Meet the 5 educators up for the 2025 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award
CBC Music | Posted: February 11, 2025 4:00 PM | Last Updated: 12 hours ago
These music teachers are nominated for the Juno Award for teaching excellence
At the heart of music education are music teachers, and each year at this time, they are called to centre stage to take a bow.
The Junos and MusiCounts are once again honouring Canadian music teachers with the Music Teacher of the Year Award, which celebrates the impact, passion, innovation and dedication of these educators in their schools and communities.
The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize, a donation to their school through the MusiCounts School Music Funding Program, two to three MusiCounts Legacy grants made to other schools in their name and a Juno statuette.
Here are the nominees for 2025:
- Drew Van Allen, Nakoda Elementary School, Mînî Thnî, Alta.
- Emily Dominey, Dundas Valley Secondary School, Hamilton, Ont.
- Greg Chomut, Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, Thunder Bay, Ont.
- Jeannie Hunter, Nepean High School, Ottawa.
- Robert Colbourne, Holy Heart of Mary Regional High School, St. John's.
Get to know them below.
Drew Van Allen, Nakoda Elementary School, Mînî Thnî, Alta.
Drew Van Allen is an accomplished music educator with over a decade of classroom experience and a passion for innovative teaching. His teaching philosophy emphasizes enjoying the process, ensuring that students build confidence and develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts. His work often incorporates Stoney cultural reinterpretations of popular songs, blending traditional elements with contemporary music to celebrate and preserve his students' heritage. His classes explore music and video production, equipping students with technical skills and a creative outlet. Additionally, he collaborates with non-Indigenous schools and community elders to foster cultural understanding and ensure the authenticity of the traditions shared.
Beyond the classroom, he shares his passion for music education through the Music Notation Academy, a YouTube channel he created to teach rhythm and notation. He also developed the Nakoda Elementary School YouTube channel to highlight Stoney history and student performances. His efforts have earned national recognition, including accolades from the CBC Music Class Challenge and the MusiCounts Innovation Passion Prize, celebrating his commitment to fostering creativity, cultural pride and excellence in music education.
Emily Dominey, Dundas Valley Secondary School, Hamilton, Ont.
Emily Dominey is a passionate music educator with more than 13 years of experience in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. As head of the music department and co-lead of the arts and culture specialist high skills major program at Dundas Valley Secondary School, she champions equity and inclusivity in music education.
Dominey advocates for diverse student needs, developing programs tailored to ESL and special education students. She modernizes band programs by integrating technology, incorporating culturally responsive resources, and prioritizing student voice. She strives to create an inclusive environment where all students feel represented and empowered.
Dedicated to providing equal access to musical opportunities, she has single-handedly raised more than $80,000 for new instruments for her schools. A three-time MusiCounts grant recipient, she demonstrates a strong commitment to fostering musical growth and ensuring that every student has the chance to succeed.
Greg Chomut, Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, Thunder Bay, Ont.
Greg Chomut is a teacher, musician, and community builder from Thunder Bay, Ont. As a teacher at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, he is committed to fostering a supportive and inspiring learning environment for Indigenous youth. In 2020, he was honoured with the Prime Minister's Award for teaching excellence, recognizing his creative teaching style and dedication to making a real difference in his students' lives.
Outside of teaching, Chomut co-founded the Wake the Giant Music Festival with his friends Sean Spenrath and Ajay Haapa. The festival has become a powerful way to celebrate Indigenous culture and promote inclusivity in Thunder Bay, something Chomut feels deeply passionate about.
When he's not in the classroom or organizing events, Chomut is the lead singer and bassist for Luke Warm and the Cold Ones. Despite a packed schedule, Chomut's happiest moments are at home with his wife, their four kids, and their backyard chickens. Whether teaching, playing music or just enjoying time with his family, his life is all about community, connection and creativity.
Jeannie Hunter, Nepean High School, Ottawa
Currently head of special education and fine arts at Nepean High School, Jeannie Hunter has taught instrumental music, percussion, vocal music, band, choir, guitar, piano, orchestra, jazz and music for community living for the Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) over the past 30 years. She is the recipient of an OCDSB Director's Award, and is also a two-time recipient of the OCDSB Arts Advisory Committee Award. In 2015, her students won the title of Canada's greatest music class, and in 2024 came second in their category for the CBC Music Class Challenge. Last year, she was awarded best percussion section at MusicFest nationals.
A career-long advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion, Hunter was the founding director of Brookfield High School's World Voices Choir, which partnered with social justice organizations to use music as a tool for social change. As an instructor with Ottawa's Orkidstra (the first El Sistema program in North America), Hunter has taught students ages five to 18. She is involved with the Ontario Music Educators' Association (OMEA) as a board member, clinician, conference attendee and contributor to the association's journal, the Recorder.
Hunter's students have shared the stage with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Johnny Reid, Jully Black, Susan Aglukark and Serena Ryder, among others.
Robert Colbourne, Holy Heart of Mary Regional High School, St. John's
Robert Colbourne is a dedicated choral director and music educator with more than 20 years of experience teaching music in Newfoundland and Labrador. Throughout his career, he has worked with students ranging from elementary to post-secondary, nurturing their love for music and developing their performance skills and vocal technique. At his current school, he conducts three choirs and is also an associate conductor with Shallaway Youth Choir. His expertise extends internationally through his role as an International Baccalaureate (IB) Music workshop leader, curriculum writer and lead examiner, where he shapes the global landscape of music education in the IB program.
Colbourne's choirs have garnered national acclaim, winning the CBC Music Class Challenge three times, securing top honours in FeelitLive's Canada's Best Choir competition, and receiving first place awards at the National Music Festival of Canada. His exceptional contributions to music education were recognized in 2022 when he was named the Royal Conservatory Atlantic Teacher of Distinction. Additionally, he was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for his advocacy and promotion of music in rural Newfoundland.
In addition to his work with choirs, Colbourne is a sought-after private voice/piano instructor and choral clinician. His passion for teaching, his dedication to his students and his advocacy for music have made him a highly respected figure in the Canadian music education community.
Michael Bublé will host the 2025 Juno Awards on Sunday, March 30, at 8 p.m ET. Tune in on CBC-TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music and CBC Listen, and stream globally on cbcmusic.ca/junos.