Shawnee Kish is a Mohawk singer-songwriter from Canada.[1] She is most noted as a Juno Award nominee for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2022, for her self-titled debut EP.[2]

Originally from Welland, Ontario,[1] she began her career singing Shania Twain songs.[3] She has been based in Edmonton, Alberta as an adult.[1]

She was the winner of CBC Music's Searchlight competition in 2020,[4] and was subsequently one of the winners of the Allan Slaight Juno Master Class program for artist development in 2021.[5]

Her debut EP was released in 2021.[6] In the same year she was the creator of "Music Is My Medicine", a symphonic work which was performed by the National Arts Centre Orchestra for the CBC Gem web series Undisrupted.[7]

In 2023, she participated in an all-star recording of Serena Ryder's single "What I Wouldn't Do", which was released as a charity single to benefit Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign for youth mental health.[8] In the same year she released the album Revolution, which received Juno Award nominations for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year and Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2024.[9]

She identifies as two-spirit,[1] and married Olympic rugby player Jen Kish in 2021, in a ceremony officiated by Rachel Notley.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Jane Stevenson, "Two-spirit Indigenous artist Shawnee Kish sees music as 'medicine'". Toronto Sun, June 20, 2021.
  2. ^ Jackson Weaver, "Charlotte Cardin, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber lead 2022 Juno Award nominees". CBC News, March 1, 2022.
  3. ^ Fish Griwkowsky, "Locals Brett Kissel, Shawnee Kish, Maria Dunn and Young Spirit up for five Junos". Edmonton Journal, March 1, 2022.
  4. ^ "Shawnee Is CBC Music's Searchlight Winner". FYI Music News, March 9, 2020.
  5. ^ Michael Hollett, "Shawnee Kish’s Star is Rising". Next.
  6. ^ Conchita Galvez, "'Music is medicine': Shawnee Kish on her new EP, identifying as two-spirit". CTV News Edmonton, June 15, 2021.
  7. ^ Marsha Lederman, "National Arts Centre Orchestra’s eclectic new CBC Gem series showcases Canadian talent". The Globe and Mail, September 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Brent Furdyk, "Feel Out Loud: Alessia Cara, Serena Ryder & More Canadian Artists Collaborate On New Single Promoting Youth Mental Health Initiative". Entertainment Tonight Canada, March 2, 2023.
  9. ^ "Here are all the 2024 Juno nominees". CBC Music, February 6, 2024.
  10. ^ Adam Lachacz (May 16, 2021). "Edmonton Olympian and musician married by Rachel Notley". CTV News Edmonton.
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