Kitamaat Village's rap duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids have won their first Juno Award, earning national recognition for their sixth studio album Red Future, which took home Rap Album/EP of the Year at this year鈥檚 ceremony in Vancouver.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting [the win],鈥� Darren 鈥淵oung D鈥� Metz said during the acceptance speech.
Quinton 鈥淵ung Trybez鈥� Nyce followed with, 鈥淲e really love rap, we really love hiphop, which is why this award means so much to us. We made this album to add voices of Indigenous people in the future. We created a vision for ourselves and where we see ourselves in the future, and what Indigenous excellence truly looks like. Our people come from oral traditions where storytelling is important, our voices are important.鈥�
The Juno Awards, presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), are Canada鈥檚 highest honour in recorded music, celebrating artists from across the country. This year鈥檚 show at Rogers Arena featured performances from both emerging and established artists, including Snotty Nose Rez Kids themselves, who took the stage alongside Tia Wood of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, nominated for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year.
Red Future, released in September, is built around the theme of Indigenous futurism. It blends sharp production with guest appearances from a range of Indigenous collaborators, and envisions a world where Indigenous leadership, innovation and storytelling shape the cultural future. Each track brings its own facet of this forward-looking vision, balancing tradition with modern sound.
The duo signed a deal with Sony Music Canada in 2023, marking a major step in their career.
In the press room following their win, Metz reflected on his journey from Kitamaat Village to the national stage. When asked what advice he would give to his younger self or others growing up in small communities, he said: 鈥淟ife begins outside of the comfort zone. When you come from a small town like Kitamaat, Terrace, Prince Rupert, it鈥檚 easy to say 鈥榯his is all I know, so I鈥檓 not going to leave it.鈥� They say life is short but it鈥檚 really not, it鈥檚 long and it鈥檚 even longer if you live it with regret.鈥�
