Drake received a notable shoutout from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the 2026 Juno Awards on Sunday night.
While presenting Joni Mitchell with a lifetime achievement award, Carney spoke about Canada’s place in the global music industry and highlighted several artists who have shaped that reputation. “Canada is the third-largest exporter of music in the world. It’s a huge industry, but really, at the core of it, it’s our stories, it’s our emotions, it’s our heart, at a time when the world needs more Canada,” he said. “Joni Mitchell is the heart, Nelly Furtado. It’s the whole range. Drake, Rush, whoever, Canadian, Canadian, Canadian.”
@cbcnews 'Canada is the third largest exporter of music in the world,' Prime Minister Mark Carney said when asked why it was important to support C... See more
Carney’s remarks placed Drake among some of the country’s most celebrated musical names, while underscoring the scale of Canada’s reach in the global industry.
Drake was also part of the night through a pre-recorded message honoring Nelly Furtado, who was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame. In the video, he jokingly referenced being snubbed at the 2011 Junos before turning his full attention to Furtado.
“To the Junos, because you are honouring one of my dearest friends tonight, I will spare you, even though I know you’re still thinking about those six awards that you gave to Shad in 2011 when you snubbed ‘Take Care’ as I hosted the 40th anniversary of your award show,” he said. “But listen, that’s neither here nor there. Tonight we’ll let it go. This is about Nelly.”
He continued by praising Furtado directly, calling her Hall of Fame recognition “long overdue.” Drake ended the message with another tease for his next project, saying, “Iceman coming soon.”
The mention added to growing anticipation around Iceman, which Drake has been teasing with tracks including “What Did I Miss?,” “Which One” with Central Cee, and “Dog House” with Yeat and Julia Wolf. He has not yet announced an official release date.