2020 in Canadian music

The following musical events and releases that happened in 2020 in Canada.

Events

• April 4 – 15th Canadian Folk Music Awards are announced online following the cancellation of the ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• May – Prism Prize
• June 15 – Preliminary longlist for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize is announced
• June 29 – Juno Awards of 2020 are announced online following the cancellation of the original March 15 ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• July – Shortlist for the Polaris Music Prize announced
• August 5 – SOCAN Songwriting Prize winners announced
• October 19 – Backxwash wins the 2020 Polaris Music Prize for the album God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It.^[1]
• November 1 – 42nd Felix Awards

Albums released

#

• 2Frères, À tous les vents
• 88Glam, New Mania – June 26

A

• Allie X, Cape God – February 21
• Don Amero, The Next Chapter – September 25^[2]
• Ammoye, I Am Love
• Tafari Anthony, The Way You See Me
• Arkells, Campfire Chords – August 20^[3]
• Tenille Arts, Love, Heartbreak, & Everything in Between – January 10^[4]
• Aquakultre, Legacy – May 8^[5]
• Aquakultre and Uncle Fester, Bleeding Gums Murphy – October 9^[6]
• Art of Time Ensemble, Ain't Got Long
• Rich Aucoin, United States – September 18
• Austra, Hirudin – May 1^[7]

B

• Backxwash, God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It^[8]
• Badge Époque Ensemble, Self-Help^[9]
• Bahamas, Sad Hunk – October 9^[10]
• Jason Bajada, Elizabeth
• Tim Baker, Survivors – July 10^[11]
• Jill Barber, Entre nous
• Quinton Barnes, AARUPA
• Gary Beals, Bleed My Truth – October 23
• Daniel Bélanger, Travelling – October 2^[12]
• Belinda (Lisa LeBlanc), It's Not a Game, It's a Lifestyle^[13]
• Beòlach, All Hands
• Beyries, Encounter^[14]
• Laila Biali, Out of Dust
• Justin Bieber, Changes – February 14^[15]
• Billy Talent, TBA
• The Birthday Massacre, Diamonds – March 27
• Forest Blakk, Sideways
• Bob Moses, Desire (EP) – August 28
• Will Bonness, Change of Plans
• Born Ruffians, JUICE – April 3
• John Borra, Blue Wine^[16]
• Braids, Shadow Offering – June 19^[15]
• Dean Brody, Boys – November 18^[17]
• Bruce Peninsula, No Earthly Sound – April 17^[18]
• Roxane Bruneau, Acrophobie^[19]
• Basia Bulat, Are You in Love? – March 27^[15]

C

• Shawna Cain, The Way
• Lou Canon, Audomatic Body
• Caribou, Suddenly – February 28^[20]
• Carys, To Anyone Like Me^[21]
• Casey MQ, babycasey^[22]
• Jennifer Castle, Monarch Season – October 16^[23]
• Cindy Lee, What's Tonight to Eternity
• Cindy Lee, Cat o' Nine Tails
• Clairmont the Second, It's Not How It Sounds – July 10
• Classified, Time – September 25
• Louis-Jean Cormier, Quand la nuit tombe
• Rose Cousins, Bravado – February 21^[24]
• CRi, Juvenile^[25]
• Crown Lands, Crown Lands
• Crown Lands, Wayward Flyers Vol. 1

D

• The Darcys, Fear & Loneliness – November 13
• Sophie Day, Clémence
• The Dears, Lovers Rock – May 15
• Helena Deland, Someone New – October 16^[26]
• Destroyer, Have We Met – January 31^[15]
• Dizzy, The Sun and Her Scorch
• Dog Day, Present
• Gord Downie, Away Is Mine – October 16^[27]
• Alan Doyle, Rough Side Out – February 14
• Drake, Dark Lane Demo Tapes – May 1
• Dvsn, A Muse in Her Feelings – April 17

E

• Fred Eaglesmith and Tif Ginn, Alive^[28]
• Jade Eagleson, Jade Eagleson – July 24^[29]
• Kathleen Edwards, Total Freedom – August 14^[30]
• Elephant Stone, Hollow – February 14^[31]
• Lindsay Ell, Heart Theory – August 14^[32]
• Elliott Brood, Keeper – September 18^[33]
• Emanuel, Alt Therapy Session 1: Disillusion (June); Alt Therapy Session 2: Transformation (December)
• Micah Erenberg, Art Week (the album); HBD Michael Toronto
• Eric Ethridge, Good with Me – October 30
• Evening Hymns, Heavy Nights – June 26

