famous toronto people

10 people from Toronto who became stars over the past decade

It's no secret that some pretty incredible people have come out of Toronto in a variety of industries and helped put the city on the map. Over the past 10 years, GTA-native stars have emerged in everything from music, to film, to fashion and more.

Here are 10 people from in and around Toronto who became stars over the past decade.

Stephan James

Stephan James began acting in a series of television shows early on in his life, but it wasn't until he won aCanadian Screen Awardfor his role as Olympic runner杰西·欧文斯in the 2016 filmRacethat he began to receive real critical acclaim.

That recognition only intensified when he starred inBarry Jenkins'filmIf Beale Street Could Talkin 2018. James was born in Toronto in 1993 and graduated fromJarvis Collegiate Instituteback in 2011.

Shawn Mendes

Toronto's favourite pop star may seem like he's been on the music scene for quite some time now, but Shawn Mendes only began his career when he gained a massiveVinefollowing back in 2013.

He was disovered by managerAndrew Gertlerthat same year and officially signed toIsland Recordsin May 2014.

Pickering-born Mendes became the youngest artist to debut in the top 25 on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100after releasing his first single titledLife of the Party. Today, Mendes holds 13SOCANawards, 10MTV Europe Music Awards, eightJuno Awards, eightiHeartRadio MMVAs, twoAmerican Music Awards, and twoGrammy Awardnominations, among others.

Alessia Cara

Brampton-born Alessia Cara rose to stardom after she signed withEP EntertainmentandDef Jam Recordingsin 2014 and released her debut single titledHerein the following year.

She went on her first headlining tour across North America in 2016 before being nominated for several awards and joiningColdplayon their tour later that year.

In 2018, Cara was the first Canadian artist to win the Best New Artist award at theGrammy's. At only 23 years-old, the singer-songwriter has collaborated with countless established artists and made a name for herself in the North American music industry.

Daniel Caesar

Daniel Caesar was born in Oshawa where he attended private school before breaking out into the music industry. He independently released his debut EPPraise Breakback in 2014 followed byPilgrim's Paradisein 2015. Both EPs quickly received widespread critical acclaim.

Caesar's debut album,Freudian, was released in 2017 and later became a shortlisted finalist for the2018 Polaris Music Prize. The GTA-born artist was nominated for two Grammysin 2018 and won his first Grammy for Best R&B Performance for his singleBest Part在2019年。

Lilly Singh

Scarborough-native Lilly Singh has perhaps had one of the most transformative careers of them all over the past 10 years. She first came into the public eye when she started herYouTube channel, under the pseudonym IISuperwomanII, in 2010.

She quickly gained a massive following and was number 10 on theForbeslistof the world's highest paid YouTube stars by 2017.

This past year,Singh made historyby becoming the first and only woman of colour with her own show on network late-night talk TV. Although reviews of the showhave been mixed, Singh was named one of the40 most powerful people in comedy by Forbes在2019年。

Jessie Reyez

Jessie Reyez was born to Colombian parents in Toronto before later moving to Brampton. And while she's fairly new to the music scene, she already has multiple awards under her belt as well as a series of notable song writing credits. Her most well-known singleFigureswas released in 2016 and hit number 58 on theCanadian Hot 100in 2017.

The same song earned Reyez four nominations and one win at the 2018 Juno Awards. Her follow-up EP also earned her a Juno and is nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the2020 Grammy Awards.

Reyez has co-written songs for a number of well-known artists includingNormani,Calvin HarrisandDua Lipa. She'sexpectedto release her first full album in 2020.

Winnie Harlow

Toronto-born Winnie Harlow made a name for herself in the modelling industry after being discovered byTyra Bankson Instagram and competing inAmerica's Next Top Modelin 2014, making her the only Canadian to ever be cast on the show.

Harlow was diagnosed with a chronic skin condition calledvitiligoat the age of four, which results in the depigmentation of parts of the skin. She's been an outspoken advocate for those who suffer from the condition, often opening up about her experiences of being bullied as a child.

Harlow's been in the public eye multiple times since her stunt on ANTM, including a cameo inBeyoncé's Lemonadeand an appearance in one ofLilly Singh's YouTube videos.

Samantha Bee

Samantha Bee was born in Toronto and eventually attended theGeorge Brown Theatre School. In her younger years, she worked as a performer in Toronto and co-founded the Toronto-based sketch comedy troupeThe Atomic Fireballs.

Bee worked as a correspondent onthe Daily Show with Jon Stewartfor a total of 12 years, but it wasn't until she got her own show in 2015 that she truly rose to stardom.Full Frontal with Samantha Beedebuted onTBSin 2016, making her the first woman to host a late-night satire show.

Bee was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world onthe annual Time 100 listin 2017. In 2018, she launched a new production company called西南imsuit Competitionthat will eventually develop documentary television projects for TBS.

The Weeknd

The Weeknd was born into humble beginnings in Toronto and was raised in Scarborough by his grandmother. He first entered the music scene back in 2010 when he anonymously released multiple original tracks on YouTube which quickly gained attention and acclaim.

The Weeknd released his debut albumKiss Landin 2013 and his following album,Beauty Behind the Madness, became his first Billboard 200 number one album. The Weeknd's countless hit singles and albums have won him three Grammys, eight Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, nine Junos, and he's also been nominated for one Academy Award.

He's sold over 70 million records in the U.S. andwas awarded the Allan Slaight AwardbyCanada's Walk of Famefor "making a positive impact in the fields of music, film, literature, visual or performing arts, sports, innovation or philanthropy."

Drake

Although Drake's career certainly didn't begin in the 2010s, I'd be remiss not to mention how much he's grown as a star in the past 10 years. While we can't forget about the Toronto-born artist's time onDegrassior the first music he ever released, Drake truly rose to fame after releasing his debut albumThank Me Laterin 2010.

The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was eventually certified platnum. Drake has since released four more albums (Take Care,Nothing Was the Same,Views,Scorpion), all of which have received widespread acclaim and recognition.

Drake has brokenseveral Billboard chart records, he's sold over 170 million records, and he's ranked as theworld's highest-certified digital singles artistby theRecording Industry Association of America(RIAA)。他还创造了the termThe 6ix, he's aglobal ambassador to the Toronto Raptorsandhe holds the key to the city.

Lead photo by

The Weeknd


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