Canadian Female Musicians

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The frontwoman of the Swedish death metal band Arch Enemy, Alissa White-Gluz is also known as the co-founder of the metalcore band the Agonist. She was once known for performing in over 250 shows a year across the globe. A true-blue vegan, she has won the Libby Award from PETA.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

Part of the British all-female pop group All Saints, Natalie Appleton had quit school at 15 to join a music club. She was also part of the duo Appleton, with her sister Nicole. She is married to Liam Howlett of The Prodigy and is a mother of two.

Emily Haines is a Canadian singer and songwriter who is the lead singer, songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Metric. She is a member of the indie rock band Broken Social Scene as well and also performs solo. She is the daughter of the poet Paul Haines and was encouraged to pursue her musical passion from childhood.  

Geneviève Castrée was a Canadian illustrator, cartoonist, and musician. She is best remembered for her book Susceptible, which earned her international success. A self-taught musician, Castrée went on to found her own music label in 2009 after releasing a couple of EPs. Geneviève Castrée died at the age of 35 due to pancreatic cancer.

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.

Nominated for a Canadian Country Music Award at 17, Tenille Townes rocked the country music scene of Canada with hits such as Somebody’s Daughter and Come as You Are. Her albums, such as The Lemonade Stand, have been inspired by the beauty of her hometown, Grande Prairie, in Alberta.

Hélène Mercier-Arnault is a pianist and chamber musician. She has performed at various famous avenues, including the ‘Théâtre des Champs-Elysées’ and the ‘Théâtre du Châtelet’ in Paris. She often collaborates with artists, such as Cyprien Katsaris, Vladimir Spivakov, and Zubin Mehta. She is married to businessman Bernard Arnault, who is one of the richest men in the world. 

Cœur de pirate is the stage name of Béatrice Martin, a Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a francophone and sings mostly in French. She began to study music as a child and started her professional career while still in her teens. She has since released several albums, including her super hit eponymous album that was certified platinum.