According to Now Toronto, Mae Martin is set to host this year’s Juno Awards, becoming the first non-binary person to lead Canada’s biggest night in music.
The Toronto native, known for his work in comedy, acting and writing, will take the stage in Hamilton while also managing a busy schedule that includes his first cross-country stand-up tour, The Possum.
“I’m probably off my rocker,” Martin joked to Now Toronto.
“Hopefully, I’ll be fit after playing a lot of shows. I hope I can stay on top of my game.”
Martin will also return to Toronto for a gala performance at Massey Hall, which he described as a milestone.
“I remember seeing The Kids (at Massey Hall) when I was 13, and it changed the course of my whole life,” he said.
Despite now living in Los Angeles, Martin said his work reflects Canadian influences.
“Moving away from Canada, (I) got a new appreciation for Toronto, and my upbringing here, and my early influences in music,” Martin told Now Toronto.
“I think you can really feel the warmth, the Canadian nostalgia, like Sam Roberts, tragically hip.”
As well as comedy and music, Martin also runs an art project to raise money for charity.
“I found it really enjoyable to depict animals in different emotional states,” says Martin.
His work has raised over $40,000 for Doctors Without Borders.
