k.d. lang To Be Inducted Into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024
The Canadian icon will be recognized during Canadian Country Music Week in Edmonton in September leading to the Canadian Country Music Awards on September 14.
One of Canada's most celebrated artists is earning another accolade.
k.d. lang will be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024 by the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA). The induction will take place at Country Music Week 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta, September 11–14 leading to the CCMA Awards.
"I am beyond thrilled, and frankly pleasantly surprised to be honoured in this way,” says lang, who was born in Edmonton. "My love for the prairies, the people and our culture underscore every ounce of my inspiration. Not without its complexities, I might add. Such is life. I am so stoked to be coming to Edmonton to bask in this celebration… with deepest gratitude.”
Emerging in the 1980s as part of a then-burgeoning "cowpunk" scene, lang has had one of the most powerful and beautiful voices in country music and beyond. A queer icon and activist in many spheres, she's expanded the boundary of the genre and pioneered within and beyond it.
She's charted on the Billboard Hot 100 twice, with her yearning 1992 hit "Constant Craving" and a showstopping 2010 Vancouver live version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." She's continued to change and evolve, even appearing on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums Chart in 2021.
“Today, we are excited to announce the incomparable k.d. Lang as our 2024 Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Artist inductee,” says Amy Jeninga, President, CCMA. “A true Canadian icon and trailblazer in country music and beyond, k.d. embraced the genre with unparalleled passion, and her extraordinary talents have left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of our nation. We proudly honour her incredible legacy and outstanding contributions, and can’t wait to celebrate her induction in Edmonton this September.”
It's the latest of many awards and recognitions for k.d. lang, who's won multiple Grammys and Junos, and 10 CCMA Awards, including three consecutive wins for Album of the Year and two consecutive for Entertainer of the Year. She's won the Order of Canada, the Governor General's Performing Arts Lifetime Achievement Award and has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
It's uniquely special for her to enter the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, though, considering her beginnings and the major contributions she's made to the genre.
The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame is housed at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, in Calgary. A new exhibition celebrating new and historic inductees will open September 11, 2024, with more details still to be announced.
lang's induction is part of a big year for the CCMA Awards, which will be hosted by major American star Thomas Rhett alongside rising Canadian star MacKenzie Porter.