The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) is pleased to announce that multi-platinum, award-winning singer and songwriter Sarah McLachlan will be the 2017 inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. With a career that spans almost thirty years, McLachlan is one of Canada’s most celebrated and treasured artists, earning countless accolades including 10 JUNO Awards, three Grammy Awards and a Billboard Music Award.
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was created by CARAS in 1978 to acknowledge artists who have made an outstanding contribution to the international recognition of Canadian music. McLachlan will be honoured with a tribute on Sunday, April 2 at The 46th Annual JUNO Awards Broadcast on CTV from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. McLachlan will join the ranks of Canadian music icons in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, including Burton Cummings, Alanis Morissette, Anne Murray, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Blue Rodeo, Bruce Cockburn, Daniel Lanois, Hank Snow, Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Oscar Peterson, RUSH and Shania Twain. In 2016 the Canadian Music Hall of Fame found a permanent home with the opening of Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre.
“I’m so honoured to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. This comes as a complete sweet surprise as I still feel like I’m just getting started,” said McLachlan. “I’m truly blessed to be in such incredible company with all of the amazing past honourees.”
“Sarah McLachlan is one of this country’s most beloved artists. From the moment we first heard her sing, nearly 30 years ago, we were captivated by the beauty of her voice and words.” said Allan Reid, President & CEO CARAS/The JUNO Awards and MusiCounts. “She is a unique artist who is respected the world over, and she continues to inspire a new generation of artists. Sarah is a trailblazer for women in this industry, not only because of her music, but also because of her philanthropic endeavours and her belief in music education. We are honoured to welcome her into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.”
Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, McLachlan made her musical debut at the age 17 with pop band October Game before signing with Vancouver-based label Nettwerk Records. She moved to Vancouver and began work on her first studio album Touch, which was released in 1989. McLachlan’s second album Solace established her position as a rising star in Canada when it went gold. It was her third record, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, which contained the single “Possession” that became McLachlan’s breakthrough release in the United States. McLachlan’s album Surfacing, released in 1997, climbed to the number two spot on the Billboard 200 and went eight-times platinum in the U.S., won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance for “Building a Mystery” and for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “Last Dance,” and won her four JUNO Awards. In 2010 McLachlan performed her hit “Ordinary Miracle” at the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Vancouver, to an estimated three billion television viewers worldwide.
With a career spanning almost 30 years in the music industry, McLachlan is known not only for her passion for music but for her philanthropic initiatives. In 1997 McLachlan created Lilith Fair, a festival dedicated to showcasing and supporting female artists. Over the course of its three-year North American run, the tour brought more than two million people together and raised over $7 million for women’s charities. McLachlan has also donated her time and efforts to a number of charitable organizations including animal welfare, disaster relief, HIV/AIDS and cancer research. In 2003 she founded the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, which offers free music education, mentorship and support to underserved and at-risk children and youth.
In the spring of 2015 McLachlan was named as the recipient of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Achievement, which salutes Canadians who have contributed their voice and vision to the country and whose excellence has earned national and international acclaim. An Officer of the Order of Canada and honoured with the Order of British Columbia, McLachlan is the recipient of 10 JUNO Awards, three Grammy Awards and a Billboard Music Award. Her distinctions also include Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee medals, the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Visionary Award and in 2006, she received the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award. McLachlan holds honorary degrees from the University of Alberta, Simon Fraser University and Emily Carr University of Art + Design.
