The Junos are a celebration of Canadian musical talent, and the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award highlights the top up-and-comers to look out for. Meet the nominees for 2023.

The Breakthrough Artist of the Year award is always one of the most anticipated at the Junos, and this year is no different. In the past, it has been won by the likes of Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Drake, The Weekend, and Alessia Cara. This year’s awards have introduced a roster of new Canadian artists that deserve your ear. Here’s an introduction to these five fantastic musicians to put on your radar.

Dax

Daniel Nwosu Jr., known simply as Dax, is a singer, rapper, and songwriter. His breakout single, “Dear Alcohol,” struck a chord with many people whose lives have been touched by alcohol addiction. The viral hip hop/country song has garnered over 100 million streams and appearances on numerous Billboard charts, while the artist’s collective catalogue sits at around half a billion. A truly self-made star, Dax worked as an independent artist for many years before striking overnight fame.

Devon Cole

Devon Cole’s style has been described by the CBC as “earworm pop with a feminist edge.” Cole is a Calgary native and a psychology graduate known particularly for her empowering lyrics. In fact, she first went viral after rewriting the lyrics to “BlurredLines.” In 2021, at the behest of fans desiring her own original music, Cole released a project called “Party For One,” which racked up millions of streams in just a few months.

Preston Pablo

Preston Pablo is a versatile artist with many talents. His style can be described as R&B and pop, which this producer and multi-instrumentalist performs through live instrumentation. Pablo got a taste of fame when he was still in high school and his single “OMO” went viral, with over half a million streams on Spotify. Following a series of collaborations, he released the single “One Sided,” which earned nearly 1.5 million streams. Today, Pablo sits at over 20 million streams in total.

RealestK

Just 18 years old, RealestK is a Toronto native who shot to fame near the end of last year after going viral on TikTok with the song “WFM.” The song also appeared strongly on the Billboard Hot 100, the Apple Music US chart, and the Spotify U.S. chart. Following an industry race to sign the artist, RealestK co-signed with fellow Toronto artists Drake and Nav. Even bigger things are sure to come for this young star.

Rêve

Hailing from Montreal and based in Toronto, Briannah Donolo seems poised to take the Canadian music world by storm. She goes by Rêve (French for “dream”) and was initially discovered after a viral performance of the national anthem at a Montreal Canadiens game. Her style can be described as a mix of pop and R&B, with the fun, catchy, and upbeat feel of ’90s Euro sound. Her singles “CTRL + ALT + DEL” and “Headphones” have already captured Canadian airwaves.

These five upcoming musical stars show that Canada has a lot to offer. Give them a listen and you might just discover your next favourite artist.