Companion of the Order of Canada

Awarded on: May 1, 2002

Joni Mitchell is one of the most influential singer-songwriters of her generation. Folk, pop, rock, jazz and world beat - she has embraced them all and made them her own. From Yorkville coffeehouses to international stages and on to gold albums, Junos, Grammys and Hall of Fame inductions, she has engaged and inspired audiences and musicians for some 40 years. She has crossed musical boundaries and created new ones to be crossed. Her independent style has been emulated by many popular artists and has paved the way for today's young female singers. Her music and lyrics have become part of our collective memory. Widely respected as a visual artist and poet as well, she continues to add to the creative legacy indelibly woven into our cultural mosaic.