Drake inducted his “dear friend” Nelly Furtado into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during Sunday night’s Juno Awards ceremony. Naturally, he also used the moment to tuck in another tease for Iceman, his forthcoming new album.
“Good evening, Canada,” Drake said in a special video that aired during the ceremony. “I’m here tonight to pay my respects to one of my favorite human beings and one of my favorite artists of all time, Miss Nelly Furtado. As a Canadian born in Victoria, British Columbia, I could only imagine that we shared the same wild dream of making it out. The difference is while I was still dreaming, I used you as my motivation and proof that it was possible.”
Drake went on to underscore just how influential Furtado was when he first dreamed of making the transition from Degrassi actor to music superstar in his own right, ultimately declaring her the proverbial “North Star” for himself and others with similar ambitions.
“There were no ceilings. There were no walls. There were no boundaries,” Drake said. “Tonight, you’re being inducted into Canada’s Music Hall of Fame. Rightfully so. Nobody deserves it more. I’ll let your beautiful performance do the rest of the talking for both of us. But I’m so proud of you.”
After a mention of Furtado’s OVO Fest appearance in 2022, Drake playfully turned his attention to the Junos themselves, taking issue with their prior decision to snub his 2011 album Take Care.
“To the Junos, because you are honoring one of my dearest friends tonight, I will spare you,” he said. “Even though I know you’re still thinking about those six awards that you gave to Shad in 2011 when you snubbed Take Care as I hosted the 40th anniversary of your award show. But listen, that’s neither here nor there. Tonight, we’ll let it go. This is about Nelly. … Enjoy your Hall of Fame status. It’s long overdue. Kill the performance. We love you, dawg. Iceman coming soon.”
See Drake’s full speech, including him singing a bit of Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird,” below.
“What an honor,” Furtado said when taking the stage to accept the honor, which last year went to Sum 41. “Canada’s a dream. I’m literally a product of the Canadian dream. Literally, growing up and feeling like I saw people I could relate with on TV, listening to it. Because Canada’s always cared about art. Canada’s always cared about culture. I’m a product of that.”
In the past, Furtado has credited Drake with reminding her of her value as an artist, telling Variety in 2023 that the OVO Sound co-founder had encouraged her to “boss up” and “make new music.”
7, Furtado’s most recent studio album, was released in 2024, earning a Juno nomination for Pop Album of the Year. As for Iceman, all signs point to Drake’s solo For All the Dogs follow-up arriving soon.