Famous 21st Century Canadian Musicians

One of rock and roll’s greatest songwriters and performers of all time, Neil Young has worked both solo as well with bands like Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The Grammy award winning musician’s notable albums include After the Gold Rush, Harvest, Harvest Moon and Ragged Glory. He strongly backs environmental and disability issues too.

Joni Mitchell is one of the most popular Canadian singer-songwriters. Widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, her songs reflect her feelings about joy, romance, disillusionment, and confusion. Apart from being a musician, Joni is also a visual artist who designs most of her album covers. In fact, she calls herself a painter derailed by circumstance.  

Neil Peart was a Canadian songwriter, author, and musician. Best known as the drummer of the popular rock band Rush, Peart was nicknamed The Professor for his technical proficiency. In 1983, Neil Peart became the youngest person ever to be inducted into the Modern Drummer publication's Readers Poll Hall of Fame.

Canadian musician, songwriter, and film composer Robbie Robertson became popular following his association as lead guitarist and songwriter with the rock group, The Band. He is credited for playing a key role in popularizing the Americana music genre. He also had a successful career as a solo artist. As a film composer, he has often collaborated with director Martin Scorsese.

Drake soared to fame with his performance as Jimmy Brooks in the series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He then became a rap sensation with his platinum album Thank Me Later and his Grammy-winning quadruple platinum album Take Care. His track In My Feelings went viral with the global Kiki Challenge.

Celine Dion is a Canadian singer renowned for her powerful voice. Having sold more than 200 million records worldwide, Dion is one of the best-selling singers ever. Widely regarded as one of the most influential pop singers of her generation, Celine Dion's works have inspired other popular singers, such as Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Katy Perry, and Ariana Grande.

Alanis Morisette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter and actress. Renowned for her mezzo-soprano voice, Morisette has been named by Rolling Stone as the Queen of Alt-Rock Angst. A recipient of 13 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, Morisette has released several successful albums, including Jagged Little Pill, which was named in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

Alex Lifeson is a Canadian songwriter, musician, and record producer. He co-founded the progressive rock band Rush and serves as its guitarist. He plays electric and acoustic guitars and can also play other string instruments, such as mandola, mandolin, and bouzouki. Besides music, he is a licensed aircraft pilot and an actor. He has appeared in some TV shows. 

Paul Anka is a Canadian-American actor and singer-songwriter. As a songwriter, he has contributed to the success of popular musicians, such as Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson. He has also contributed to the theme of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Also known for his business ventures, Anka is credited with opening the popular restaurant and club, Jubilation.

Rick Moranis is one of the most popular Canadian artists to make it big in the American film industry. Best known for playing father characters in children's films like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Rick proved to be a great father off-screen as he took a long break from his career to take care of his children, after the death of his wife.

Canadian musician, composer, and arranger David Foster is a prominent figure in the international music scene and has worked with the likes of  Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, and Madonna. The winner of 16 Grammy Awards, he has also been nominated for the Academy Awards thrice. He launched the David Foster Foundation to help sick children.

Nelly Furtado is a Portuguese-Canadian record producer and singer-songwriter. Known for her constant reinvention and musical versatility, Furtado is one of the most successful musical artists from Canada, having sold more than 40 million records. Her work has also inspired fellow musicians like Dua Lipa and Bridgit Mendler. Also a philanthropist, Furtado is a member of Artists Against Racism charity.

One of the most successful Canadian recording artists, singer-songwriter, the Weeknd, holds several chart records and has won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards. Despite a difficult childhood marred by drug abuse and violence, he persevered and worked hard to emerge as a beloved music star. He is actively involved in philanthropy.

Michael Cera is best known for his award-winning roles in Arrested Development, Superbad, and Juno. He has played voice roles, too. His work in theater earned him a Tony nomination. He has also toured as a bassist with an indie rock group and has released an album, True That.

Rapper, singer and songwriter, Tory Lanez’s debut studio album I Told You topped the charts in 2016. His subsequent albums, Memories Don't Die, Love Me Now, Chixtape 5 and Daystar were successful too. He was arrested once for violence and possessing a weapon. He has also been accused of shooting and wounding another rap artist, a charge Tory has denied.

Sebastian Bach is a singer-songwriter best known for his association with American heavy metal band, Skid Row, where he served as frontman from 1987 to 1996. Known for his high-pitched singing style, Sebastian Bach underwent singing-related hernia surgery in 2017; it was later said that the surgery was required as he literally screamed his guts out.

