Canada’s Unsung Heroes: Meet the 2026 JUNO Music Teacher Nominees

TORONTO, ON – January 27, 2026 – As the Canadian music industry prepares to celebrate its brightest stars at the upcoming JUNO Awards, MusiCounts, the nation's music education charity, has turned the spotlight onto the foundational figures who often work behind the scenes: the teachers. Today, five exceptional educators from across the country were named nominees for the prestigious 2026 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, presented by Anthem Entertainment.

The award, now in its 21st year, recognizes individuals who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to music education. The winner will be unveiled live during the 55th Annual JUNO Awards broadcast in Hamilton, ON, on March 29, 2026, placing a much-deserved national focus on the vital role of music in schools.

The Maestros of Change

This year’s finalists represent a cross-section of Canadian communities, but they share a common thread of innovation, resilience, and a deep-seated belief in the power of music to transform young lives.

The five nominees are:

• Zeda Ali from Sunny View Middle School in Brampton, ON, earns her second nomination for her pioneering work. Ali is the driving force behind one of the few steel pan programs in her school district, intentionally curating a curriculum that reflects her students' diverse backgrounds with music from Trinidad, Pakistan, and beyond, making music a mirror for their own identities.

• Lynn Harper of Chateauguay Valley Regional High School in Ormstown, QC, is a multifaceted leader who serves as a music teacher, choir director, and Arts Consultant. A vocal advocate for arts funding and equity, Harper has cultivated a classroom that is a sanctuary for creative risk-taking, empowering students to find their unique voices.

• Alex Hutcheon from Cremona School in Cremona, AB, is credited with performing a near-miracle. He single-handedly resurrected a music program on the brink of being eliminated due to budget cuts, building it into a powerhouse of five concert and jazz bands that now involves over 60% of eligible students. His ingenuity extends to engineering custom instrument solutions, ensuring students with physical disabilities can participate fully.

• Isabelle Lemieux at École Caps-des-Neiges in Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, QC, demonstrates a profound commitment to her elementary students. Her programs, which include choir and instrumental harmony, seamlessly integrate technology and community outreach, taking students from classroom learning to performing at large-scale vocal events and local seniors' residences.

• Raquel McIntosh of Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School in Hamilton, ON, stepped into a fragmented program and transformed it into a vibrant hub of creativity. When the school lost its dedicated music room, she launched "Beyond the Soundtrack," a spoken word and slam poetry initiative. She also founded "Creative Minds," a vital space for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students to explore their identities and emotional growth through music.

"I would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to the nominees... It is our greatest honour to highlight the important work and advocacy done by music educators across the country," said Kristy Fletcher, President of MusiCounts. "This well-deserved spotlight on these five teachers highlights the impact great educators have on kids, and the importance of continuing to support and sustain music education for every young person in Canada."

A System Under Strain

The stories of these five educators are not just tales of individual excellence; they are powerful testaments to the challenges facing music education in Canada. MusiCounts’ work highlights a critical reality: many programs exist on a knife’s edge. Research from the charity reveals a system under significant strain, where dedicated teachers often bridge the gap left by chronic underfunding.

Since its founding in 1997, MusiCounts has awarded nearly $20 million to school and community programs. Yet, the demand far outstrips the supply. The organization can only fund approximately one in five schools that apply for its grant programs, a stark indicator of the widespread need. In 2022, a staggering 57% of applicant schools reported having an annual music budget of $500 or less—an amount barely sufficient to repair a single tuba, let alone equip an entire class.

In this environment, the work of teachers like Hutcheon, who rebuild programs from ashes, and McIntosh, who innovates when physical spaces are lost, becomes all the more heroic. They are not just teaching scales and chords; they are fundraising, repairing instruments, writing grant proposals, and advocating tirelessly for their students' right to a complete education that includes the arts.

Bridging the Classroom and the JUNO Stage

Presenting the Teacher of the Year Award at the JUNO Awards is a deliberate and symbolic act. It connects the glitz and glamour of Canada's biggest night in music directly to the grassroots efforts in classrooms where the next generation of artists, sound engineers, and lifelong music lovers are being nurtured. As the charitable arm of The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), which runs the JUNOs, MusiCounts embodies the industry's commitment to replenishing its own ecosystem.

The winner will receive a JUNO Award statuette, a $10,000 cash prize, and a significant grant for their school's music program. This provides not only personal recognition but also a tangible and desperately needed infusion of resources. The partnership with a major industry player like Anthem Entertainment as the presenting sponsor further reinforces the bridge between corporate Canada and educational advocacy.

The award ultimately celebrates a vision where music is not an optional extra but a core component of learning. The proven benefits—from improved cognitive function and academic performance to enhanced mental health and social-emotional development—are the silent anthems playing in the background of every successful music program. By celebrating these five educators, MusiCounts and the JUNOs are amplifying a crucial message: investing in a music teacher is an investment in the future of Canadian culture itself.