10 Richest Musicians In Canada

It’s impossible to deny Canada’s influence in music. The nation is the home to some world-famous artists. We’ve compiled a list of the richest musicians in Canada to pay tribute to their enormous contributions.

10. Nelly Furtado – $40 Million

Hailing from Canada, Furtado is an actress, songwriter, and singer. Furtado came to the limelight after releasing a trip-hop-inspired album titled Whoa Nelly! in 2000. The album was commercially successful and won four Grammy Awards nominations in 2002.

In 2006, she released her third album titled Loose. The album remains her best and most successful release, with over 12 million record sales worldwide. Besides singing, she has a successful acting career, appearing in films such as “A Date with Miss Fortune” and a few episodes of “CSI New York.”

She’s part of many humanitarian campaigns, including Charity Against Racism. In 2011, she donated $1 million to Free the Children (WE Charity). The contribution went into setting up girls’ schools in Kenya.

Collectively, she has more than 40 million record sales. Her other notable achievements include a BRIT Award, 10 Junos, and a Billboard Music Award.

9. Alanis Morissette -$60 Million

Alanis Morissette is a Canadian singer famous for her soulful voice and introspective tracks. With a net worth of $60 million, she’s undoubtedly one of the most successful musicians in Canada.

The mid-to-late 90s, before the rise of file-sharing services such as Napster, were Morissette’s most lucrative years. It was during this period that Morisette delivered her most commercially successful albums. She had around 60 million record sales, accounting for a bigger percentage of her 75 million sales.

She has won 1 Brit Award, 14 Junos, and 7 Grammys. Morissette listed her Brentwood, Los Angeles, home for sale at an asking price of $5.495. She ended up settling for $5.35 million in the same year. She had acquired the property at $1.8 million in 1996.

She filed a lawsuit against her former manager Jonathan Schwartz for defrauding her $5 million within seven years. He was found guilty in 2017 and convicted of 6 years imprisonment. The singer has been battling depression for a long time.

The condition made her develop an eating disorder when she was a teen. That persisted in her early 20s until she sought counseling and adopted a healthier diet. In 2009, she participated in a marathon to raise awareness about eating disorders.

8. Avril Lavigne – $60 Million

Avril Lavigne is a Canadian-born fashion designer, songwriter, and singer whose net worth is $60 million as of 2023. When she was 16, Lavigne sealed a two-album deal with Arista Records worth over $2 million.

She appeared in the limelight at 17 years old with her first album, Let Go. Since then, she has had over 50 million singles and 30 million album sales. She’s also the first young female artist to chart at number one in the United Kingdom. 

Some of her key achievements include eight Grammy nominations, one SOCAN Award, six World Music Awards, eight Juno Awards, seven BMI Awards, and six ASCAP Awards.

After divorcing her husband Kroeger in 2015, the two sold their Sherman Oaks, California home for $5 million in 2020. They had paid $5.6 million to acquire the property in 2015.

Lavigne bought a property in Beverly Hills for $4.5 million in 2004. She put it up for sale in 2008 for $5.2 million. In 2020, she purchased a $7.8 million mansion in Malibu.

Lavigne has made a name for herself as a social activist by contributing to charity groups such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, War Child, Erase MS, and Amnesty International. In 2010, she founded the Avril Lavigne Foundation, which partners with other charities to support people with physical and mental impairments.

She commemorated her birthday in 2014 by organizing a fundraising drive for the Special Olympics and got enough money to finance thirty athletes. Later, the athletes appeared in her song “Fly.” She gave all the video’s iTunes earnings to the Special Olympics.

7. Michael Buble – $80 Million

Michael Buble is a multi-talented singer, actor, producer, and songwriter hailing from Canada. His songs fill the air every Christmas season, earning him the nickname “King of Christmas.” He has over 75 million record sales worldwide, making him one of the most successful and iconic Canadian musicians.