F

• Fast Romantics, Pick It Up
• Luca Fogale, Nothing Is Lost
• FouKi, Grignotines de luxe
• FouKi and Koriass, Génies en herbe
• The Franklin Electric, In Your Head/In Your Heart
• Fredz, Personne ne touche le ciel

G

• The Garrys, Haxan
• Hannah Georgas, All That Emotion
• Matthew Good, Moving Walls – February 21
• Grandson, Death of an Optimist – December 4
• Gordon Grdina, Prior Street
• Great Lake Swimmers, When Last We Shook Hands: Cover Songs, Vol. 1
• Great Lake Swimmers, Live in Ottawa at the 27 Club, October 3, 2019
• Grimes, Miss Anthropocene – February 21^[15]
• Matthew Grimson, Prize for Writing

H

• Half Moon Run, The Covideo Sessions
• Half Moon Run, Seasons of Change
• Harm & Ease, Midnight Crisis
• Sarah Harmer, Are You Gone – February 21^[34]
• High Valley, Grew Up On That – May 8^[35]
• Matt Holubowski, Weird Ones
• Holy Fuck, Deleter – January 17^[15]
• Andrew Hyatt, Neverland

J

• Sammy Jackson, With You
• David James, If I Were You – March 13^[36]
• Ryland James, Ryland James
• Ryland James, A Little Christmas
• Japandroids, Massey Fucking Hall – June 19^[37]
• Yves Jarvis, Sundry Rock Song Stock – September 25
• Carly Rae Jepsen, Dedicated Side B – May 21^[38]
• The Jerry Cans, Echoes – May 15^[39]
• Berk Jodoin, Berk Jodoin
• July Talk, Pray for It – July 10^[40]
• Junia-T, Studio Monk
• Juurini, Saimanrimut

K

• K-Anthony, The Cure
• Peter Katz, City of Our Lives
• Khotin, Finds You Well
• Brett Kissel, Now or Never – January 1^[41]
• Kiwi Jr., Football Money
• k-os, Boshido – May 29
• Krief, Chemical Trance – August 14

L

• Matt Lang, More – June 5
• Land of Talk, Indistinct Conversations
• Jessy Lanza, All the Time – July 24^[15]
• Laurence-Anne, Accident
• Shay Lia, Solaris – September 25
• Gordon Lightfoot, Solo – March 20
• Loony, JOYRiDE
• Loud Luxury, Nights Like This – March 27
• Corb Lund, Agricultural Tragic – July 26

M

• Catherine Major, Carte mère
• Dan Mangan, Thief – November 20^[42]
• Cory Marks, Who I Am – August 7^[43]
• Matthew Tavares & Leland Whitty, Visions – March 20
• Matt Mays, Dog City – August 28^[44]
• Jon McKiel, Bobby Joe Hope^[45]
• Shawn Mendes, Wonder – December 4
• Tyler Joe Miller, Sometimes I Don't, But Sometimes I Do – November 6^[46]
• Ryland Moranz, XO, 1945^[47]
• Alanis Morissette, Such Pretty Forks in the Road – July 31^[15]
• MSTRKRFT, Black Gloves – October 30
• David Myles, Leave Tonight – May 8

N

• N Nao and Joni Void, Nature morte
• Eliza Niemi, Glass^[48]
• Nyssa, Girls Like Me^[49]

O

• The OBGMs, The Ends – October 30^[50]
• Ocie Elliott, In That Room;^[51] Tracks^[52]
• Odario, Good Morning Hunter – October 23

P

• The Pack A.D., It Was Fun While It Lasted
• Partner, Never Give Up – November 20^[53]
• PartyNextDoor, Partymobile – March 27
• PartyNextDoor, Partypack – October 16
• Nico Paulo, Wave Call
• Orville Peck, Show Pony EP
• Klô Pelgag, Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs
• Jonathan Personne, Disparitions
• Philémon Cimon, Philédouche
• Lido Pimienta, Miss Colombia
• Dany Placard, J'connais rien à l'astronomie
• Plants and Animals, The Jungle
• Joel Plaskett, 44 – April 17
• Population II, À la Ô Terre
• MacKenzie Porter, Drinkin' Songs: The Collection – November 6^[54]
• William Prince, Reliever – February 7^[15]
• William Prince, Gospel First Nation – October 23
• Protest the Hero, Palimpsest – June 18^[31]
• P'tit Belliveau, Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
• Purity Ring, Womb – April 3

