rapper.

The album's momentum continued when Drake set off on a joint tour with Future, bringing the multi-platinum record to the masses. During Drake's Toronto OVO Fest shows, the sonic love letter to his hometown became fully realized through performances with Views collaborators including West, Rihanna, Popcaan and more. 

Drake became synonymous with 2016 and defined an entire season: Summer '16 was, and still is, beloved by many music fans for the quantity and quality of releases that soundtracked parties, clubs, festivals and cottage getaways. And Views' accolades were proof: it picked up two Grammy nominations, an American Music Award, a BET Hip Hop Award and also cemented Drake as the year's most-streamed artist on Spotify.

Video produced by Golan Sahraei

Honourable mentions

The Tragically Hip: The band released its last full-length album, Man Machine Poem, and embarked on its final tour during the summer of 2016 as frontman Gord Downie battled terminal brain cancer. The bandmates bid fans goodbye at their last concert in August, which was broadcast from their hometown of Kingston across the country on CBC with more than 11 million Canadians tuning in. 

Kaytranada: Then up-and-coming DJ and producer Kaytranada won the Polaris Music Prize in 2016, beating out big stars such as Grimes and Carly Rae Jepsen.

Jessie Reyez: Singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez emerged with her debut single, Figures, which climbed the charts and became a multi-platinum hit.

— NH

2017: Daniel Caesar

For a while, Canadian R&B didn't whisper sweet nothings — it sent late-night "u up?" texts. But with his 2017 debut full-length, Freudian, Daniel Caesar revived the art of the heart-spilling love letter. At a time when the Weeknd and OVO had established Toronto as a hotbed for brooding, nocturnal sonics, the achingly sincere Oshawa crooner carved out a different lane: soulful, gospel-tinged and unswervingly independent. Notching two Grammy nods, the album marked a meteoric rise for the then 22-year-old, catapulting him from busking in parks to sharing the stage with Chance the Rapper on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. It also proved that Canadian artists could make an international impact without the backing of a U.S. label — or even the support of Canadian radio.

Caesar's breakthrough set a new blueprint for independent Canadian artists, showing them success could be built on authenticity, streaming platforms and organic fan support, rather than the mainstream music machine. Despite being courted by major labels, the singer instead chose to sign a deal with Apple Music and amplify his songs via TuneCore and Twitter. Blazing a trail for others in Toronto's flourishing alt-R&B and soul scene — including Charlotte Day Wilson, Savannah Ré and Loony — Caesar's success signalled that the industry was paying attention to Toronto's next wave.

Honourable mentions

Justin Bieber: In 2017, Bieber pulled off the ultimate flex: owning the charts without even dropping an album. He hopped on the remix for Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's Despacito, which became the most streamed song of all time (at the time) and the first Spanish-language song to top the Billboard Hot 100 in over two decades. He also featured on DJ Khaled's I'm the One, which shot to No. 1, cementing his status as a global pop cheat code.

Shawn Mendes: The singer had a huge 2017, levelling up from teen sensation to certified pop heavyweight. His guitar-laced smash There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back  –– his fifth Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 –– became one of the year's biggest singles, shaking stadiums during his sold-out Illuminate world tour. 

— Alex Nino Gheciu

2018: Jeremy Dutcher

When Jeremy Dutcher released his debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, in April 2018, it was unlike anything the country had heard before. The Wolastoqiyik tenor from Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick had used 100-year-old wax cylinder recordings of traditional songs in Wolastoq, a language now only fluently spoken by fewer than 100 people, and blended them with his own operatic compositions. It announced the powerhouse artist's official arrival, while serving as both an act of reclamation, and of future-building. 

It also marked Dutcher's quick ascension: the album won the 2018 Polaris Music Prize, four years after Tanya Tagaq became the first Indigenous artist to win it for her album Animism, and would win him a Juno Award in 2019. (Dutcher has also since become the only artist to win the Polaris Music Prize twice, taking it home in 2024 for his sophomore album, Motewolonuwok.)

"I do this work to honour those who have gone before and I lay the footprints for those yet to come," he said during his Polaris Prize speech. "Canada, you are in the midst of an Indigenous renaissance. Are you ready to hear the truths that need to be told? Are you ready to see the things that need to be seen?"