At 18, Buble emerged victorious in a local talent competition. However, after discovering his real age, the show’s organizer, Bev Delich, barred him. He enrolled him in the Canadian Youth Talent Search and emerged victorious again. Under Delich’s management, he would perform in nightclubs, talent competitions, and hotel lounges.

His achievements include four Grammy Awards, fourteen Juno Awards, and one American Music Award. Buble did an advert for Starbucks’ Frappucino drinks in 2005.

The advert featured a few lyrics from his hit tune “Come Fly with Me.” He has also appeared in Bubly Sparkling Water, Kmart, Sears, Target, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles adverts.

In 2016, his fragrance brand, Michael Buble Fragrances, debuted in 30 states. The collection also offers shower gel and scented body lotion. He’s been a well-known hockey fanatic and co-owner of the Vancouver Giants since 2008.

6. Neil Young – $200 Million

Neil Young is a Canadian folk-rock musician who plays multiple instruments. He has received several Juno and Grammy Awards throughout his lengthy career. He has also gained induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Neil Young has over 75 million record sales, accounting for a bigger percentage of his wealth.

Neil announced he sold half of his musical repertoire in 2021 for $150 million. He gave Hipgnosis 50% of the future royalties for around 1,120 songs.

He co-owned Lionel, LLC, a model trains manufacturing firm. However, all his shares went down the drain when the firm underwent insolvency. He serves on the executive board and is listed as a co-inventor on not less than seven model trains’ patents.

He co-founded Pono, an online music download and streaming service, but Apple acquired Pono’s parent business, Omnifone, in 2017, leading to its collapse.

In 1970, he spent $350,000 on Broken Arrow Ranch, a 100-acre property in La Honda, California. He put his Hawaii house on the market in 2015 for $24.5 million. He finally accepted $20 million in 2018.

In 2016, he bought a $3.6 million property in Malibu, California. He lost the home during the Woolsey fire in 2018. Part of his wealth goes into educating kids with special needs.

5. Drake – $250 Million

Born in Canada, Drake is a rapper, producer, and actor. Drake’s first album, Thank Me Later, reached number one on the hip-hop charts. He has won multiple honors, including 4 Grammy Awards, and earns about one million dollars in a single concert. Drake has over 163 million digital singles and 26 million album sales.

The Canadian teen drama “Degrassi: The Next Generation” was where Drake’s acting career took off. He was making $50,000 annually from the show. In 2012, the rapper paid $7.7 million for a luxurious home (YOLO Estate) in Hidden Hills, California.

He spent $2.8 million to acquire the adjacent 1.6-acre estate in 2015. In 2018, he paid another $4.5 million for a home in the same neighborhood.

In 2022, Drake put the YOLO Estate for sale at an asking price of $22.7 million. The primary residence was going for $14.8 million. In 2016, the rapper bought a property worth $6.7 million in the Bridle Path, a Toronto suburb, and constructed a 50,000-square-foot home.

He also has a holiday home in Toronto. Collectively, his property assets are worth more than $100 million. The rapper unveiled his new Boeing 767 private jet in 2019 through an Instagram video. A plane of comparable make and quality would cost between $75 and $100 million.

He signed a $19 million exclusive deal with Apple Music shortly after its release. In 2012, he launched his own recording company, OVO Sound. Drake is the face of the Toronto Raptors and holds a yearly show dubbed “Drake Night.”

Furthermore, he owns a whiskey brand known as Virginia Black. Within the first week of its existence in 2016, the brand sold over 4,000 bottles.

4. The Weeknd – $300 Million

The Weeknd is a Canadian singer and music producer. He made it into the limelight through YouTube to be among the most famous figures in the rap, R&B, and hip-hop world today. In America alone, he has amassed over 70 million album sales. He can make $90 million before taxes yearly through tours.

The Weeknd has received many accolades, including 4 Grammy Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 7 AMTF Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 4 Guinness World Records, 3 MTV Video Music Awards, 22 Juno Awards, and 1 BRIT Award.

