Jessie Reyez, TOBi, and Kirk Diamond Shine at 50th Annual Juno Awards
March 15, 2023 – On Monday night, the 50th annual Junos were held in Edmonton and Brampton’s musical talent was on full display. The city may be known for its flourishing flower industry, but its music scene is just as vibrant.
Brampton’s very own Jessie Reyez took home the award for Contemporary R&B recording of the year for her album Yessie. Reyez, who grew up in Brampton before moving to the U.S. to pursue her career in music, has been making waves in the industry with her raw and emotional lyrics.
Another Brampton native, Nigerian-born rapper TOBi, won for Rap album/EP of the year for his three-song release Shall I Continue?. TOBi’s unique blend of Afrobeat and hip-hop has been gaining attention from music critics and fans alike
But the wins didn’t stop there. Brampton’s Kirk Diamond also took home the award for Reggae recording of the year with his track Reggae Party, beating out fellow Bramptonian and walk of fame inductee Exco Levi in the category. Diamond has a park named after him in Brampton and has previous Juno nods and a No. 1 single on Rebel Vibez Top Ten Canadian Reggae charts.
The Junos may have been held in Edmonton, but Brampton represented with pride. The city’s musical talent continues to prove that it can compete with the best of them.
Although Brampton’s Alessia Cara may have come home empty-handed this year, her past successes are still worth mentioning. Cara was the first Canadian to ever win a Grammy in the best new artist category, and her debut single Here ranked 21 on Rolling Stone’s list of 50 best songs of 2015.
Brampton’s music scene is flourishing and it’s clear that the Flower City has a lot to offer. With talented artists like Jessie Reyez, TOBi, Kirk Diamond, and Alessia Cara, Brampton is making a name for itself in the music industry. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees from Brampton!