Joni Mitchell to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

Nelly Furtado is set to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame

Joni Mitchell will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Juno Awards, which take place on March 29 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada at the TD Coliseum. On Monday, the Canadian awards show revealed that Mitchell will earn the new distinction, and that Nelly Furtado will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

“The distinction recognizes Joni Mitchell’s outstanding artistic contributions and enduring impact on global music culture,” the Junos shared in a statement about the Lifetime Achievement Award. “Mitchell, a four-time Juno Award winner and Companion of the Order of Canada, will be celebrated for her trailblazing artistry that has inspired generations of creators across genres.”

Mitchell is only the third person to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award — after Pierre Juneau in 1989 and Anne Murray, who was honored when the award was reinstated earlier this year.

Mitchell already earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2002 and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1981.

Also joining the Canadian Music Hall of Fame this year is Furtado, who has won 10 Junos throughout her career and who hosted the show in 2024. “35 million records. Countless hits. Endless influence,” wrote the Junos organizers. “Nelly Furtado will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at The 2026 JUNO Awards.”

Furtado reacted to the news in a comment: “Pinch me!”

The announcement comes a month after Furtado shared that she would step away from performing for the “foreseeable future,” acknowledging that she had enjoyed her 25-year career.

“I have decided to step away from performance for the foreseeable future and pursue some other creative and personal endeavors that I feel would better suit this next phase of my life,” Furtado wrote at the time. “I have enjoyed my career immensely, and I still love writing music as I have always seen it as a hobby I was lucky enough to make into a career. I’ll identify as a songwriter forever.”

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