Tegan and Sara

2018 National Arts Centre Award

Musicians, songwriters and activists

Tegan and Sara have sold more than one million albums and performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, from the 2015 Academy Awards telecast to major festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza and Glastonbury. They have appeared on Canadian, American, Australian and European television, and their songs have been featured in numerous films and TV shows. Tegan and Sara have openly identified as queer since the beginning of their career. Outspoken advocates for equality, gender justice, and progressive social change, they have built a strong and loyal fan base in both the straight and the LGBTQ community.
 
Identical twin sisters born in 1980 in Calgary, Alberta, Tegan and Sara Quin developed an interest in music in their teens. They immediately began to write original material, and by 1998 they had established themselves as an acoustic folk duo, gradually shifting into indie rock and pop as their career progressed.
 
They have released eight studio albums, including their independent debut Under Feet Like Ours (1999), their breakthrough So Jealous (2004), The Con (2007), Sainthood (2009), Heartthrob (2013), and Love You to Death (2016).
 
In December 2016, they created the Tegan and Sara Foundation, which raises awareness and funds to address the inequalities preventing LGBTQ girls and women from reaching their full potential.
 
In 2017, a decade after the release of The Con, they announced The Con X: Covers, a compilation album featuring 14 different artists covering the original album’s tracks. In October of that same year, Tegan and Sara went on the road with The Con X: Tour, a two-month North American showcase of intimate acoustic arrangements of the album’s 14 songs. A portion of the proceeds from both the tour and the album went to the Foundation.
 
Tegan and Sara’s awards and honours include seven Gold and one Double Platinum album certifications, three Juno Awards, two Western Canadian Music Awards, and two GLAAD Media Awards. They have been nominated for a Grammy, two Polaris Prizes, the 2018 Australian LGBTI Award in the “International Icon” category, and the 2018 British LGBT Award in the “Music Artist of the Year” category.