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Joni Mitchell at the 2026 Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ontario.
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Joni Mitchell Reaffirms Her Canadian Identity After Obtaining U.S. Citizenship: 'I’m a Proud Canerican'
The veteran singer-songwriter has explained that she obtained her American citizenship to vote in the United States. "I didn’t give up my Canadian citizenship, and I never will," she says.
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Joni Mitchell is still elbows up for her home country.
The Alberta-born singer-songwriter has defended her Canadian identity this week after announcing on Wednesday (Oct. 14) that she obtained her U.S. citizenship. While the move generated controversy given the rising tensions between Canada and the U.S. amid the ongoing trade war, Mitchell has clarified that she made the decision so she would be able to vote in the U.S.
“I became a citizen so I could vote. I didn’t give up my Canadian citizenship, and I never will,” Mitchell wrote in a statement via Instagram on Thursday (Oct. 15). “I’m a proud Canerican like Neil Young.”
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The influential Canadian artist broke the news of her U.S. citizenship with an Instagram post featuring her smiling in front of the American flag and a clip of her stepping forward during her citizenship ceremony, describing her relationship with the country as "a journey that began 62 years ago" in the caption. She first moved to the U.S. in 1965 after marrying American folk singer and Detroit native Chuck Mitchell, and later relocated to Los Angeles, where she became one of several pioneering songwriters in the Laurel Canyon music scene.
Albeit a proud dual citizen, Mitchell has previously been candid about her reservations with the American political climate. Back in 2024, she urged fans at her Hollywood Bowl headline concert in Los Angeles to go vote, as she was unable to do so herself. "This is an important one," she said. "I wish I could vote. I'm a Canadian. I'm one of those lousy immigrants." She affirmed her disapproval of the president by proclaiming "F--- Donald Trump" after an audience member took a dig at Trump aloud, and also slipped his name into a cover of her song "Dog Eat Dog," in which she decries people who "lie, cheat, skim, scam."
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As stated in her message, the pioneering musician joins fellow Canadian music legend Neil Young as a dual citizen. Young obtained his American citizenship in 2020 after first moving to the U.S. in 1966, and was also a key figure in the Laurel Canyon movement, as both a solo artist and a member of the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Joni Mitchell's musical success has a storied history on both sides of the border. This year, she received the prestigious lifetime achievement award at the 2026 Juno Awards in Hamilton, which was presented to her by Canadian prime minister Mark Carney. In her speech, she praised Carney and shared that she was "so glad" to be back in her home country, while acknowledging the ongoing political tensions between both countries.
Her music has seen chart success in the U.S. while cementing a lasting legacy, notably in 1974 when "Help Me" reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her highest-charting hit. Her album Court and Spark became her highest-charting effort on the Billboard 200 that same year, peaking at No. 2.
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