Some of the most influential voices in music aren’t always the ones holding the microphone. They’re the women writing the songs, producing the records, and directing the visuals that shape how we experience it.
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating six Canadian women — JUNO nominees and winners — whose work quietly powers some of the most recognized music today.
2026 & 2023 Music Video of the Year Presented by City of Hamilton Nominee Nominee
Karena Evans is one of the most visually compelling directors working in music today. She first captured global attention in 2018 when she directed three of Drake’s biggest chart-topping singles, “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What,” and “In My Feelings”, in quick succession. Each video became a cultural moment of its own, earning Evans Best Director at the 2018 iHeartRadio MMVAs for “God’s Plan” and making her the first woman to receive the Prism Prize’s Lipsett Award for music video direction.
Her 2026 JUNO nomination is for the video she directed for Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “luther”, the Grammy-winning Record of the Year that spent 13 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Evans accompanying visuals add another dimension to the track, highlighting how directors can translate a song’s distinct energy and feel into something audiences can see as well as hear.
2026 JUNO Nominee Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Nominee
Karen Kosowski is a producer, songwriter, and mixer whose work spans contemporary country and pop. Classically trained on piano, she later taught herself guitar and songwriting, eventually building a career that bridges multiple roles in the studio. A three-time Canadian Country Music Association Producer of the Year nominee, she has contributed to projects such as Brett Kissel’s Platinum-certified “She Drives Me Crazy” and Tim Hicks’ Gold-certified “What A Song Should Do.”
Her 2026 JUNO nomination recognizes her production work on longtime collaborator Mickey Guyton’s Feels Like Christmas EP and single “You Don’t Know Me At All,” as well as Meghan Patrick’s Golden Child, which is nominated for Country Album of the Year. Across both projects, Kosowski’s production shapes the arrangements and studio sound that give each record its distinct country character.
2026 Songwriter of the Year (Non-Performer) Nominee & 2025 Winner
Some of the most recognizable pop songs of the last few years share a common thread: Lowell helped write them. The songwriter and producer has become one of the most in-demand collaborators in pop and country music, with credits that include Tate McRae, Charli XCX, Madison Beer, Lennon Stella, and Hailee Steinfeld.
At the 2025 JUNO Awards, Lowell won the inaugural Songwriter of the Year (Non-Performer) award for her Beyoncé co-writes “Texas Hold ’Em” and “Bodyguard,” along with The Beaches’ “Takes One to Know One.” She returns in 2026 with another nomination for Ava Max’s “World’s Smallest Violin,” Sofia Camara’s “Girls Like You,” and Baby Nova’s “Too Pretty For Buffalo.” Whether working with global superstars like Beyoncé or helping emerging artists such as Camara and Baby Nova establish their sound, Lowell has become a songwriter trusted to help bring an artist’s voice into focus.
2026 Songwriter of the Year (Non-Performer) Nominee
Music was always part of Hayley Gene Penner’s world, but the songwriting career she has built is entirely her own. The daughter of beloved Canadian children’s entertainer and JUNO Award winner Fred Penner, she first pursued music as a performer before gradually shifting her focus toward songwriting, developing a catalogue that includes pop, country, and R&B hits.
Her 2026 JUNO nomination recognizes songs written for three very different artists: “Small Hands (feat. Raiche)” from Teddy Swims, “West End Girl” by Lily Allen, and “Woman of Faces” by Celeste. Each of these songs calls for a different approach. From Teddy Swims’ soulful delivery to Lily Allen’s sharp lyrical wit and Celeste’s sweeping vocal style, Penner’s songwriting shows an impressive ability to adapt to the artist at the centre of the record, shaping songs that feel distinctly tailored to each voice.
2021 & 2022 Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Winner
WondaGurl began producing music at a young age, making beats by nine and quickly gaining attention in Toronto’s production scene. A connection with producer Boi-1da soon led to a production credit on Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, launching a career that would place her behind some of hip-hop’s biggest records, including Travis Scott’s “Antidote,” Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money.”
At The 2021 JUNO Awards WondaGurl became the first Black woman to take home the Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award for her work on Pop Smoke’s “Aim For The Moon (feat. Quavo)” and “Gang Gang” by JACKBOYS & Sheck Wes. She won the award again in 2022, further cementing her place as one of the most talented producers in the industry.
2022 JUNO Recording Engineer of the Year Winner & 2025 Nominee
2024 Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Nominee
Hill Kourkoutis runs The Lair, her Toronto studio, where she has spent more than two decades producing, engineering, and mixing records across rock, R&B, folk, and alternative music. In 2022, she became the first woman to win the JUNO Award for Recording Engineer of the Year for her work on SATE’s gritty blues-rock single “Howler” and Tania Joy’s country-soul track “The Drought,” joining a small group of female producers and engineers recognized with major awards in North America.
From capturing performances in the studio to refining every detail in the final mix, her work helps translate an artist’s ideas into the finished recordings audiences hear. In 2025, she was selected to create Toronto’s official Sonic ID for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bringing her expertise in sound and production to a project representing the city on one of the world’s biggest stages.
Feature image: Lowell at the 2025 Portrait Studio (JAG). Photo Credit: CARAS/FUZE Reps/Evaan Kheraj
