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Billboard Canada 2025: The Covers
Here are all of Billboard Canada’s covers of 2025, spotlighting artists, executives and career moments that shaped the year.
14m
A Billboard Canada cover marks a moment when an artist, a career or an industry story reaches a point worth reflecting on. Across 2025, those moments ranged from chart-defining comebacks and first-ever interviews to farewell tours and leadership milestones that shaped Canada’s live and recorded music landscape. Each cover reflected not just who was in focus, but why that story mattered at that specific time.
This year was bookended by big Canadian rock comeback stories: Sum 41 calling it quits after one of their most successful albums, and Three Days Grace entering one of their highest-charting phases after a reunion with original lead singer Adam Gontier. It was a year of rising stars entering the next level, like The Beaches, and artists returning to their roots, like Daniel Caesar and his intimate show at NXNE 2025. And it was a major year for Live Nation, the dominant live promotions company that has helped turn Toronto into one of the biggest global touring markets.
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Billboard Canada's covers reflected all of these stories and more.
Billboard Canada's 2025 covers offer a snapshot of a year defined by momentum, transition and scale. Presented in reverse chronological order below, the list moves from the most recent covers to earlier moments in the year, capturing how artists and executives shaped — and responded to — a fast-moving 12 months.
Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace closed the year as Billboard Canada's Global No. 1s cover stars.
Following a reunion with original lead singer Adam Gontier and the introduction of a dual-vocal lineup, the band landed the No. 1 song on the 2025 Billboard Canada Year-End Mainstream Rock chart. Reflecting on that moment in their Global No. 1s cover story, the band noted that “it’s pretty crazy that more than two decades after the first song was released, we’d have a song that was the No. 1 rock song in Canada. They speak about repairing old relationships, returning to honesty in their songwriting and approaching a chart record for the most Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1s of all time.
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Read the full cover story here.
The Beaches
The Beaches appeared on Billboard Canada Women in Music 2025 cover as this year’s Women of the Year, reflecting a period of rapid momentum for the Toronto band. The cover story focused on their early days, their viral rise and the scale of the year ahead. Looking at the moment in context, the band said they were “so honoured to be celebrated alongside so many incredible women who have done so much for the music industry,” marking a clear shift from breakout success to sustained national presence.

Read the full cover story here.
Daniel Caesar
Daniel Caesar appeared on the cover of Billboard and Billboard Canada during a reflective point in his career. The Ontario-born R&B artist spoke about launching a new chapter of his career, discussing his upcoming album Son of Spergy, his genre-crossing approach to R&B and the creative growth that has come with time in the spotlight. Addressing that transition directly, he said, “I almost feel like I’m starting again — and I love it.” Returning to his roots at the Mod Club in Toronto as part of NXNE 2025, the singer opened up about his relationship to his religious upbringing, aging and the lessons he learned from getting "cancelled."
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Read the full cover story here.
Shubh
Shubh’s Billboard Canada cover marked a milestone moment: his first-ever interview. With more than three billion streams, a global fan base and no traditional marketing spend, the cover story explored the Brampton-based Punjabi star's writing process, his move to Canada and the discipline behind his independent rise. Reflecting on where it all began, Shubh shared, “I started writing when I was really young… I’ve always carried notebooks — almost like diaries — and that writing became the foundation of everything.” It's a rare insight into how he built a quiet global empire on his own terms.
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Read the full cover story here.
Riley O’Connor, Erik Hoffman and Melissa Bubb-Clarke of Live Nation Canada
Billboard Canada’s 2025 Power Players of the year went to Riley O’Connor, Erik Hoffman and Melissa Bubb-Clarke of Live Nation Canada during a landmark year for Canada’s live music sector. The cover story examined leadership and scale during a record-breaking summer, including the opening of Toronto’s Rogers Stadium, while setting the tone for Billboard Canada’s full 2025 Power Players list, released the following day on June 11. "[Toronto has] become this must-play global market,” Hoffman said. “It’s a place you absolutely can’t skip.”

Read the full cover story here.
Khalid
Khalid appeared on the cover of Billboard and Billboard Canada during a period of personal and creative recalibration. Entering a new era, the singer spoke openly in an interview for the first time about embracing his queer identity, and the confidence and freedom it gives him. “Finding that freedom comes from knowing I can just be myself and still be embraced and appreciated,” he said. “That doesn’t change because the world finds out I’m gay. Because I don’t change because the world finds out I’m gay.”
The cover coincided with his performance at Billboard Canada THE STAGE at NXNE on June 11, marking a chapter defined by self-acceptance and clarity.

Read the full cover story here.
deadmau5 & REZZ
One of Billboard Canada’s special NXNE digital covers brought together deadmau5 and REZZ as REZZMAU5 before their conversation at the Billboard Summit. The feature offered a rare look at their ongoing collaboration, diving into creative process, philosophy and what they have learned from one another. As deadmau5 put it, “We produce in two totally different ways… I am so old school and she is so new school,” explaining the contrast that drives their fruitful partnership.
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Read the full cover story here.
Connor Price
Connor Price was the star of Billboard Canada's 2025 Indie Issue. The Toronto rapper discussed building a following of millions through TikTok, his Spin The Globe project of international collaborations and his decision to remain independent even as major labels showed interest. Summing up his perspective succinctly, Price offered the piece of guidance he received from his idol, Russ: “Unsolicited advice? Stay independent.”

Read the full cover story here.
Sum 41
Released shortly before their final Toronto show, Sum 41’s Billboard Canada cover marked the closing chapter of one of Canada’s most successful bands. Frontman Deryck Whibley reflected on the band’s early years, his recently shared account of alleged abuse by their former manager and how he hopes Sum 41 will ultimately be remembered. Speaking to the finality of the moment, he said, “For the first time, this really feels like the end."

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