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,
According to Now Toronto, Martin, known for work in comedy, acting and writing, will take the stage in Hamilton while also managing a busy schedule that includes their first cross-country stand-up tour, The Possum.
“I might be off my rocker,” Martin told Now Toronto.
“Hopefully, I’ll be fighting fit from doing a bunch of shows. I’ll be hopefully on my game.”
Martin will also return to Toronto for a sold-out performance at Massey Hall, a venue they described as a milestone.
“I remember seeing The Kids [in Massey Hall] when I was 13 and that kind of changed the trajectory of my whole life,” they said.
Despite now living in Los Angeles, Martin said their work continues to reflect Canadian influences.
“Moving away from Canada, [I] gained a new appreciation for Toronto, and my upbringing here, and my early influences musically,” Martin tells Now Toronto.
“I think you can really feel the kind of Sam Roberts, Tragically Hip kind of warm, Canadian nostalgia.”
Alongside comedy and music, Martin also runs an art project raising funds for charity.
“I found it really soothing to paint animals in different emotional situations,” Martin says.
Their work has raised more than $40,000 for Doctors Without Border.