Q

• Quin with One N, Out of the Blue

R

• Billy Raffoul, International Hotel
• Allan Rayman, Christian – April 3
• Savannah Ré, Opia
• Regina Gently, Don't Wait to Love Me – September 18^[55]
• Noah Reid, Gemini – May 28
• The Reklaws, Sophomore Slump – October 16^[56]
• Jessie Reyez, Before Love Came to Kill Us – March 27
• Daniel Romano, Content to Point the Way
• Daniel Romano, Dandelion
• Daniel Romano, Forever Love's Fool
• Daniel Romano, Okay Wow
• Daniel Romano, Spider Bite
• Daniel Romano, Super Pollen
• Daniel Romano, Visions of the Higher Dream – March 17^[57]
• Daniel Romano, Daniel Romano's Outfit Do (What Could Have Been) Infidels By Bob Dylan & the Plugz
• Daniel Romano, White Flag
• Rum Ragged, The Thing About Fish

S

• Sam Roberts Band, All Of Us – October 16
• Sargeant X Comrade, Magic Radio – June 20^[58]
• Seaway, Big Vibe – October 16^[59]
• Shabason, Krgovich and Harris, Philadelphia^[60]
• Jairus Sharif, Q4DB (I Can Learn and Honor, Mould, In the Open, Simple)
• Andy Shauf, The Neon Skyline – January 24^[61]
• Mike Shabb, Life Is Short^[62]
• Crystal Shawanda, Church House Blues – April 17
• Silverstein, A Beautiful Place to Drown – March 6
• Dylan Sinclair, Proverb
• Gord Sinclair, Taxi Dancers – February 28^[63]
• Zal Sissokho, Kora Flamenca
• Dallas Smith, Timeless – August 28^[64]
• Arielle Soucy, Shame and Waterway
• Souldia, Silence radio and Backstage
• Storry, CH III: The Come Up
• Storry, Interlude-19
• Summersets, Small Town Saturday^[65]

T

• Julian Taylor, The Ridge – June 19
• Theory of a Deadman, Say Nothing – January 31
• Tobi, ELEMENTS Vol. 1 – October 21

U

• U.S. Girls, Heavy Light – March 6
• Terry Uyarak, Nunarjua Isulinginniani – October 30^[66]

V

• Mathew V, Two Faced
• Vagina Witchcraft, Vagina Witchcraft
• Rosie Valland, Blue
• Vile Creature, Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm!
• Vision Eternel, For Farewell of Nostalgia – September 14

W

• Rufus Wainwright, Unfollow the Rules – July 10^[31]
• Colter Wall, Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs – August 28^[67]
• We Are the City, RIP – January 24^[31]
• Ruby Waters, If It Comes Down to It
• Weaves, TBA^[31]
• The Weeknd, After Hours – March 20^[15]
• WHOOP-Szo, Warrior Remixes
• Wild Rivers, Songs to Break Up To
• JJ Wilde, Ruthless
• Witch Prophet, DNA Activation – March 24
• Wolf Parade, Thin Mind – January 24^[68]
• Donovan Woods, Without People – November 6^[69]
• Roy Woods, Dem Times – May 15
• Hawksley Workman, Less Rage More Tears – October 23

Y

• Jonah Yano, Souvenir
• Nikki Yanofsky, Turn Down the Sound – July 10
• Yukon Blonde, Vindicator – November 13

Z

• Zen Bamboo, Glu
• Zoon, Bleached Wavves^[70]

Deaths

• January 7 – Neil Peart, 67, drummer for Rush^[71]
• February 1 – George Blondheim, 63, pianist and composer^[72]
• March 7 – Laura Smith, 67, folk singer-songwriter^[73]
• April 4 – Barry Allen, rock singer
• May 12 – Renée Claude, 80, pop singer ("Tu trouveras la paix", "C'est toi, c'est moi, c'est lui, c'est nous autres")
• May 26 – Houdini, 21, rapper
• June 26 – Graeme Williamson, rock singer (Pukka Orchestra).^[74]
• August 10 – Salome Bey, 86, blues singer^[75]