Deborah Cox to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at this year's Junos

Today, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CBC have announced that R&B singer Deborah Cox will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at this year's Juno Awards. Cox is the first Black woman to receive the honour in the Hall of Fame's 44-year history. To celebrate, Cox will perform live at the 51st Junos, which is taking place at Toronto's Budweiser Stage on Sunday, May 15. 

"I feel incredibly grateful to experience this true milestone moment," Cox said in a press release. "Music has always been about community for me, and I am so thankful to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and CARAS for not only recognizing myself, but my family, friends and loving fans who have supported me and helped make my dream possible for the past 25-plus years. As the first Black female inductee, I am honoured to have the chance to show our younger generations that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to with hard work, dedication and passion. I hope that my music can continue to bring peace, happiness and comfort to anyone who might need it, and empower people of all ages to follow their dreams and believe in themselves." 

Cox began performing at the age of 12, and got her start as a backup vocalist for Céline Dion. In 1994, Clive Davis signed her to Arista Records, and later that same year, she released her self-titled debut album. Her second album, One Wish, was certified platinum and produced two No. 1 singles, "We Can't be Friends" and "Nobody's Supposed to be Here," the latter of which held the record for the longest running No. 1 R&B single of all time. Cox is a three-time Juno Award winner, a two-time Soul Train Award winner, and also an accomplished actor, starring in projects such as Love Come Down, First Wives Club and last year's HBO hit series Station Eleven.

Cox has also been recognized and awarded for her work with various social justice initiatives including advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, support for those living with HIV/AIDS, and the fight for human rights and equality for all. In 2020, she was given Black Music Honors' Entertainer Icon Award and in 2021, she was honoured at the Black Women in Media Awards for her impact on the entertainment industry. 

Previous Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees include Alanis Morissette, Barenaked Ladies, Joni Mitchell, Oscar Peterson and Rush. 

Wherever you are in the world, you can tune in to the 2022 Juno Awards on Sunday, May 15. You can watch live on CBC-TV and CBC Gem, listen on CBC Radio One and CBC Music and stream globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos. Use the code CBCMUSIC to access presale tickets on Ticketmaster starting Thursday, March 3 at 10 a.m. ET.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.