South Asian acts, who scored nominations in general fields such as Single and Album of the Year at the 2025 Junos, were shut out of them for this year’s edition of the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys.
However, Punjabi singer-rappers Karan Aujla and Shubh will compete with the likes of superstars such as Justin Bieber and The Weeknd for the Fan Choice Award. Aujla’s album P-Pop Culture and Shubh’s single ‘Supreme’ are also up for the South Asian Music Recording of the Year.
Producer Ikky’s collaborative EP with Raf Sappera Renaissance, Sukha’s album By Any Means, and AP Dhillon’s duet with Anuv Jain ‘Afsos’ also earned nods in that category, which was introduced last year when Dhillon took home the trophy. Additionally, hip-hop star Nav’s track ‘Unlimited’, which features Playboi Carti, is a nominee for the Rap Single of the Year.
The recognition is not just about representation—Indians, for instance, make up nearly 4% of Canada’s population according to the CIA World Factbook—but also a reflection of the growing presence of south-Asian, especially Punjabi music on the country’s music charts. Aujla scored six hits on Billboard’s Canada Hot 100 in 2025, including the top ten smash ‘At Peace’, while P-Pop Culture debuted at No.3 on the albums survey, with a record 12.4m streams for a Punjabi-language LP.
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