Susan Aglukark

Susan Aglukark, OC, was born 27 January 1967 and is a Canadian singer whose blend of Inuit folk music traditions with country and pop songwriting has made her a major recording star in Canada. Aglukark was born in Churchill, Manitoba, and raised in Arviat, Northwest Territories (now in Nunavut). After graduating from high school, she worked in Ottawa, Ontario, as a linguist with the Department of Indian & Northern Affairs, and then returned to the Northwest Territories to work as an executive assistant with the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. While working with the Inuit Tapirisat, she began to perform as a singer, and quickly became a popular performer in Inuit communities. In 1992, she released an independent album, Arctic Rose. This Child, released in 1995, became her breakthrough album. The first single from that album, O Siem, went to number one on the Canadian adult contemporary and country charts that year, making Aglukark the first Inuk performer to have a Top 40 hit. The album was eventually certified triple platinum (300,000 copies sold) in Canada. Overall, she has released seven studio albums and has won three Juno Awards. Her many awards and distinctions include appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada, three Juno Awards, and three honorary doctorates. In 2016, Aglukark received a Governor General's Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award. Arctic Rose (1994) won Juno Awards for Best New Solo Artist and Best Aboriginal Recording. She was named to the Order of Canada in 2004. In 2022, she received the Humanitarian Award at the JUNO Awards. Aglukark is being recognized for her exemplary dedication and hands-on work as the founder of the Arctic Rose Foundation.

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