Stephen Richardson, of Yellowknife’s École St Joseph School, has been named Canada’s MusiCounts Teacher of the Year at the Juno Awards.
Nineteen music teachers have received the award since its inception in 2005. Richardson is the second teacher based in the North to win after Nunavut’s Mary Piercey-Lewis, who won in 2021.
His win was broadcast live from the Junos ceremony at the Halifax Convention Centre. Singer Nelly Furtado introduced the award and announced Richardson as the winner.
Richardson teaches children “music that is relevant to them, including songwriting, video game scoring, music production, Rock Band, piano and African percussion,” she said.
“He’s an innovative teacher who centres students in his approach.”
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This was Richardson’s third nomination for the award. He was named to the shortlist in February alongside four other nominees – Zeda Ali, Robert Bailey, Élisabeth Bouchard-Bernier and Sarah Comerford.
Prior to the ceremony, Richardson told Cabin Radio he saw his role as opening students’ eyes to the potential of today’s music industry.
“There’s more in the world than making TikTok videos. They can make their own music and create their own YouTube channels. If they have a good idea, then that could be their job,” he said in an earlier interview.
Noting the isolation of the North, Richardson said innovations like the first NWT music awards – held in 2022 – show people in the south “that the industry is coming back up here” and show students this could be their vocation.
The winner of Teacher of the Year gets a cash prize of $10,000. MusiCounts says it also works with school music programs to help provide instruments and other equipment.
