Canadian Music Hall of Fame | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Canadian Music Hall of Fame

The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). It honours individuals or groups that have made an outstanding contribution to the international recognition of Canadian artists and music. For many years, a sole inductee was presented annually at the Juno Awards. Since 2019, multiple inductees have also been presented annually at a separate ceremony at the National Music Centre in Calgary.

Permanent Home at the National Music Centre

For decades, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame did not occupy a physical space. In 2005, CARAS announced that a three-storey, 60,000 square-foot hall would open in 2007 at Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square. However, that project never materialized.

In 2011, CARAS announced that it had teamed with the National Music Centre in Calgary and the Canadian Country Music Association. Together, they would build a 160,000 square-foot facility in Calgary’s East Village. It would house the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.

Construction on the $191-million facility, named Studio Bell, began in early 2013. It opened to wide acclaim on Canada Day in 2016. The complex includes performance spaces, recording studios, broadcast facilities, artist-in-residence programs, and the country's biggest collection of musical instruments and sound equipment. The building also houses the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and the ADISQ Hall of Fame.


Induction Process

With the exception of 1978, 1984, 1997 and 1998, CARAS inducted only one artist per year into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. That changed in 2019, when CARAS inducted Corey Hart at the Juno Awards gala in London, Ontario, on 17 March, followed by the inductions of Chilliwack, Cowboy Junkies, Bobby Curtola and Andy Kim in a separate ceremony at Studio Bell in Calgary on 27 October. CARAS announced in July 2019 that it would now regularly induct multiple artists each year. As CARAS president and CEO Allan Reid said in a statement, “By expanding the number of inductees in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, we're able to honour even more iconic Canadian artists each year.”

Inductees