2023 ALBUM OF THE YEAR I NAV | | The JUNO Awards

Punjabi-Canadian rapper and producer NAV rides hypnotic trap beats with his wavy sing-rap flow, crafting a sonic blend that draws upon styles similar to contemporaries such as Post Malone, Rae Sremmurd, and Drake.Born Navraj Goraya in Toronto, he had his first taste of fame when Kylie Jenner posted a Snapchat video of herself singing along to his song “Myself.” NAV’s self-titled mixtape appeared in early 2017, and it was chock-full of his by-now-trademark silky vocals and slick beats. The release was preceded by the lead single “Some Way,” which also featured the Weeknd. That same year, he also put out the Perfect Timing mixtape, which he collaborated with Metro Boomin.

Less than a year later, NAV made a quick turnaround with sophomore follow-up Bad Habits, which debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart and the Billboard 200. NAV’s third studio album, Good Intentions, arrived in May of 2020. The record featured contributions from Future, Pop Smoke, Travis Scott, and other top-name rappers.NAV closed out the year by teaming up with producer Wheezy on Emergency Tsunami. “Never Sleep,” a single with Lil Baby and Travis Scott, appeared in 2022, preceding NAV’s fourth full-length, Demons Protected by Angels.