Photo Credit Natalie Jane

2026 GRAMMY-nominated artist Laila Biali will make her Center debut, performing the music of Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, and Bruce Cockburn.

BIG NEWS! Congratulations to Laila on her 2026 GRAMMY Nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Wintersongs, a cinematic set of (Canadian) winter-themed originals featuring several of Canada’s premier musicians. Laila proudly shares her nomination with global icons Barbra Streisand, Elton John/Brandi Carlile, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson, and Laufey. Scroll down to watch and listen to her interview CBCNews about her nomination!

Multi-award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist, and CBC Music national radio host Laila Biali has headlined festivals and venues spanning five continents, from New York City’s Carnegie Hall to Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, and supported international icon Sting. In 2020, Laila was honoured by SOCAN Music with the Hagood Hardy Award for Excellence in Songwriting. In 2019, Laila’s eponymous release won her a JUNO (Canada’s GRAMMY) for “Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.” The year prior, she was awarded top prize at the Canadian Songwriting Competition in the Jazz category. Laila was also the youngest-ever double winner at Canada’s National Jazz Awards when she was named “SOCAN Composer of the Year” and “Keyboardist of the Year.” She received her first JUNO nomination for Tracing Light (2011), and a spot on DownBeat Magazine’s “Best Albums of the Year” for Live in Concert (2013) and Out of Dust (2020). In September of 2017, Laila was brought on as the host for CBC Music’s national radio show, Saturday Night Jazz, a weekly show broadcast to listeners across Canada. While Laila continues to earn high honours in the Jazz world, her signature sound transcends genre as she “masterfully mixes jazz and pop, bringing virtuosity and unpredictability to songs that are concise and catchy” (Washington Post). Laila’s highly anticipated album, Out of Dust, which features multiple GRAMMY nominees and winners including Lisa Fischer, Alan Ferber, John Ellis, and Larnell Lewis, released March 27, 2020 and was also nominated for a 2021 JUNO Award.

Admission

Members: $30 / General Admission: $35 / Group (10+): $32

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This event will have a cash bar.