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Jeremy Dutcher is a classically trained tenor, Two-Spirit song carrier, polymuse, activist, ethnomusicologist, and member of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) in Eastern Canada.
With his debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, Jeremy unearthed century-old archival recordings of his ancestors and turned them into collaborative compositions for the grand piano. Sung entirely in Wolastoqey, his endangered mother tongue, the album won the 2018 Polaris Music Prize and led to collaborations with iconic artists Yo-Yo Ma and Leslie Feist.
His sophomore album Motewolonuwok (ᒣᑌᐧᐁᓓᓄᐧᐁᒃ) won the 2024 Polaris Music Prize, making Jeremy the first two-time recipient of the award.
Dutcher proudly identifies as queer and Two-Spirit, was a guest judge on Season 3 of Canada’s Drag Race, was personally chosen by Elton John to perform at the 2026 Glenn Gould Prize Gala honouring Elton, and headlines Fierté Montreal’s Lumière des Nations concert at Le National on July 31.
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Montreal-based Dutcher sat down with Time Out Montreal for a candid Q&A.
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In your music and work, why do you address how colonization brought homophobia and transphobia to Indigenous peoples?
Well, that’s something I deal with as a person. Naturally our work is a reflection of how we live in the world and where we come from, and I’m always grappling or thinking about this. There are young people who want to be represented, so there’s a responsibility to give them something that is unapologetically Two-Spirit, or queer and Indigenous.
What will people see at your Lumière des Nations concert?
I’m so excited about this show! It’s going to be an evening about the power of music, through the lens of Indigenous languages and cultural survival, with queer Indigenous artists sharing the stage together. Something queer people and Indigenous people have in common is resilience. We’re not free until we’re all free. We need each other in that struggle. So I think it’s really cool that Fierté Montreal is presenting this concert.
How does it feel being a two-time recipient of the Polaris Music Prize?
Awards are weird, to be honest. But this award means a lot, and it was different receiving it the second time because I appreciated the scale of it more the second time. For me it was a real launching pad. It was a huge honour.
What was it like to be a guest judge on Canada’s Drag Race?
It was a dream come true and so much fun. I’ve been such a fan of drag since I was a “gayby” in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where I snuck into a gay bar underage to see my first drag show!
How did it feel being personally chosen by Elton John to perform at his 2026 Glenn Gould Prize Gala?
Oh my gosh, I’m still coming down from that! It was absolutely surreal. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a queer person who hasn’t been touched in some way by Elton’s music. In addition to asking artists like Sarah McLachlan and Diana Krall to each sing his songs, we also got to have dinner with Elton which was really special. He has the sweetest Grandpa energy! And when you get music people together, you have a common language that you can slip into pretty easily. At the gala I sang “I’m Still Standing” which actually was Elton’s choice, and Elton joined us all to sing “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”. It was such an incredible moment, especially to be a queer person wholeheartedly on that stage.
You moved to Montreal in February 2020. What are your thoughts of the city’s diversity?
I think Montreal is so cool. My understanding is that it is the second-largest French-speaking city in the world. The long story of diversity and peace here is incredible. Some of the ancestors from the Wolastoqey Nation were actually at the signing of the Great Peace of Montreal in 1701. There is a long history of movements sharing this place and collaborating here.
What's is your favourite Montreal neighbourhood?
I live in Mile End, but there are so many neighbourhoods in this city that I adore. There are many cities in this city! Whenever I’m cycling in Montreal, I can happily get lost. I don’t know too many people and I don’t get recognized here, which can be fun. Though it’s always nice when somebody looks at you sideways and says, “Hi!”
Read more: Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal ranked one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world
What activity do you love to do in the city?
The parks here are really special. In summertime I like to cycle and sit in a park.
But in wintertime I like to go skating. I like the Beaver Lake skating rink on Mount Royal – they usually have some nice ice up there. I love speed skating. I used to be an Eastern Canadian champion. Then I transitioned into a hockey player. I love to be on the ice, and I think it also contributed to my affinity for Lycra and Spandex!
What are your favourite bars and concert venues?
One of the things that really drew me to Montreal is the fact that you can go out any night you want and have a vastly different experience in a different part of town and a different subculture. I really like Doubles Late Night in Mile End. They really got it going on. It’s chaotic, they got food, a pool table, TVs. I also really like the live-music venue Fairmont Theatre where I recently saw the Norwegian metal band called Witch Club Satan. I also like Le National where I played on one of my first cross-Canada tours.
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Any favourite restaurants?
The food in Montreal is just incredible! The other night I enjoyed dinner at the Japanese restaurant Fleurs et Cadeaux in Chinatown. I also like brunch or lunch at Le Butterblume in Mile End. I enjoy discovering new restaurants.
What are your favourite Montreal festivals?
I really like POP Montreal. I have also performed at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal which was awesome. And I look forward to performing at Fierté Montreal with Attikamekw singer-songwriter Laura Niquay on July 31. Despite the corporatization and institutionalization of Pride, I think Pride celebrations are important. It is representation and community.
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When I attended my first Pride, it was a powerful connection point for me because we don’t necessarily get taught how to be queer people. Coming from an Indigenous worldview and understanding the power of the powwow, I see Pride as a gathering place and the expression of unity through love, and that is the most beautiful thing.
Jeremy Dutcher headlines Fierté Montreal’s Lumière des Nations concert at Le National on July 31. For more Fierté Montréal Festival programming highlights, click here. For more Jeremy Dutcher information and tour dates, click here.
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