5 first-time Juno nominees that you need to check out now

The 2023 Juno nominations are out and, as always, one of the most exciting parts of going through the list is seeing what new acts have emerged as first-time nominees. This year's crop includes more than 50 first-timers, following a similar trend to last year's wave of young stars breaking through thanks to social platforms like TikTok. 

With so many new nominees to comb through, CBC Music has highlighted five artists we think you should check out ahead of the Juno Awards on March 13. 

Share with us which first-timers you're most excited to see on this year's nomination list @CBCMusic.

Rêve

Nominated for: TikTok Juno fan choice, breakthrough artist of the year, dance recording of the year.

Montreal-born artist Rêve made her major label debut last year, but the rising pop star has been working hard to break into the music industry for years. Most notably, Rêve (born Briannah Donolo) went viral in 2014 when she sang the national anthem at a Montreal Canadiens game, prompting inappropriate headlines that focused solely on her looks. But Donolo has since built a fan following on TikTok for her soulful performances.

In 2020, she teamed up with fellow Montrealers (and also first-time Juno nominees this year) Banx & Ranx, and it turns out the production duo's more dance-oriented sound was the perfect match: the collaboration led to playful, Eurodance-inspired hits such as "Ctrl + Alt + Del" and "Headphones." Canada's Drag Race fans may also recognize Rêve's name, as "Ctrl + Alt + Del" was featured on the show's third season, and a version of her 2022 song "Tongue" features Season 1 alum Lemon. 

Preston Pablo 

Nominated for: TikTok Juno fan choice, single of the year, breakthrough artist of the year. 

The population of Timmins, Ont., is just over 41,000 people, but the town has given us a number of great musicians including Shania Twain, Lights, Philippe Tatartcheff and now Preston Pablo. The 21-year-old racked up almost 20 million streams independently before signing to Universal Music Canada, quickly gaining a fanbase nationwide for his blend of R&B and pop using live instrumentation and heartfelt songwriting, as heard on early singles "OMO" and "Circles."

Last year, Pablo's profile skyrocketed to a new level when he released "Flowers Need Rain," a finger-snapping dance collaboration with Banx & Ranx, which is nearing 30 million streams on Spotify alone. Upon hearing about his three Juno nominations this year, Pablo tweeted: "I started writing music in my bedroom with my best friends. Never would have imagined it leading to all of this. This one feels special."

Dax 

Nominated for: breakthrough artist of the year. 

While Dax has been making music since 2017, the St. John's-born artist truly took off during the pandemic when he gained more than a million followers on Instagram, five million subscribers on YouTube and six million fans on TikTok. What earned him this newfound following were hits including "Dear Alcohol," "Dear God" and "Joker," songs that showcased Dax's struggles and experiences and his musical gift for melody and spitfire verses. Although his music primarily draws from hip-hop influences, "Dear Alcohol" — an emotional track about battling alcoholism — became a country crossover hit, with the song landing on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and leading to a remix featuring Elle King. 

Devon Cole

Nominated for: breakthrough artist of the year. 

Last year, Devon Cole appeared on an episode of CBC Music's The Intro where she talked about making earworm pop with a feminist edge. It's a brand that was inspired by formative Canadian artists she grew up listening to, including Shania Twain and Avril Lavigne. When asked about being nominated for her first Juno Award the same year as Lavigne is nominated for five, Cole told CBC Music: "I would love to see her in the flesh.... It's a dream for me, and I'm just so honoured to be nominated among my favourite artist ever." But it's through Cole's own ability to write a pop hit that earned her 2022 song "W.I.T.C.H." not only the No. 9 spot on our top 100 songs of 2022, but more than 38 million streams on Spotify. 

Aysanabee

Nominated for: contemporary Indigenous artist or group of the year. 

A few years ago, making music for a living wasn't Aysanabee's goal in life, but a near-death experience inspired him to change his path. The Oji-Cree musician soon became the first signee on the Indigenous-owned record label Ishkōdé Records, and he has since released his debut album, Watin, a beautiful ode to his grandfather, whom he interviewed and featured on the project. Aysanabee credits his first Juno nomination to Ishkōdé Records specifically, noting recently to CBC Music that his quick rise "takes a village." His moving anthems — "linking his past and his present in powerful reclamation," as CBC Music's Holly Gordon wrote — earned the No. 7 spot on our 2022 list of best Canadian albums, but we're certain that this is only the first of many accolades he'll pick up in the years to come.   

Simu Liu is back to host the 2023 Juno Awards on Monday, March 13, at 8 p.m. ET. Tune in on CBC, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One and CBC Listen, and stream globally on cbcmusic.ca/junos.