The Canadian music industry is shifting, and this year’s Juno Awards is reflecting that reality.
The turning point came in 2024, when Punjabi artist Karan Aujla took home the TikTok Fan Choice Award and the Junos introduced a new category: South Asian Music Production of the Year. In 2023, Canadian singer and rapper AP Dhillon performed his hit “Summer High” entirely in Punjabi, signalling a change in Canada’s mainstream music landscape.
Dr. Charlie Wall Andrews, professor in Creative Industries at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the momentum is clear.
“Last year we celebrated the first-ever South Asian music award at the Junos, and continuing on that trajectory, it’s exciting to see nominees that are new this year,” she said.
This year, Aujla is again nominated for the Fan Choice Award, joined by Punjabi rapper and singer Shubh. Both are competing against global artists, including The Weeknd.
In the South Asian Music Recording of the Year category, AP Dhillon and Anuv Jain’s single “Afsos,” Karan Aujla’s “P‑pop Culture”, Ikky and Raf‑Saperra’s “Renaissance”, Shubh’s “Supreme,” and Sukha’s “By Any Means” are nominated.
Dr. Sara Grewal, associate professor at MacEwan University, said one producer stands out.
“I think Ikky can’t be overlooked here – he’s behind both Raf‑Saperra’s Renaissance and Karan Aujla’s P‑Pop Culture, and the production is just incredible,” she said.
This moment has been decades in the making. A long lineage of Punjabi musicians paved the way for the genre’s evolution into the vibrant blend of pop, hip hop and R&B heard today.
Jazzy B, a B.C.–based Punjabi singer credited with modernizing Punjabi pop and shaping early fusion sounds, helped set that foundation. The late Sidhu Moosewala, one of the most influential Punjabi songwriters and rappers of his era, further accelerated the genre’s global reach with his hip‑hop‑driven style and massive international following.
In 2023, Diljit Dosanjh made history as the first Punjabi artist to perform at Coachella. He has sold out major arenas like Vancouver’s Rogers Arena and Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena during his Born to Shine and Dil‑Luminati tours. And in 2024, he took another global leap by appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, becoming the first Punjabi artist to appear on the iconic stage, followed later by Karan Aujla in September 2025.
The rise in popularity is tied to the growing Punjabi‑speaking population in Canada. According to the 2021 Statistics Canada census, Punjabi is one of the fastest‑growing languages in the country.
Wall Andrews, who is developing a course focused on Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh for this fall, said the cultural exchange is expanding.
“Many South Asian and Punjabi creators are collaborating with creators here,” she said. “With mainstream music coupled with Punjabi flavours and folklore, this will be the catalyst that takes Punjabi music into the mainstream and allows non‑Punjabi music consumers to experience it. We have seen the same effect with K‑pop and Latin music.”
Artists like Dosanjh who has collaborated with Sia and Ed Sheeran and Aujla, who has worked with Pablo and OneRepublic, are continuously fueling the influence of Punjabi music.
Raf‑Saperra has also gained popularity with culturally intense lyrics and fusion beats.
“He is a really exciting up‑and‑coming artist,” Grewal said. “He brings a contemporary twist to traditional styles of Punjabi music, and his voice is just remarkable. Raf‑Saperra’s success is a good reminder that Punjabi music culture, whether historically or today, is not limited to just the east side of the border. In fact, his sound embodies the reality that geopolitical borders don’t apply to music.”
His song “Step‑Out” has about four million views on YouTube, and “Morni” from the same album has drawn around three million.
The collaboration between AP Dhillon and Indian singer‑songwriter Anuv Jain satisfied millions of broken hearts, and the song became a massive hit.
“I love the acoustic, downtempo, mellow turn of ‘Afsos’ — the feel of it reminds me of early 2000s acoustic pop‑rock coming out of Pakistan. However, it’s hardly a groundbreaking song. That being said, AP has had a quiet year, and I think fans are ready for a new EP from him,” Grewal said.
This year’s Junos are scheduled for March 29 in Hamilton.
