Jeremy Dutcher is a classically trained Indigenous Canadian tenor, composer, musicologist, performer and activist,"Jeremy Dutcher breathes new life into century-old Wolastoq recordings" . Halifax Chronicle-Herald, May 8, 2018. who previously lived in Toronto, Ontario and currently lives in Montréal, Québec. He became widely known for his first album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, which won the 2018 Polaris Music Prize"Jeremy Dutcher Wins 2018 Polaris Music Prize". Exclaim!, September 17, 2018 and the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the 2019 Juno Awards."Shawn Mendes the biggest winner as bulk of Juno Awards handed out Saturday". CBC News, March 17, 2019.
Biography A Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) member of the Tobique First Nation in North-West New Brunswick, Dutcher studied music and anthropology at Dalhousie University."A powerful mix of culture and craft: Dutcher's debut brings ancestors' melodies, words into present day". Winnipeg Free Press, June 16, 2018. After training as an operatic tenor in the Western classical tradition, he expanded his professional repertoire to include the traditional singing style and songs of his community.
He recorded Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa following a research project on archival recordings of traditional Maliseet songs at the Canadian Museum of History, many of which are no longer being passed down to contemporary Maliseet youth."Jeremy Dutcher : chanter avec les voix ressuscitées de ses ancêtres". Ici Radio-Canada, May 22, 2018.
In 2021, Dutcher collaborated with cellist Yo-Yo Ma on the "Honor Song" by composer George Paul. The track is included on Ma's album "Notes for the Future". Dutcher sang the song in original Mi'kmaq as well as in Wolastoqey, his own language.
He appeared as a guest judge in an episode of the third season of Canada's Drag Race in 2022.
Dutcher held fundraising concerts and donated to the Kehkimin Wolastoqey Language Immersion School, founded by his mother, Lisa Perley-Dutcher. "I think it's a really exciting moment for linguistic revitalization in Wolastoq territory," Dutcher told APTN News.
In 2023, he released the album Motewolonuwok on Secret City Records.Alex Hudson, "Jeremy Dutcher Announces Sophomore Album 'Motewolonuwok,' Shares New Single 'Ancestors Too Young'". Exclaim!, June 20, 2023. The album again features some songs performed in the Maliseet-Passamaquoddy language like on his debut, but also features some English-language songs.David Friend, "Jeremy Dutcher worried about getting 'stuck' in his archival past before second album". Toronto Star, October 12, 2023. The album was a Juno Award nominee for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2024,"Junos 2024: full list of winners". CBC Music, March 23, 2024. and winner of the 2024 Polaris Music Prize,CBC Music, "Jeremy Dutcher wins the 2024 Polaris Music Prize". CBC Music, September 17, 2024. making Dutcher the first artist in Polaris history to win the prize twice.Brad Wheeler, "Jeremy Dutcher won his historic second Polaris Music Prize through bold reinvention". The Globe and Mail, September 18, 2024.
Dutcher is the 2025 National Arts Centre Award laureate, presented by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada. At the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala, Dutcher performed with Inuk singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark.
Dutcher identifies as two-spirit,"Tenor Jeremy Dutcher revives the songs of his Maliseet ancestors at the Queer Arts Festival". The Georgia Straight, June 13, 2018. a modern, pan-Indian, umbrella term used by some Indigenous North Americans to describe aboriginal people fulfilling a traditional third-gender (or other gender-variant) ceremonial cultural role in their community.
Discography Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (2018) Motewolonuwok (2023)
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryNominee/workResultRef 2018 Polaris Music Prize Shortlisted Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa "Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2018 Short List". Exclaim!, July 17, 2018. 2019 Juno Awards Indigenous Music Album of the Year Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa "Junos 2019: the complete list of winners". CBC Music, March 16, 2019. 2024 Adult Alternative Album of the Year Motewolonuwok "Here are all the 2024 Juno nominees". CBC Music, February 6, 2024. 2024 Polaris Music Prize Shortlisted Motewolonuwok "Jeremy Dutcher Wins the 2024 Polaris Music Prize for ‘Motewolonuwok’". Billboard, September 17, 2024. 2025 Governor General's Performing Arts Award National Arts Centre AwardHimself Cassandra Szklarski, "Music producer Bob Ezrin, actor Graham Greene among Governor General's performing arts laureates". Rocky Mountain Outlook, February 20, 2025. 2025 Atlantic International Film Festival Best Atlantic Score At the Place of Ghosts (Sk+te’kmujue’katik) Andrew Tracy, "Sk+te’kmujue’katik, Little Lorraine top award winners at AIFF". Playback, September 15, 2025.2026Indspire AwardsMusicHimself
Activism
Indigenous activism Dutcher aims to preserve Wolastoq culture and language through his music, and inspire Indigenous youth to think about the importance of language. When asked about his decision to record in his native Wolastoq language, Dutcher stated "it’s less about asking people to learn a new language and more about disrupting the bilingual Anglo-centric Canadian music narrative. Up until this point, why have there been no popular records in my language?"
At the Juno Awards pre-telecast industry gala dinner on March 16, 2019, Dutcher used his acceptance speech to critique the Trudeau government's approach to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples."Read Jeremy Dutcher's powerful 2019 Junos speeches in full". CBC News, Holly Gordon, Mar 17, 2019 Although his remarks were interrupted partway through when he was played off the stage, later that evening Arkells gave their own speaking time to allow him to conclude his remarks. He made his first national televised performance at the Juno Awards the following night, March 17, 2019, performing “Sakomawit” from his album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa beneath black and white photographs of his Wolastoq ancestors.
LGBTQ+ activism Dutcher was previously responsible for development coordination and Indigenous outreach at Egale Canada, which is currently the country's only national LGBT human rights organization.
The intersection of identifying as both Indigenous and two-spirited allows Dutcher to speak out on the Indigenization of queer spaces. In the Two-Spirit Roundtable project he speaks on the lack of gendered pronouns in the Maliseet language, and advocates for a "less western" way of thinking about gender.
References
External links Official website