Honourable mentions

Jessie Reyez: After signing a publishing deal with Island Records in 2017, Reyez kicked off 2018 by being named one of 10 hip-hop and R&B artists to watch by Billboard — and closed the year with her critically acclaimed second EP, Being Human in Public. Featuring guest appearances by Kehlani and Normani, the album would go on to nab Reyez a Juno Award and a Grammy nomination.

Alessia Cara: In January 2018, Cara won the Grammy for best new artist, making her the first Canadian to ever do so. In November, she released her sophomore album, The Pains of Growing, which would go on to win a 2020 Juno Award.

Drake: As with many years in the 2010s, 2018 was a big one for Drake: he released the EP Scary Hours, which featured the record-breaking song God's Plan, and followed that up with the song Nice For What, pairing it with a video that featured every celebrity woman Drake could likely think of at the time (and which sampled Lauryn Hill's Ex-Factor). On top of that, when his album Scorpion was released, it immediately saw all 25 of its tracks hit the Billboard Hot 100.

— HG

2019: Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes might have begun the 2010s as a clean-cut teen heartthrob singing smooth covers on Vine, but by 2018 he had three No. 1 albums under his belt, including his self-titled record. He released the deluxe version of Shawn Mendes in 2019, and the project propelled him across the globe with a tour spanning more than 100 shows. The album picked up two Grammy nominations — his first ones ever — for best pop vocal album and song of the year, and Mendes's heart-on-sleeve lyricism on tracks such as In My Blood also helped him nab three Juno Awards for pop album of the year, single of the year and songwriter of the year.

However, Mendes's headline-grabbing musical moment in 2019 came not at the Grammys or the Junos, but during the American Music Awards in late August, when he performed Señorita, a steamy duet with his then-girlfriend Camila Cabello (they confirmed their relationship that September). The performance showed off their sizzling chemistry, with the pair locking eyes, holding hands and teasing the crowd with an almost-kiss.

Co-written by artists including Benny Blanco, Charli XCX and more, the love song was an eye-opening change from Mendes's signature pop ballads, instead showcasing a more sultry and mature Latin sound. Señorita dominated the airwaves, set Spotify ablaze, won an American Music Award and an MTV Video Music Award, and became Mendes's first No. 1 single, showing he could have it all: romance, trophies and a genre-crossing hit. 

Honourable mentions

Daniel Caesar: In 2019, the R&B crooner had a breakthrough moment when he won his first Grammy, taking home the award for best R&B performance for his love ballad Best Part with H.E.R.

The Weeknd: 2019 saw the Weeknd nab his first film role in Uncut Gems, appearing alongside Adam Sandler and Julia Fox in the chaotic thriller. In November, he released the biggest hit of his career yet with Blinding Lights, introducing fans to his After Hours era that would unfold the following year.

Haviah Mighty: The rapper made history when she won the Polaris Music Prize for her impassioned album 13th Floor, becoming the first hip-hop artist and Black woman to win.

Orville Peck: Masked, queer singer Orville Peck ushered in a new wave of inclusivity in the country world, garnering attention and critical acclaim with his debut album, Pony.

— NH

2020: The Weeknd 

2020 marked a transformational year in everyone's life. In the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, societal and political unrest was rampant and everything felt like it was on hold. Despite it all, the Weeknd, already one of the biggest pop stars in the world, managed to take his career to even further heights.

While the world was crashing around him, the Weeknd and his After Hours era were able to cut through the noise and connect with audiences in a way we had never seen: Blinding Lights, although originally released in November 2019, spent week after week growing into what is now the most streamed song of all time on Spotify. Other singles and collaborations, including Heartless with Metro Boomin, not only excited fans but also left them wondering where the Weeknd was going to go next. Was he going to be bright and poppy? Was he going to be dark and gloomy? It turns out, he was going to be all of the above, and shatter records while doing so. Although he had to cancel a stadium tour due to the pandemic, the Weeknd turned 2020 into one of the most commercially successful years of his career. 

Honourable mentions

Jessie Reyez: The singer-songwriter had huge plans for 2020, including supporting Billie Eilish on her first arena tour while rolling out her debut album, Before Love Came to Kill Us. The tour was ultimately postponed, but an eager Reyez and team decided to continue with their album rollout. That quick decision-making, mixed with a little bit of luck, turned Reyez into a global superstar. 