The Canadian music industry is shifting, and this year’s Juno Awards is reflecting that reality. The turning point came in 2024, when Punjabi artist Karan Aujla took home the TikTok Fan Choice Award and the Junos introduced a new category: South Asian Music Production of the Year. In 2023, Canadian singer and rapper AP Dhillon Canada, Entertainment
The Canadian music industry is shifting, and this year’s Juno Awards is reflecting that reality.
The turning point came in 2024, when Punjabi artist Karan Aujla took home the TikTok Fan Choice Award and the Junos introduced a new category: South Asian Music Production of the Year. In 2023, Canadian singer and rapper AP Dhillon performed his hit “Summer High” entirely in Punjabi, signalling a change in Canada’s mainstream music landscape.
Dr. Charlie Wall Andrews, professor in Creative Industries at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the momentum is clear.
“Last year we celebrated the first-ever South Asian music award at the Junos, and continuing on that trajectory, it’s exciting to see nominees that are new this year,” she said.
This year, Aujla is again nominated for the Fan Choice Award, joined by Punjabi rapper and singer Shubh. Both are competing against global artists, including The Weeknd.
In the South Asian Music Recording of the Year category, AP Dhillon and Anuv Jain’s single “Afsos,” Karan Aujla’s “P‑pop Culture”, Ikky and Raf‑Saperra’s “Renaissance”, Shubh’s “Supreme,” and Sukha’s “By Any Means” are nominated.
Dr. Sara Grewal, associate professor at MacEwan University, said one producer stands out.
“I think Ikky can’t be overlooked here – he’s behind both Raf‑Saperra’s Renaissance and Karan Aujla’s P‑Pop Culture, and the production is just incredible,” she said.
This moment has been decades in the making. A long lineage of Punjabi musicians paved the way for the genre’s evolution into the vibrant blend of pop, hip hop and R&B heard today.
Jazzy B, a B.C.–based Punjabi singer credited with modernizing Punjabi pop and shaping early fusion sounds, helped set that foundation. The late Sidhu Moosewala, one of the most influential Punjabi songwriters and rappers of his era, further accelerated the genre’s global reach with his hip‑hop‑driven style and massive international following.
In 2023, Diljit Dosanjh made history as the first Punjabi artist to perform at Coachella. He has sold out major arenas like Vancouver’s Rogers Arena and Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena during his Born to Shine and Dil‑Luminati tours. And in 2024, he took another global leap by appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, becoming the first Punjabi artist to appear on the iconic stage, followed later by Karan Aujla in September 2025.
The rise in popularity is tied to the growing Punjabi‑speaking population in Canada. According to the 2021 Statistics Canada census, Punjabi is one of the fastest‑growing languages in the country.
Wall Andrews, who is developing a course focused on Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh for this fall, said the cultural exchange is expanding.
“Many South Asian and Punjabi creators are collaborating with creators here,” she said. “With mainstream music coupled with Punjabi flavours and folklore, this will be the catalyst that takes Punjabi music into the mainstream and allows non‑Punjabi music consumers to experience it. We have seen the same effect with K‑pop and Latin music.”
Artists like Dosanjh who has collaborated with Sia and Ed Sheeran and Aujla, who has worked with Pablo and OneRepublic, are continuously fueling the influence of Punjabi music.
Raf‑Saperra has also gained popularity with culturally intense lyrics and fusion beats.
“He is a really exciting up‑and‑coming artist,” Grewal said. “He brings a contemporary twist to traditional styles of Punjabi music, and his voice is just remarkable. Raf‑Saperra’s success is a good reminder that Punjabi music culture, whether historically or today, is not limited to just the east side of the border. In fact, his sound embodies the reality that geopolitical borders don’t apply to music.”
His song “Step‑Out” has about four million views on YouTube, and “Morni” from the same album has drawn around three million.
The collaboration between AP Dhillon and Indian singer‑songwriter Anuv Jain satisfied millions of broken hearts, and the song became a massive hit.
“I love the acoustic, downtempo, mellow turn of ‘Afsos’ — the feel of it reminds me of early 2000s acoustic pop‑rock coming out of Pakistan. However, it’s hardly a groundbreaking song. That being said, AP has had a quiet year, and I think fans are ready for a new EP from him,” Grewal said.
This year’s Junos are scheduled for March 29 in Hamilton.
Discover more from World Byte News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