Canadian pop singer Shawn Mendes is known for catchy and soulful folk-pop songs. Stitches, Treat You Better, There's Nothing Holding Me Back, In My Blood, If I Can't Have You and Senorita are some of his popular and chartbuster songs. He was named by the Time Magazine in 2018 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Canadian singer Mac DeMarco is best known as the pioneer of the blue wave or slacker rock type of music. He described his music as jizz jazz. A multi-instrumentalist, too, he is skilled in the guitar, the drums, and the keyboards. He is fond of vintage musical equipment.

Success came early to Canadian singer and songwriter Avril Lavigne. At fourteen, she performed with Canadian icon, Shania Twain, and at sixteen, bagged a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut album Let Go released soon, became a huge success, made her a teen idol and earned Grammy Award nominations. With subsequent albums, her popularity has only increased.

Henry Lau is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor. Making his debut as a member of the boy band Super Junior-M, he became a popular figure in both China and South Korea. Since then, he has launched a successful solo career as well. He branched out into acting as well and made his Hollywood debut in 2019.

Navraj Singh Goraya, popularly known as Nav, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He achieved recognition when his song Myself went viral in 2016. Bad Habits, his second studio album, debuted at the top position on the US Billboard 200. He has also received criticism for using the word nigga in some of his songs like TTD.

PartyNextDoor is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer. He grew up listening to rappers, such as Jodeci, Boyz II Men, Blackstreet, and 112 and was inspired to pursue a career in music. His first mixtape was a moderate hit. Since then, he has released a few albums and several singles. He has been nominated for the Grammy Awards twice. 

Paul Rodgers is a British singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. Over the years, Rodgers has performed with popular bands like Bad Company, Free, and Queen. Rodgers, who has influenced several notable rock singers, was honored with the prestigious Ivor Novello Award in 2011. He has also been named in Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Diana Krall is a Canadian jazz singer and pianist. With several gold and multi-platinum albums under her belt, Krall is regarded as one of the best-selling artists of her generation. In 2009, Billboard called her the second-greatest jazz artist of the 2000–09 decade. In 2004, she was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

Best known as the band leader in Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman, Paul Shaffer is a Grammy Award-winning Canadian multi-instrumentalist and singer. He co-wrote the 1980s’ hit It's Raining Men sung by the Weather Girls and later revived by Geri Halliwell.

Widely regarded as the Queen of Country Pop, Shania Twain is the best-selling female artist in the history of country music, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide. She is also one of the best-selling music artists ever. According to Billboard, Shania Twain is the 13th Greatest Music Video Female Solo Artist ever.

René Angélil is best remembered as singer Céline Dion’s manager and, later, husband. Born to Syrian immigrants in Canada, he grew up to be a talent manager and music producer. He met Dion when she was 12 and he was 38, and began dating her when she was 20.

Best known as Mike Wheeler from Stranger Things, SAG Award-winner Finn Wolfhard has also appeared in It and its sequel. He was a vocalist and guitarist for the band Calpurnia and formed the indie-pop duo The Aubreys. Named to Forbes 30 under 30, he has also directed a short film.

Best known to international audiences for his scores of the hit trilogies The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Canadian composer Howard Shore had begun playing music at age 8 and was part of bands by age 13. He has 3 Academy Awards and 4 Grammy Awards in his kitty.

Devin Townsend is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the founder of the extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad. For several years, he was its primary songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist. He also has an extensive career as a solo artist and has more than 25 albums to his name. He suffers from depression and bipolar disorder. 

Nardwuar the Human Serviette is a Canadian musician and interviewer. He was a founding member of the popular garage rock band The Evaporators where he currently serves as the keyboardist and lead singer. As an interviewer Nardwuar is renowned for his unorthodox approach and bizarre questions. In 2019, he was inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Jessie Reyez is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She started playing guitar as a child and soon began writing songs as well. She pursued a career in music after high school. Initially, she struggled a lot but was able to carve a niche for herself in a few years. She received the Juno Breakthrough Artist Award in 2018. 

Known for her music that showcases the issues of Native Americans, Canadian-American singer Buffy Sainte-Marie became the first person from any indigenous community to win an Oscar, with the song Up Where We Belong. She had also been blacklisted by many radio stations earlier due to her activism.

Cindy Breakspeare is a Canadian-Jamaican jazz singer, musician, and beauty queen. She was crowned Miss World 1976, becoming the second Jamaican to clinch the crown. She later became a recording artist and entrepreneur, founding a Rastafarian craft store called Ital Craf. She was once in a relationship with reggae musician Bob Marley that lasted until his death.