{{Short description|Canadian Oji-Cree singer-songwriter}} {{use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{use Canadian English|date=September 2023}}
[[File:Womex24 aysanabee by eric van nieuwland.jpg | thumb | right | Aysanabee performing at WOMEX in 2024]] '''Aysanabee''' is an Oji-Cree singer-songwriter from Canada, whose debut album ''Watin'' was released in 2022.<ref name=ore>Jonathan Ore, [https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/aysanabee-album-watin-grandfather-1.6639855 "Aysanabee's pandemic phone calls with his grandfather inspired his debut album"]. ''Unreserved'', November 4, 2022.</ref>
==Background== A member of the Sandy Lake First Nation, he was born Evan Pang, with a non-inherited surname his mother chose in an attempt to protect him from anti-indigenous racism by portraying him to the community as Asian instead of indigenous, and raised in Kaministiquia, Ontario, outside of Thunder Bay.<ref name=saxberg>Lynn Saxberg, [https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/meet-aysanabee-the-first-artist-signed-to-ottawa-based-indigenous-label "Meet Aysanabee, the first artist signed to Ottawa-based Indigenous label"]. ''Ottawa Citizen'', November 4, 2022.</ref> He reclaimed his grandfather's surname, Aysanabee, as an adult.<ref name=ore/> He worked for a mining company as a teenager, later studying journalism and working as a digital content creator for CTV News.<ref name=saxberg/>
He played in various bands as a sideline, and began actively creating his own original music as an outlet during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Sarah Burke, [https://indie88.com/10-indigenous-artists-to-discover/ "10 Indigenous artists to discover"]. Indie 88, August 9, 2022.</ref> He submitted his music to the International Indigenous Music Summit after making enough money on a cryptocurrency trade to cover the submission fee.<ref>Brennan Leffler & Mike Drolet, [https://globalnews.ca/news/9537909/aysanabee-indigenous-musician/ "‘Who is this guy?’: Aysanabee’s improbable path from crypto jackpot to Juno stage"]. Global News, March 11, 2023.</ref> He was the first outside artist signed to Ishkōdé Records, a new label launched in 2021 by singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume and ShoShonna Kish of the band Digging Roots.<ref name=saxberg/>
==Career== ''Watin'' was released November 4, 2022.<ref name=exclaim>Calum Slingerland, [https://exclaim.ca/music/article/aysanabee_details_debut_album_watin_shares_video_for_nomads "Aysanabee Details Debut Album 'Watin,' Shares Video for 'Nomads'"]. ''Exclaim!'', September 12, 2022.</ref> Named for his grandfather's first name, the album features several recordings of his grandfather, recorded in phone conversations during the pandemic, as spoken interludes.<ref name=exclaim/> The album was preceded by the single "Nomads", which reached #1 on the ''CBC Music Top 20''<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-213-cbc-music-top-20/clip/15941041-ruby-waters-julia-jacklin-nuela-charles-debut "CBC Music Top 20 with Grant Lawrence"]. CBC Music, October 6, 2022.</ref> and charted on the Canadian rock radio airplay charts, reaching #1 on the Alternative Rock chart in March 2023 and becoming the first indigenous Canadian artist ever to top that chart.<ref name=jacket>[https://www.cbc.ca/music/junos/the-story-behind-the-gorgeous-jacket-aysanabee-wore-at-the-2023-juno-awards-1.6777766 "The story behind the gorgeous jacket Aysanabee wore at the 2023 Juno Awards"]. CBC Music, March 13, 2023.</ref>
CBC Music named ''Watin'' as one of the 22 best Canadian albums of 2022,<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/music/the-22-best-canadian-albums-of-2022-1.6653870 "The 22 best Canadian albums of 2022"]. CBC Music, November 21, 2022.</ref> and "Nomads" as one of the ten best Canadian songs of the year.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/music/the-top-100-canadian-songs-of-2022-1.6661992 "The top 100 Canadian songs of 2022"]. CBC Music, November 28, 2022.</ref>
