Ginette Reno

1999 Lifetime Artistic Achievement (Popular Music)

A true star of the Canadian and international music scene for over three decades, singing with equal ease in both French and English, "La Reno" is one of Canada's most popular and best-loved singers. Her candour, simplicity and warmth are reflected not only in her art but in her life.

Attributing her talent to "a gift my mother prayed for", she began singing before she was seven, bringing her tapes (and fibbing about her age) to Montreal radio stations. Over fifty albums later, with appearances across North America, Britain and France with some of the greatest names in show business - Johnny Carson, Roger Whittaker, Dinah Shore - she is a star who still believes that "it's angels" and not her own hard work and dedication which have brought her such enormous success.

Life for her resides in "a passion for doing things". Her latest projects include a proposed musical comedy, perhaps destined some day for Broadway, and she has a successful second career as an actress in films such as Léolo, and C't'à ton tour, Laura Cadieux, for which she earned a Genie Award nomination for Best Actress.

Juno and Felix awards for best albums and best singer are among her many trophies, and she is an Officer of the Order of Canada.