JUNOS history was made this year as Karan Aujla became the first artist of Punjabi descent to win the only fan-voted JUNO Award.
As he hit the stage to accept the 2024 TikTok JUNO Fan Choice Award, Karan poured his heart out in a speech that left a lasting impression. Reflecting on the loss of his parents at a young age, he sent out a powerful message to all dreamers out there: dream big, Canada!
“Sometimes I just can’t believe I’m that same kid that lost his parents when he was in India. You know, made my way out to Canada, this beautiful country – and today I’m here.”
His vibrant and energetic performance of “Admiring You” and “Softly” alongside producer Ikky had the entire country dancing, cheering, and asking themselves, “Who is Karan Aujla?”
Hailing from Punjab, India, and now living in Vancouver, B.C., the 27-year-old singer, rapper and songwriter began his career writing for Jassi Gill, Deep Jandu, Elly Mangat, and many others.
In 2021, Karan Aujla’s first studio album, B.T.F.U., soared to incredible heights, racking up a whopping hundred million streams across various platforms and claiming the impressive #6 spot on Spotify’s Global Chart. Not stopping there, he also earned the title of India’s foremost artist, landing at an impressive #38 on the Global Digital Artist Ranking.
His latest studio album, 2023’s Making Memories, made waves right out of the gate by debuting at #5 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, marking the highest debut ever for a Punjabi album. In its inaugural week, Making Memories racked up a staggering 7.5 million streams in Canada alone, while globally, it notched up over 24 million streams. What’s more, every single track from the album found its place in the Top 200 charts in both India and Canada.
Executive produced by Ikky, Making Memories didn’t just stop at Billboard success. It also soared to #3 on the Spotify Global Top Albums chart and clinched the #1 spot on the Apple Music charts in both India and Canada.
As of now, Aujla is nearing an impressive milestone of 3 billion views on YouTube, has amassed over one billion audio streams globally, boasts more than 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and continues to attract a growing base of 8 million followers across his various social media platforms.
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Canadian fans can catch Aujla on the road this summer. He recently announced a Canadian leg of his 2024 world tour, It Was All A Dream, where he’ll visit three Canadian cities with producer Ikky.
08/10 Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
08/15 Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
08/17 Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Featured Image: Karan Aujla performs at The 2024 JUNO Awards in Halifax, on Sunday, March 24, 2024. Photo Credit: CARAS/Ryan Bolton
