Shawnee Kish
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]
She identifies as two-spirit,[1] and married Olympic rugby player Jen Kish in 2021, in a ceremony officiated by Rachel Notley.[9]
References
- Jane Stevenson, "Two-spirit Indigenous artist Shawnee Kish sees music as 'medicine'". Toronto Sun, June 20, 2021.
- Jackson Weaver, "Charlotte Cardin, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber lead 2022 Juno Award nominees". CBC News, March 1, 2022.
- Fish Griwkowsky, "Locals Brett Kissel, Shawnee Kish, Maria Dunn and Young Spirit up for five Junos". Edmonton Journal, March 1, 2022.
- "Shawnee Is CBC Music's Searchlight Winner". FYI Music News, March 9, 2020.
- Michael Hollett, "Shawnee Kish’s Star is Rising". Next.
- Conchita Galvez, "'Music is medicine': Shawnee Kish on her new EP, identifying as two-spirit". CTV News Edmonton, June 15, 2021.
- Marsha Lederman, "National Arts Centre Orchestra’s eclectic new CBC Gem series showcases Canadian talent". The Globe and Mail, September 1, 2021.
- 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.
- Adam Lachacz (May 16, 2021). "Edmonton Olympian and musician married by Rachel Notley". CTV News Edmonton.