Buffy Sainte-Marie stripped of Juno, Polaris music awards

Kevin Maimann · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 12:46 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Buffy Sainte-Marie has been stripped of her Canadian euphony awards. 

Both the Juno Awards and the Polaris Music Prize announced Friday they were rescinding the honours Sainte-Marie had received implicit the years, after the 84-year-old instrumentalist returned her Order of Canada earlier this week, saying she is an American national and had "made it wholly clear" she is not Canadian. 

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), which runs the Junos, said it made the decision successful accordance with its eligibility requirements, pursuing Sainte-Marie's statements astir not being Canadian.

Sainte-Marie had collected 7 Juno Awards implicit the years.

"This determination is not a reflection of Ms. Sainte-Marie's creator contributions but ensures that CARAS celebrates and honours artists who conscionable the criteria. While this determination aligns with longstanding criteria, we admit the interaction it whitethorn have," CARAS said successful its statement.

"Buffy Sainte-Marie has been a beardown protagonist and advocator for Canadian music, and we admit the past contributions she has made to our organization. However, CARAS' mandate is to educate, develop, celebrate, and honour Canadian artists."

Polaris gave the aforesaid reason, saying that based connected Sainte-Marie's statement, she "does not conscionable Polaris Music Prize's rules and regulations."

Sainte-Marie had won the 2015 Polaris Music Prize for the medium Power In The Blood, which came with a $50,000 currency prize, and received a Polaris Heritage Prize designation successful 2020 for her 1964 medium It's My Way.