Aysanabee was a Juno Award nominee for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year for ''Watin'' at the Juno Awards of 2023.<ref name=2023juno>[https://www.cbc.ca/music/junos/news/here-are-all-the-2023-juno-nominees-1.6724343 "Here are all the 2023 Juno nominees"]. CBC Music, January 31, 2023.</ref> He performed "We Were Here (It's in My Blood)" at the live gala on March 13, backed by the traditional indigenous round dance group Northern Cree;<ref>Danielle Paradis, [https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/aysanabee-and-northern-cree-play-the-2023-juno-awards/ "Aysanabee and Northern Cree play the 2023 Juno awards"]. APTN News, March 14, 2021.</ref> he also received praise for his performance outfit, a long jacket designed by Travis Shilling with feathers representing the Canadian Indian residential school gravesites.<ref name=jacket/>
''Watin'' was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.<ref name=polaris>[https://www.cbc.ca/music/events/polaris/polaris-music-prize-2023-short-list-1.6903778 "Here's the 2023 Polaris Music Prize short list"]. CBC Music, July 13, 2023.</ref>
He followed up in 2023 with the EP ''Here and Now''.<ref>Megan LaPierre, [https://exclaim.ca/music/article/aysanabee_announces_here_and_now_ep_shares_alone "Aysanabee Announces 'Here and Now' EP, Shares 'Alone'"]. ''Exclaim!'', September 6, 2023.</ref>
==Discography== {|class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" |- ! Year ! Album |- |2022 |''Watin'' |- |2024 |''Here and Now'' |- |2025 |''Edge of the Earth'' |- |}
==Awards== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Award ! Year ! Category ! Nominee / work ! Result ! Ref |- | rowspan=6| Juno Awards | 2023 | rowspan=2| Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year | ''Watin'' | {{nom}} | <ref name=2023juno/> |- | rowspan=3| 2024 | rowspan=2| ''Here and Now'' | {{nom}} | rowspan=3| <ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/music/junos/juno-awards-2024-full-list-winners-1.7149545 "Junos 2024: full list of winners"]. CBC Music, March 23, 2024.</ref> |- | Alternative Album of the Year | {{won}} |- | Songwriter of the Year | "Alone", "Here and Now", "Somebody Else" | {{won}} |- | rowspan=2| 2026 | Alternative Album of the Year | rowspan=2| ''Edge of the Earth'' | {{won}} | rowspan=2| <ref>Natalie Harmsen, Melody Lau, Holly Gordon, Kelsey Adams, [https://www.cbc.ca/music/junos/junos-2026-winners-list-9.7132379 "Junos 2026: full list of winners"]. CBC Music, Mar 28, 2026.</ref> |- | Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year | {{won}} |- | Polaris Music Prize | 2023 | Album of the Year | ''Watin'' | {{nom}} | <ref name=polaris/> |- | rowspan=2| Canadian Folk Music Awards | rowspan=2| 2026 | Indigenous Songwriter of the Year | ''Edge of the Earth'' | {{won}} | <ref>[https://www.rootsmusic.ca/2026/04/12/here-are-your-2026-canadian-folk-music-award-winners/ "Here are your 2026 Canadian Folk Music Award winners"]. ''Roots Music Canada'', April 12, 2026.</ref> |- | Single of the Year | "Edge of the Earth" | {{nom}} | <ref>Heather Kitching, [https://www.rootsmusic.ca/2025/10/31/here-are-your-canadian-folk-music-award-nominees-for-2025/ "Here are your Canadian Folk Music Award nominees for 2025"]. ''Roots Music Canada'', October 31, 2025.</ref> |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website|https://www.aysanabee.com/}}
Category:21st-century Canadian male singers Category:Canadian male singer-songwriters Category:Canadian rock singers Category:First Nations male singers Category:Oji-Cree people Category:Singers from Ontario Category:People from Thunder Bay District Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters Category:Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year winners Category:Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year winners Category:21st-century First Nations musicians Category:Juno Award for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year winners Category:Canadian Folk Music Award winners