Backxwash: The Zambian Canadian rapper made huge strides with their confident approach to experimental hip-hop in the years leading up to 2020. However widespread acclaim came after they won the 2020 Polaris Music Prize for their project God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It, which seamlessly blended heavy metal/classic rock samples with hip-hop percussion, setting a new bar for indie hip-hop. 

Mother Mother: Late in 2020, Mother Mother also reaped the benefits of what was an extremely unpredictable year. More than a decade after the band's album O My Heart was released, its songs began gaining traction on TikTok, with creators using the music to share stories of self-acceptance, discovery and more. The virality of the songs brought new life to Mother Mother and its core fanbase. 

 — Bhaven Moorthy

2021: Kaytranada

In the earlier years of his career, Kaytranada won the Polaris Music Prize for his debut album, 99.9%, toured with Madonna, played one of the most iconic Boiler Room sets to date, and got co-signed by Janet Jackson. But it was in 2021 that he made history. His second album, Bubba, came out in December 2019, making it eligible for the 2021 Grammy Awards, and Kaytranada was nominated for best dance recording, best dance/electronic album and best new artist. He won both genre awards, making him the first Black producer and first openly gay producer to win best dance/electronic album since the category's inception in 2004.

Dance music genres like house and techno were pioneered by Black, queer people in Chicago, Detroit and New York, and as Kaytranada was working on Bubba, he wanted to honour those legacies, making the weight of his wins feel even greater. He told Billboard ahead of the Grammys that "a lot of young kids who aspire to be musicians probably have the same inner struggles as me, being Black and gay just [trying to] fit in. It could be inspiring to them. That's why I want to win." The Montreal producer had a similarly historic win at the Junos, becoming the first Black male solo winner of the dance recording of the year award since it was launched in 1992. Kaytranada's music is an amalgamation of Black musical traditions, where dance, hip-hop and R&B converge, and Bubba solidified him as the one to lead them into the future.

Honourable mentions

Justin Bieber: After dipping his toes deeper into R&B with 2020's Changes, Bieber returned to pop powerhouse form with Justice, a record that included Top 5 hits Ghost and Peaches, featuring Giveon and Daniel Caesar. His collab single with the Kid Laroi, Stay, was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. 

The Weeknd: The singer's juggernaut single Blinding Lights still had legs in 2021, winning single of the year at the Junos, while After Hours won album of the year. In November, Blinding Lights became the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit of all time. 

Mustafa: The Toronto poet-turned-songwriter released his debut EP, When Smoke Rises, to much acclaim, heralding a new era in Canadian folk music. It included credits from James Blake, Jamie xx, Sampha and Frank Dukes, and was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. 

— KA

2022: Charlotte Cardin

2022 was a massive year for Montreal pop darling Charlotte Cardin. The model-turned-musician had already made waves as a finalist on the Quebec singing competition show La Voix, followed up by her first EP, 2016's Big Boy, and her second EP, Main Girl, released the year after. These early projects earned her several notable nominations, including the 2017 SOCAN Songwriting Prize (in both the French and English categories, a first for any artist) and two Juno nominations in 2018 for breakthrough artist and songwriter of the year. 

Then, her debut album, Phoenix, released in 2021, was warmly received by critics and garnered her "it-girl" status by audiences. It debuted at No. 1 on the Canadian Albums chart, won the Félix Award for anglophone album of the year, and was longlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize. It also secured her the title of most-nominated artist at the 2022 Juno Awards with six nods. She took home four major wins: album, artist, pop album and single of the year for Meaningless, which she performed at the awards broadcast in Toronto. Cardin's powerful vocals and raw lyricism, evident in this project and her work since, have only continued to platform her as a major Canadian act to watch.

Honourable mentions

The Weeknd: This was another big year for the Weeknd, as he released his fifth studio album, Dawn FM. Leading with the single Take My Breath, followed by Sacrifice, Out of Breath, and Less Than Zero, the album felt bright, creative and fresh. He earned five Juno nominations this year and took home two: songwriter and contemporary R&B recording of the year.

Aysanabee: Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee, a.k.a. Evan Pang, released his debut album, Watin, in 2022. Lead single Nomads, produced by Juno Award-winning artist Hill Kourkoutis, reached No. 1 on the CBC Music Top 20 and the Canadian alternative rock charts. The album was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize, was named one of the best Canadian albums of 2022 by CBC Music, and landed Aysanabee a nomination for contemporary Indigenous artist of the year at the 2023 Juno Awards.

