TORONTO, ON (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has announced Shania Twain as the 2011 inductee to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Twain will be honored during the live CTV broadcast of The 2011 JUNO Awards, on Sunday, March 27. This will mark Twain's return to the JUNO Awards since hosting the Ottawa broadcast in 2003.
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 and recognizes Canadian artists that have attained commercial success while having a positive impact on the Canadian music scene here at home and around the world.
Shania Twain will join the ranks of Canadian music icons including Anne Murray, Bruce Cockburn, Daniel Lanois, Hank Snow, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Oscar Petersen and Tom Cochrane in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
"Shania Twain revolutionized the look and sound of country music, and truly is one of the most accomplished and celebrated music artists of her era," said Melanie Berry, President & CEO of CARAS. "Her authenticity as a songwriter and performer has made her a global powerhouse, and we're so proud to honor her at home in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame."
This Spring, Twain's autobiography hits bookstores, chronicling her life and musical journey, plus the songstress is set to debut a docu-series on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, titled "Why Not? With Shania Twain."
Twain released The Woman In Me in 1995 and went on to sell over 12 million copies in the U.S. and nearly 400,000 copies in Canada, replacing Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits as the bestselling album by a female country artist.
Twain became a mainstay on the awards stage in 1996 earning two JUNO Awards including Entertainer of the Year, her first Grammy for Best Country Album and just about every major global music award.
Her release of Come On Over in 1997 included No. 1 hit singles: "Man, I Feel Like A Woman!," "That Don't Impress Me Much," "Love Gets Me Every Time" and "You're Still The One."
With sales of 19 million copies in the U.S. and two million in Canada, the album became the biggest seller by a woman in any genre of music, and is the highest selling record in the Nielsen SoundScan era.
Twain set out on a 19-month tour and performed for more than 2.5 million fans. The "Come On Over Tour" was the highest-grossing tour in country music history.
In 2002, after taking a break to experience motherhood, Twain released Up!, a double-CD set that offered a country version and pop mix of songs.
Shania Twain's Greatest Hits was released in 2004, with Canadian sales topping close to a million. "I wanted to put together all of my favorite songs from over the years for a fun, high-energy album," said Twain according to the press release. "And it was exactly that, as well as a dedication to all of the passionate fans who have enjoyed and supported me throughout the years."
— Crystal Lynn Huntoon
