The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced today that award-winning recording artist and world-renowned Broadway, television, film, and fashion icon, Deborah Cox will be the 2022 inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 51st annual JUNO Awards.
Since 2005, Cox has been a staple on the R&B and pop charts with six Top 20 Billboard Magazine R&B singles and thirteen number one hits on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play Chart, and six critically acclaimed albums.
“Deborah is a multi-dimensional artist who has been entertaining and captivating audiences around the world for over 25 years,” said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards, in a statement to the press. ”Her resounding voice and powerful performances have made her an international icon. We are so privileged to celebrate her talent and can’t wait to see her inspire audiences this spring in her hometown of Toronto.”
Cox’s induction to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame makes her the first ever Black woman to receive the national honour; as well as the first Black person to be inducted since Oscar Peterson in 1978 and the first person of colour to be inducted since Buffy Sainte-Marie in 1995. Her achievement will be celebrated on May 15th, with a performance during the 2022 Juno Awards live broadcast from Toronto’s Budweiser Stage.
In response to the announcement, Cox said,
“As the first Black woman to become an inductee, I am honoured to have the chance to show our younger generations that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to with hard work, dedication and passion. I hope that my music can continue to bring peace, happiness and comfort to anyone who might need it, and empower people of all ages to follow their dreams and believe in themselves.”
Born in Toronto, Cox began performing professionally and recording television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before becoming a professional backup vocalist for Céline Dion. In 1994, Cox was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis and released her self-titled debut album the following year. Her second studio album, One Wish, was certified platinum in the United States and had two Number 1 singles “We Can’t Be Friends” and “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” which held the record for the longest-running Number 1 R&B single of all time. Cox earned a Billboard Music Award nomination for R&B Single of the Year, a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award nomination, a Soul Train Award, a Lady of Soul Award, and three JUNO Awards.
Cox has also been recognized and awarded for her undying commitment to various social justice initiatives, including advocacy for LGBTQ2S+ rights, support for those living with HIV/AIDS, and the fight for human rights and equality for all. Cox was honoured with Black Music Honors’ Entertainer Icon Award in 2020, in recognition of her 25 ground-breaking years in the music industry. In addition, Cox has been expanding her identity as an artist, actress, creator and was appointed Executive Director for Alpha Magazines, a publication that strives to empower women worldwide. On top of her illustrious musical catalog, she has graced screens and stages with theatrical performances in Aida and The Bodyguard. Cox also attracted rave reviews for her role as Regina on BET’s First Wives Club and for starring in the critically acclaimed HBO MAX series Station Eleven.
After the 2020 and 2021 festivals and ceremonies were scrapped in the wake of the first waves of the global COVID-19 pandemic in favour of virtual presentations, the 2022 JUNO Week will take place from May 9th to May 15th, with the culminating broadcast of the 51st annual JUNO Awards returning to a live setting on May 15th from Toronto’s Budweiser Stage. The 2022 JUNO Awards will broadcast live across Canada at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos.
For more information and to keep up-to-date with all the 2022 JUNO Awards celebrations, please be sure to visit www.junoawards.ca.