Besides singing, the Weeknd is part of various business ventures. That includes partnerships with Marvel, Bathing Ape, Alexander Wang, and e-cigarette companies. He’s Pumas and Apple Music’s brand ambassador. In addition, he’s active in the fashion industry, sells products under his brand, XO, and has shares in OverActive Media Group.

In 2019, he bought a $21 million apartment with views of the Beverly Hills Country Club in Los Angeles. The apartment’s HOA charge is $6,800 per month. Before settling in Los Angeles, he rented a triplex apartment in New York City for $60,000 monthly.

In 2020, he put up his three-acre, $18 million estate in Hidden Hills, California, for sale at an asking price of $25 million. He finally sold it at $20 million in 2021. The Weeknd spent $70 million on a mansion in Los Angeles’ Bel Air district in 2021.

3. Justin Bieber – $300 Million

The Canadian-born pop singer came into the limelight through YouTube in 2007. He has over 150 million record sales and has performed on several highly successful world tours.

Justin made it public that he signed a $200 million contract to sell his music repertoire in 2022. He has won countless awards, including:

• 8 Junos
• 2 Grammys
• 8 American Music awards
• 2 Brit awards

Justin’s popularity has helped him form some fruitful commercial alliances. He has partnered with corporations such as Schmidt’s Naturals, Calvin Klein, Adidas, Walmart, and Proactive. Furthermore, he has several fragrance collections.

At only 18 years old, he spent $6.5 million for a property in the “The Oaks,” a Calabasas gated community, in 2012. He later parted ways with the house for $7.2 million in 2014. In 2019, he bought an $8.5 million property in Beverly Hills. Later in 2020, he would pay $28.5 million for a brand-new mansion in Beverly Hills.

2. Shania Twain – $400 Million

Born in Canada, Shania Twain is a songwriter popularly known for the country-pop genre. Her success in music has earned her the title “Queen of Country Pop.” She has over 100 million record sales and multiple accolades, including 27 BMI Songwriter Awards, 8 Billboard Music Awards, 6 American Music Awards, and 5 Grammys. 

Her third album, Come on Over, remains one of the most successful releases by a female artist in all genres, with over 40 million record sales globally. Besides music, she starred in the TV show “Why Not? with Shania Twain” in 2011.

She has made appearances in ten different shows. She is the only female actress to have three albums in a row earn RIAA certification.

1. Celine Dion – $800 Million

Celine Dion will be one of the highest paid musicians in Canada in 2023, with a net worth of $800 million. She has more than 220 million record sales and continues to be a highly sought-after musician. 

All North American shows for her Courage World Tour in 2019 were sold out. She earned more than any other performer from the year 2000 to 2010. Her net worth was about $720 million, with ticket sales accounting for $500.

From 2011 to 2019, the Las Vegas show brought in $250 million in revenue through ticket sales. She gives 70 performances yearly and earns $500,000 for every show. That translates to $35 million annually, rendering her the highest-paid performer in Las Vegas history.

Since 1982, she has volunteered at the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She fundraised $1 million during the Asian tsunami in 2004 and gave $1 million to Hurricane Katrina’s victims.

Celine and Renee bought a home on Jupiter Island for $12.5 million in 2005. They spent $7 million in 2008 to expand their land by an additional 6 acres. She put up the property for sale with an asking price of $72.5 million in 2013. She ended up settling for $38.5 million in 2017.

She made $25 million from a 20-acre property in Quebec’s outskirts in 2016. The same year, she made an additional $25.5 million from a massive home on Montreal’s outskirts.

Wealthiest Musicians In Canada, Final Thoughts

Canada has long been a source of world-class artists across various musical genres. Besides gaining widespread popularity, these singers have reaped financial rewards. We’ve organized our list of the richest musicians in Canada from the least to the highest earner.