Drake Inducts Nelly Furtado into Canadian Music Hall of Fame

Drake inducted Nelly Furtado into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2026 Juno Awards, appearing in a pre-recorded video tribute that also revived his long-running grievance with the awards.

In his speech, Drake praised Furtado’s lasting impact and her role in shaping a distinct sound for Canadian artists on a global scale. He highlighted her genre blending work and its influence on his own generation. The tribute also included a fleeting, joking reference to his own complicated history with the Junos, where he has been publicly critical of the awards in the past.

The induction solidifies Furtado’s legacy following a career defining run in the 2000s with hits like “I’m Like a Bird” and “Promiscuous.” The moment functions as a cultural handoff, acknowledging the pathways opened by earlier Canadian pop innovators for the country’s current wave of hip hop and R&B dominance.