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Buffy Sainte-Marie has lost her Juno awards, Polaris Music Prize honours and her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as arts organizations respond to a statement from the singer saying she is not Canadian.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences says it will revoke her five Juno wins and her 2017 humanitarian award after a review of its eligibility requirements.
Sainte-Marie will also no longer be a part of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Other organizations also announced on Friday that they are in the process of taking back Sainte-Marie’s honours.
Organizers at the Polaris Music Prize say they rescinded two awards, including her 2015 win for best Canadian album, after learning she is not a Canadian citizen. Polaris representatives say they will not seek a return of the $50,000 cash prize.
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And Rideau Hall says Sainte-Marie pre-emptively returned her Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards medallion, and is no longer a laureate. That follows her Order of Canada termination in January.
Sainte-Marie told The Canadian Press in a statement earlier this week that she had “made it completely clear” she was not Canadian to Rideau Hall.
She says she’s an American citizen and holds a U.S. passport, but was adopted as a young adult by a Cree family in Saskatchewan.
Organizers at the Junos said Friday their decision is not a reflection of Sainte-Marie’s artistic contributions but based on their eligibility criteria.
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