Speculation is beginning to bubble up about a potential Canada debut at Eurovision. This comes after the government’s budget revealed it was exploring opportunities for broadcaster CBC to get involved with the song contest.
Even though participation is still very much a hypothetical at this stage, fans have quickly turned the question towards: Who should represent the true north nation at Eurovision?
Canadian singers such as Céline Dion, Natasha St-Pier and La Zarra have previously waved European flags at the contest. But now is the chance for homegrown talent to potentially represent their own country.
Of course, it would be very easy to fill up a wishlist with Canada’s biggest stars who are already international household names — Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Drake, Shawn Mendes, Tate McRae, Carly Rae Jepsen, to name a few. But where’s the fun in that? (and let’s be real, y’all, Eurovision probably isn’t their top priority)
We’ve taken a deeper dive into the Canadian music scene to give you a taste of what the land of maple syrup and poutine truly has to offer.
Here are eight artists that would be great choices for the nation’s debut appearance at Eurovision.
Canada at Eurovision: Artist wishlist
Rêve
We start off with a true dream. Hailing from Montreal, Rêve broke through with her 2021 single “Ctrl + Alt + Del,” which charted on the Canadian Hot 100 for 29 weeks and won Dance Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards — Canada’s equivalent of the Grammys. The song has since gone double platinum.
Rêve also has another platinum single to her name — “Headphones,” a collaboration with Canadian music producer duo Banx & Ranx.
Her subsequent debut studio album, Saturn Return, was pure pop perfection — earning a Juno Award nomination for Pop Album of the Year. Influenced by artists such as Robyn and Madonna, Rêve brought a ’90s Eurodance and early ’00s pop feel to the record. Standout tracks to checkout include the disco-infused “Contemporary Love,” sassy and sexy “Tongue,” in addition to “Whitney,” which samples Whitney Houston’s 1993 cover of “I’m Every Woman.”
Alexander Stewart
Alexander Stewart began his musical journey in Toronto by uploading cover songs on YouTube. His voice quickly drew attention, with the videos racking up millions of views. Eventually, he began to share his own music and the hard work paid off upon the release of his debut album, Bleeding Heart, which gave the star two nominations at the 2025 Juno Awards — Best Pop Album and Breakthrough Artist of the Year — in addition to an MTV VMA nomination for “if you only knew.”
Not just a pop ballad connoisseur, Alexander Stewart has also had success with upbeat numbers. His collaboration with DJ duo Two Friends, “Wrong Way,” topped the US Dance Airplay chart.
If you’ve heard all of this and are immediately keen to see him live, then we’ve got good news. Alexander is undertaking a European tour over the coming month to celebrate the recent release of his sophomore LP, What If?
Brooke Lynn Hytes
All hail the Queen of the North! After winning the prestigious Miss Continental pageant title, Toronto’s Brooke Lynn Hytes gained international recognition as the first drag queen from Canada to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race, finishing runner-up on season 11. She now hosts the Canadian version of the franchise.
Brooke Lynn Hytes has showcased her musical skills both in and outside of Drag Race. Plus, as a trained ballet dancer, she could certainly bring a unique and fierce performance to the Eurovision stage.
Drag queens are no stranger to Eurovision. Slovenia, Denmark, Ukraine and Austria have all previously sent drag performers to sing at the contest — the latter winning with the legendary Conchita Wurst.
Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Grab a tissue and let us introduce you to First Nations hip hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids. Originally from Kitamaat Village, British Columbia, the duo is composed of Haisla rappers Darren “Young D” Metz and Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce.
They already have a Eurovision connection, having invited Electric Fields — Australia’s representatives in Malmö last year — to feature on the title track of their critically acclaimed Indigenous futurism album Red Future. No doubt SNRK could pick up some tips from the Aussies’ experience.
In fact, the duo made history at the 2025 Juno Awards with Red Future, becoming the first Indigenous artists to win Best Rap Album of the Year. Since releasing their first record in 2017, they’ve also been regularly shortlisted for the esteemed Polaris Music Prize — a multi-genre award modelled after the UK and Ireland’s Mercury Prize.
Faouzia
Faouzia is a Moroccan-Canadian singer. Born in Casablanca, she moved to Canada at the age of one, though her family still surrounded her with a lot of North African culture during her upbringing. Sadly, Morocco hasn’t competed at Eurovision since 1980. But, now Faouzia may have the opportunity to represent her Canadian side.
In 2017, Faouzia and fellow Manitoba-based singer Matt Epp submitted their duet “The Sound” to the International Songwriting Competition — the largest songwriting contest in the world. The pair became the first Canadians to win the prestigious prize, securing the top accolade within a field of 16,000 entries by artists from 137 countries.
She’s only gone from strength to strength since then, collaborating with stars such as John Legend, Kelly Clarkson and David Guetta. Following two EPs, Faouzia has just released her debut studio album, FILM NOIR — a true showcase of the rich emotional depth she embodies in her songwriting.
Owen Riegling
The Netherlands has generally been pioneering country music at Eurovision over the past decade. But perhaps it’s time for someone closer to its North American roots to really show us what the genre has to offer. Step forward Owen Riegling from Mildmay, Ontario.
Riegling secured a record deal with Universal Music Canada in June 2023 and very quickly began to make a name for himself. He won Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Awards, also receiving the Songwriter of the Year prize.
His biggest hit, “Old Dirt Roads,” has achieved platinum status. The song peaked at #2 on the Canadian Country charts — as did follow-up single “Moonshines.” Both songs can be found on the album Bruce County (From The Beginning), which won Album of the Year at the 2025 CCMAs.
Allie X
Oakville-born Allie X has a love for the theatrical. After initially studying musical theatre at college and getting some acting credits to her name, she later developed a music career centred around synth-pop and electronic sounds — but with an avant-garde nature to her artistry.
Her debut single under the stage name Allie X was “Catch” in 2014, and it made quite the first impression — charting on the Canadian Hot 100 and receiving critical acclaim (even being shared online by Katy Perry). She’s gone on to release a series of studio albums, written songs for Troye Sivan and BTS amongst others, plus has been twice longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize.
As a visual artist keen to tell stories, Allie X fully embraces the “Weird World” around us. We know a particular song contest that celebrates everything from the weird to the wonderful, where her performance style would fit perfectly.
Aysanabee
Music wasn’t the path that Aysanabee initially set out on. Raised in Kaministiquia, Ontario, and a member of the Sandy Lake First Nation, he worked for a mining company as a teenager before studying journalism and becoming a digital content creator at CTV News. Although he performed in bands on the side, it wasn’t until the Covid-19 pandemic that Aysanabee started writing his own songs — and it’s a good thing he did or we’d have missed out on some truly inspiring music.
His 2022 debut album, titled Watin after his grandfather’s first name, was a big success and shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. Hit songs from the LP include “We Were Here” and “Nomads,” the latter of which topped the Canadian Alternative Rock chart — making Aysanabee the first indigenous Canadian artist to ever reach #1 on that chart.
Success continued with sophomore record Here and Now, which earned Aysanabee two Juno Awards in 2024 — Alternative Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Not planning to stop anytime soon, we were gifted a third album from the Oji-Cree singer-songwriter earlier this year — Edge Of The Earth.
Who is on your wishlist to possibly represent Canada at Eurovision? Do you think any of the above picks would be a good choice? Share all your thoughts in the comments below.
