Canadian Women Lyricists & Songwriters

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Claire Elise Boucher is a musician whose music incorporates elements of various genres like electronic, hip-hop, and R&B, which reflects her hard-partying and volatile lifestyle; she once tried sailing down the Mississippi River in a houseboat built by her and a friend before the boat was impounded. Open about her drug use in the past, Boucher now advocates against hard drugs.

Lara Fabian is a Canadian-Belgian musician, singer, songwriter, and actress. One of the best-selling Belgian music artists ever, Fabian has sold more than 20 million records all over the world. Over the course of her career, she has won many prestigious awards, such as Félix Awards and World Music Awards.

Best known for her Grammy-winning and Billboard-charting single Black Velvet, written in memory of Elvis Presley, Alannah Myles is the daughter of legendary Canadian broadcaster William Douglas Byles. She was later seen in Eurovision and also sang the Canadian national anthem at Toronto All-Star Game in 1991.

Anjulie Persaud is a Canadian songwriter and singer best known for her collaboration with popular artists like Nicki Minaj, Diplo, Kelly Clarkson, Benny Benassi, and Zedd among others. Anjulie's music has been featured on popular networks, such as HBO, MTV, and NBC. In 2013, she received the Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year.

Régine Chassagne is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She is a founding member of the indie rock band Arcade Fire. She began her career as a jazz performer and met fellow musician Win Butler, with whom she started Arcade Fire. The couple got married and continue to perform together. She is a shareholder in the music streaming service company Tidal. 

Terri Clark is a Canadian country music artist who is popular in both Canada and USA. Born into a family of music lovers, she began her career playing gigs at bars. Her first single was a moderate success and helped her get a footing in the music industry. She has since released numerous hit albums and has won many awards. 

Loreena McKennitt is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Her music is infused with Celtic and Middle Eastern influences. As a singer, she is known for her refined and clear soprano vocals. She has sold over 14 million records worldwide and is the recipient of several awards, including the Western Canadian Music Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Born into a family of musicians, Canadian-American folk singer Martha Wainwright initially studied drama but later began her music career, performing at coffee-houses. She is talented songwriter, too and has performed as part of the duo known as the Wainwright Sisters, with her half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche.

Canadian country singer Lindsay Ell is best known for her Billboard-topping album The Project. Calgary-born Ell learned to play the guitar while traveling to country music camps with her father. Her hit tracks such as I Don’t Love You and What Happen In a Small Town later catapulted her to fame.

Emm Gryner is a Canadian singer-songwriter best known for her hit singles Summerlong and Acid. She graduated from Fanshawe College's Music Industry Arts and started her career by performing gigs. In the ensuing years, she released several albums and was nominated for many awards. She also hosts radio shows and appears in music videos. 

Tami Neilson is a singer-songwriter who has won multiple New Zealand Music Awards, including two consecutive awards in 2009 and 2010. Her 2014 album Dynamite was included in The Guardian's top ten country albums of the year list, while her 2015 album Don't Be Afraid peaked at number one on the New Zealand Music Charts.

The daughter of renowned Canadian psychologist Dr. Sandy Shiner, Amy Sky was initially trained in the cello and began penning songs at age 13. Equipped with a degree in music theory and composition, the singer-songwriter has collaborated with artists such as Diana Ross and Jennifer Rush.

Apart from being a singer and actor, Pauline Julien was also a staunch feminist and a supporter for an independent Quebec. She once declined an offer to perform in front of Queen Elizabeth II, to support her cause, and was once even jailed for her involvement in the October Crisis.