2024 was a banner year for Canadian music, with artists stealing headlines, shattering records, and creating moments we won’t soon forget. As the year winds down, we’re revisiting the stories that made the biggest noise. From emotional comebacks to final farewells, these are the top 10 Canadian music moments that had everyone in Canada and beyond talking.
This past summer, Celine Dion made a powerful return to live performance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, delivering a moving rendition of “L’Hymne à l’amour.” The surprise performance marked her first major public appearance since stepping away from the stage in 2022 due to stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder which she documented in her recent film, I Am: Celine Dion.
Canadian mix engineer Serban Ghenea made history at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards this year by winning Album of the Year for Taylor Swift’s Midnights. This marks his fifth win in the category, making him the first non-artist to achieve this feat. Ghenea, one of the industry’s most sought-after audio engineers, had earned seven nominations tying with Phoebe Bridgers and Victoria Monét for the second-highest number of nods. He had previously won in the category as an engineer/mixer on Swift’s 1989 and Folklore, Adele’s 25 and Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic.
The highly anticipated four-part documentary series The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, celebrating one of Canada’s most beloved bands. Chronicling the band’s storied career and cultural impact, the film offers an intimate look at The Tragically Hip’s journey, from their early days to their emotional farewell tour following frontman Gord Downie’s terminal cancer diagnosis.
Global superstar Taylor Swift concluded her monumental Eras Tour with a final performance at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium, marking the end of an extraordinary 21-month journey. The tour, which featured 149 shows across five continents, entertained over 10 million fans and shattered records with over $2 billion in earnings. Ahead of the grand finale in Vancouver, Swift praised Canadian fans during her six sold-out Toronto shows, declaring, “This is why everyone loves Canadians.”
Taylor Swift performs onstage during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at BC Place on Dec. 6, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Kevin Winter/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
At 80 years old, Joni Mitchell made her long-awaited Grammy performance debut this year with an unforgettable rendition of “Both Sides Now.” Accompanied by longtime collaborator Brandi Carlile, Mitchell’s performance was a landmark moment, marking her return to the stage after years of recovery from a 2015 brain aneurysm. “Both Sides Now” originally featured on Mitchell’s 1969 album Clouds, was also featured on her 2023 live album Joni Mitchell at Newport, which earned her the 2024 Grammy for Best Folk Album.
Two-Spirit Wolastoqiyik musician Jeremy Dutcher made history as the first artist to win the Polaris Music Prize twice. The award, which celebrates the best Canadian album of the year based solely on artistic merit, regardless of genre or sales, first recognized Dutcher in 2018 for his debut album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. This year, he was honoured once again at a ceremony at Toronto’s Massey Hall for his album Motewolonuwok.
Maestro Fresh Wes, widely known as the “Godfather of Canadian Hip-Hop,” made history at the 2024 JUNO Awards in Halifax as the first rap artist inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Celebrated for his groundbreaking 1989 single “Let Your Backbone Slide” and his decades-long impact on Canada’s hip-hop scene, Maestro’s induction marked a significant milestone for the genre in Canada.
One of the year’s most talked-about events was the high-profile feud between rap giants Kendrick Lamar and Drake. The two exchanged a series of diss tracks throughout 2024, fueling debates about lyrical supremacy and their respective legacies. With fans analyzing every verse and eagerly anticipating each new release, the rivalry delivered a number of chart-topping hits that kept the global music conversation abuzz.
Justin Bieber made headlines this year with the announcement that he and his wife, Hailey Bieber, had welcomed their first child, Jack Blues Bieber. The Canadian superstar shared the joyous news on social media, receiving an outpouring of love and congratulations from fans and fellow artists alike. Bieber’s embrace of fatherhood marks a new chapter in his personal and artistic journey.
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Canadian rock legends Sum 41 announced their farewell tour, Does This Look All Killer No Filler?, marking the end of an era. After nearly three decades together, the band celebrated their legacy with explosive, nostalgia-packed performances worldwide. Known for hits like “Fat Lip” and “In Too Deep,” their final tour stands as a powerful tribute to Sum 41’s lasting influence on punk rock and Canadian music, an impact that will be celebrated with their induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2025 JUNO Awards in Vancouver.
You can witness Sum 41’s Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction at The 2025 JUNO Awards in Vancouver on Sunday, March 30th. Tickets available now at tickmaster.ca/junos.
Feature image: Joni Mitchell at The 2024 Grammys. PHOTO: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