 — AC

2023: Tate McRae

"You can't spell Tate without ATE," is a popular saying among fans of Tate McRae, and in 2023 the pop star did just that by devouring the charts. McRae's star had been rising since the release of her 2022 debut album, I Used to Think I Could Fly, and she kept the momentum going in 2023 with an electric opening performance at the Juno Awards in March. Six months later, she had her global breakthrough with Greedy, the bass-bumping, Promiscuous-inspired smash that went to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It may as well have hit No. 1: the juggernaut, which was streamed more than 330 million times on Spotify that year, was everywhere, from TikTok to radio to year-end best-of lists. With its sharply choreographed, hockey-themed music video, the song had the entire world wondering, "Who is Tate McRae?" — suddenly everyone from The Today Show to Apple Music was paying attention to the Calgary sensation. 

Greedy landed McRae on SNL, the Billboard Music Awards stage, and appeared on her second album, Think Later, that December. The album signalled that the musical tides of the 2020s were turning: throughout the 2010s, some of the biggest pop hits to come out of Canada were by Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, the Weeknd and Drake — men making sad bops for the lovelorn. McRae's liftoff ushered in a bubblegum vibe shift, and her earwormy songs satiated a ravenous appetite for empowered, danceable pop. 

Honourable mentions

The Beaches: After getting dropped by their record label in 2022, the Beaches had a dazzling comeback with their catchy breakup smash Blame Brett: a viral hit on TikTok and one of CBC Music's top songs of the year.

Tobi: The rapper won rap album/EP of the year at the Juno Awards, and also released his thoughtful album Panic, which was named CBC Music's album of the year.

Charlotte Cardin: The Montreal singer's second album, 99 Nights, became her biggest record yet, partly thanks to the addictive lead single, Confetti. 

The Weeknd: Continuing to be ubiquitous in 2023, the Weeknd starred in his first TV show, The Idol, and won five Juno Awards for Dawn FM. 

— NH

2024: Mustafa

If Mustafa's 2021 EP, When Smoke Rises, made him a new kind of Canadian folk hero, 2024's Dunya cemented him as an integral voice in the genre. Pushing beyond the streets of his Toronto neighbourhood, the album tells stories that cross continents and oceans, cultures and ethnicities. Heralded by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, the New York Times and more as some of the best music of the year, Dunya saw Mustafa continuing to push musical boundaries, merging traditional Sudanese instrumentation with Western folk stylings. He won the 2024 Prism Prize for the Name of God music video, making him the first person to ever win the prize twice (the first time was in 2022 for Ali).

Mustafa's first foray into the public spotlight was as a poet in his youth, charged with the responsibility of representing all the complexities and beauty of his home, Regent Park, a disenfranchised part of Toronto that has recently been plagued by gentrification. Through a music program, Mustafa was mentored by Frank Dukes, helping turn his poetic prowess into stellar songwriting skills for the Weeknd, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Justin Bieber and more. But nowhere does his songwriting shine as much as when he's sharing the intricacies of his own life. Dunya is an album that has been championed by the likes of Angelina Jolie and Dua Lipa, and features fellow buzzy artists Clairo, Rosalia and Daniel Caesar. Through not only his musicianship, but also his activism, 2024 saw Mustafa catapulted to the global stage. 

Honourable mentions

Céline Dion: The year began for Dion with the release of her documentary, I Am: Céline Dion, a harrowing look at her battle to return to the stage after her diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome in 2022. In July, she delivered a world-stopping Olympic opening ceremony performance in Paris that felt like a true comeback. Her stirring rendition of Édith Piaf's Hymne à l'amour was watched by 42 million people in North America alone. 

Tate McRae: Still riding the high of her September 2023 single, Greedy, McRae became a household name in 2024: the song won the Juno Award for single of the year, went six-times platinum and topped charts across four continents. McRae kept up that momentum in the latter half of the year, teasing her third album with singles It's OK I'm OK and 2 Hands. 

Jeremy Dutcher: Polaris Music Prize history was made when Jeremy Dutcher became the first artist to ever win the coveted award twice. His second album, 2023's Motewolonuwok, is a continuation of the language preservation work he began on his debut, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. He donated his $50,000 prize to the language school his mother founded, furthering the cause. 

 — KA