Shania Twain to be inducted to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2011 JUNO Awards

Toronto, ON (January 11, 2011) — The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) is pleased to announce international superstar Shania Twain as the 2011 inductee to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In addition to a string of chart-topping albums, Twain has garnered numerous awards and accolades over her extraordinary career — including 12 JUNO Awards — and will add yet another achievement when she is honoured during the live CTV broadcast of The 2011 JUNO Awards, on Sunday, March 27. This will mark Twain’s return to the JUNO Awards since hosting the Ottawa broadcast in 2003.

“Shania Twain revolutionized the look and sound of country music, and truly is one of the most accomplished and celebrated music artists of her era,” said Melanie Berry, President & CEO of CARAS. “Her authenticity as a songwriter and performer has made her a global powerhouse, and we’re so proud to honour her at home in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.”

Shania Twain is a world-wide music phenomenon: more than 41 million albums sold in the U.S. and over 4.2 million albums in Canada; the top-selling female artist in history; multi-platinum album sales in 32 countries including Canada, Australia, the UK, Indonesia, Holland and Norway; the sixth biggest selling album of all time; 16 Top Ten hits, half of which reached No. 1; and the list continues.

This Spring, Twain’s highly anticipated autobiography hits bookstores, chronicling her extraordinary life and remarkable musical journey, plus the songstress is set to debut a docu-series on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, titled “Why Not? With Shania Twain.”

Twain took the country music scene by storm in 1995 with the release of THE WOMAN IN ME, bringing a catchy, never-heard-before pop sensibility to the genre. The first single from the album, “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under” caught everyone’s attention, but it was the brash and sassy “Any Man of Mine” that really set the tone for Twain’s impact on country music. A runaway hit, complemented by a video that debuted Twain’s star power, the song rose to the top of the charts, followed quickly by the equally attitude-filled “I’m Outta Here.”

THE WOMAN IN ME went on to sell over 12 million copies in the U.S. and nearly 400,000 copies in Canada, replacing Patsy Cline’s Greatest Hits as the bestselling album by a female country artist. Twain became a mainstay on the awards stage in 1996 earning two JUNO Awards including Entertainer of the Year, her first Grammy for Best Country Album and just about every major global music award.

She continued her incredible momentum with COME ON OVER in 1997, which spawned four consecutive record-breaking No. 1 hit singles: “Man, I Feel Like A Woman!,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Love Gets Me Every Time” and “You’re Still The One.” With sales of 19 million copies in the U.S. and two million in Canada, the album became the biggest seller by a woman in any genre of music, and is the highest selling record in the Nielsen SoundScan era — establishing her as a bona fide international superstar.

Following two wildly successful albums, Twain set out on a 19-month tour and performed for more than 2.5 million fans. The “Come On Over Tour” was the highest-grossing tour in country music history. At the top of her game, she finally took a well-deserved break and welcomed her greatest accomplishment, her first child.

But fans couldn’t get enough Shania, and she didn’t keep them waiting for long. In 2002, Twain released UP!, a double-CD set that offered a country version and pop mix of songs to the delight of her fans, who snapped up nearly three million copies in less than a month. The first single, “I’m Gonna Getcha Good,” once again proved her prowess as a songwriter and performer, and garnered Twain three more JUNO Awards in 2003. Certified at 10 million U.S. sales and over a million in Canada, UP! made Twain the only artist in history to have three consecutive diamond RIAA-certified albums — the other two being THE WOMAN IN ME (12x platinum) and COME ON OVER (19x platinum).

With three powerhouse albums to draw from, SHANIA TWAIN’S GREATEST HITS was released in 2004, with Canadian sales topping close to a million. “I wanted to put together all of my favourite songs from over the years for a fun, high-energy album,” said Twain. “And it was exactly that, as well as a dedication to all of the passionate fans who have enjoyed and supported me throughout the years.”

In 2005, Twain received one of the nation’s most prestigious honours and became an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contributions to Canadian culture and society.

The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 and recognizes Canadian artists that have attained commercial success while having a positive impact on the Canadian music scene here at home and around the world. Shania Twain will join the ranks of Canadian music icons including Anne Murray, Bruce Cockburn, Daniel Lanois, Hank Snow, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Oscar Petersen and Tom Cochrane in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

For a complete list of Canadian Music Hall of Fame recipients, information on the 2011 JUNO Awards, or to download photos of Shania Twain, go to www.junoawards.ca.

Sponsors of the 2011 JUNO Awards include FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters and The Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund,” Radio Starmaker Fund, Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), The City of Toronto, Tourism Toronto, Aeroplan and funding partner Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund.

Broadcast sponsors for The 2011 JUNO Awards include Chevrolet, Garnier and Rogers.

About CARAS:
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/L’académie canadienne des arts et des sciences de l’enregistrement (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music and recording industries and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards. The main focus of CARAS is the exploration and development of opportunities to showcase and promote Canadian artists and music through vehicles such as The JUNO Awards. For more information on the 40th Annual JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ (CARAS) website please visit www.junoawards.ca or www.carasonline.ca.

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Media Contacts:
For CARAS and the JUNO Awards
Adrienne Kakoullis
(416) 628-5610
akakoullis@hccink.com

For Universal Music Canada
Tyson A. Parker
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Vice President, National Media & Artist Relations
tyson.parker@umusic.com
http://junoawards.ca/submissions/canadian-music-hall-of-fame-inductee/