Begonia is the stage name of Alexa Dirks, a Canadian pop singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba. [1] She is most noted for her 2019 album Fear, which was longlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize [2] and shortlisted for the Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2021. [3]
Formerly a member of the Juno Award winning band Chic Gamine, [4] Dirks launched her solo career in 2017 with the EP Lady in Mind. [5] The EP's single "Juniper" reached #1 on the Radio 2 Top 20 . [5]
The single "Hanging on a Line" was released in June 2019 as a preview of Fear. [6] She undertook a Canadian tour over the summer, before releasing Fear in September. [7]
Her album Powder Blue was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize, [8] and received a Juno Award nomination for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2024. [9]
Tanika Charles is a Canadian soul and rhythm and blues singer, who released her full-length debut album Soul Run in 2016.
Andy Shauf is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Regina, Saskatchewan. He plays several instruments, including guitar, drums, and clarinet.
William Prince is a Canadian folk and country singer-songwriter based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Jessica Reyez is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Her 2016 single "Figures" peaked at number 58 on the Canadian Hot 100 in 2017 and was certified triple Platinum by Music Canada and Platinum by the RIAA. Her 2017 EP, Kiddo, led to four nominations at the 2018 Juno Awards, winning Breakthrough Artist. Her follow up EP, Being Human in Public, was released in 2018. It won R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2019 Juno Awards and was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Reyez again won the R&B/Soul Recording of the Year, for "Feel it Too" with Tory Lanez and Tainy, at the 2020 Juno Awards, where she was also nominated for Artist of the Year. Reyez has written songs for Calvin Harris, Kehlani, Dua Lipa and Normani, most notably penning the hit "One Kiss", and has collaborated with Eminem on multiple occasions. Her debut album, Before Love Came to Kill Us, was released on March 27, 2020, to widespread critical acclaim, and saw commercial success, entering at number thirteen on the US Billboard 200.
Kiddo is the debut extended play by Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez. It was released on April 21, 2017, by FMLY and Republic Records. The EP was supported by two singles, "Figures" and "Shutter Island". The third single, "Gatekeeper", was released alongside a short film. The EP peaked at No. 83 on the Canadian Hot 100 and was nominated for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2018 Juno Awards.
iskwē is a Canadian singer-songwriter and activist.
Chic Gamine is a Canadian musical group from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Formed in 2007 by vocalists Ariane Jean, Alexa Dirks, Andrina Turenne, Annick Bremault and drummer Sacha Daoud, they began with a vocal pop style backed only by drums, but later evolved to add more instrumentation. Jean, Turenne and Bremault had previously been members of the larger vocal group Madrigaïa.
Snotty Nose Rez Kids are a First Nations hip hop duo composed of Haisla rappers Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce. They are originally from Kitamaat Village, British Columbia. Their 2017 album The Average Savage was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize, and for the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2019. In 2018, the duo received nominations for Best Hip Hop Album at the Indigenous Music Awards, and for Indigenous Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards. Their third album TRAPLINE was released on May 10, 2019 and was later shortlisted for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize. Their fourth album Life After (2021) was shortlisted for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize and was followed by their fifth album I’M GOOD, HBU? in 2022.
Being Human in Public is the second EP by Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez. It was released on October 19, 2018, by FMLY and Island Records. It features guest appearances from JRM, Kehlani and Normani. The EP was placed on the longlist for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize. It won R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2019 Juno Awards and was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Riit (ᕇᑦ) is the stage name of Rita Claire Mike-Murphy, a Canadian Inuk musician and television personality from Pangnirtung, Nunavut who is most noted as the host of APTN's children's series Anaana's Tent.
The 2019 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 16, 2019. Haviah Mighty won the $50,000 dollar prize for her debut album 13th Floor, becoming the first Black woman and first hip hop artist to win the prize.
Before Love Came to Kill Us is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez. It was released on March 27, 2020, by FMLY and Island Records. The record was prefaced with the singles "Figures", "Imported" with 6lack, and "Love in the Dark", and the promotional single "Ankles". A deluxe edition with three additional songs was made available digitally on April 9, 2020. A super deluxe edition of the album was released on September 25, 2020.
The 2020 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on October 19, 2020. The longlist was announced on June 15, 2020, with the shortlist following on July 15, 2020 and the winner announced on October 19, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional winner's gala did not take place this year, and instead a special cinematic tribute to the shortlist was streamed online by CBC Music and CBC Gem, following which the winner was announced.
Status/Non-Status, formerly known as WHOOP-Szo, is a Canadian alternative rock band from Guelph, Ontario, led by Anishinaabe-Canadian singer-songwriter Adam Sturgeon. The band is most noted for its 2019 album Warrior Down, which was longlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize.
Super Duty Tough Work are a Canadian art-rap/hip hop group from Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are most noted for their 2019 EP Studies in Grey, which was longlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize.
Savannah Ré Simpson, simply known as Savannah Ré, is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter from Scarborough, Ontario, whose debut EP Opia was released in 2020.
Dylan Sinclair is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, whose full-length debut album Proverb was a Juno Award nominee for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2021.
Zoon is a Canadian shoegaze band from Hamilton, Ontario, whose core member is Anishinaabe musician Daniel Monkman. They are most noted for their 2020 album Bleached Wavves, which was a shortlisted finalist for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.
Reliever is the second studio album from Canadian singer-songwriter William Prince, released February 7, 2020 on Six Shooter Records.
Harrison Robinson, mononymously known as Harrison, is a Canadian electronic musician from Toronto, Ontario. He is most noted as a two-time Juno Award nominee for Electronic Album of the Year, receiving nods at the Juno Awards of 2017 for Checkpoint Titanium and at the Juno Awards of 2024 for Birds, Bees, the Clouds and the Trees.