Meet Canada's 5 Eurovision finalists
Five finalists — William Cloutier, Josiane, Rêve, Talk and Tyler Shaw — are competing to become Canada’s first Eurovision entrant in 2027. Canadians can watch their performances online and vote up to 10 times before voting closes Nov. 5.
Artists vying to compete in popular song contest hail from B.C., Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick
Christine Pagulayan · CBC News
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SPECIAL COVERAGE | Eurovision Song Contest 2027: Canada’s Choice
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CBC News brings you special coverage of the announcement of Canada's finalists for the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest. This will be the first time Canada competes in the competition, with its representative chosen by a combination of a public vote and members of a music industry jury.The first-ever group of Canadian Eurovision finalists have been chosen, setting up who will vie to make history as the country's first entrant into the long-running song competition.
The five finalists — selected by a jury of music industry professionals and public broadcasting executives — include Quebec pop showman William Cloutier, bilingual Acadian singer-songwriter Josiane, Montreal-to-Toronto dance-pop artist Rêve, Ottawa-born hitmaker Talk and B.C. singer-songwriter Tyler Shaw.
Held annually since 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest is considered one of the world’s biggest live music spectacles, known for its extravagant costumes and performances. More than 130 million viewers across 35 countries watched the most recent edition.
Here's a closer look at the finalists battling to represent Canada at the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest in Bulgaria — and how Canadians can help choose the winner.
William Cloutier: Quebec's 'Prince of Pop'
William Cloutier is a Canadian pop singer from Victoriaville, Que. (CBC/Radio-Canada)
Cloutier was drawn to the stage early, appearing on the youth talent show La cour des grands at 12, before winning the teen reality TV singing and dancing competition Mixmania at 16. He went on to study theatre, then returned to music and won Quebec's Star Académie in 2021.
He's also taken on one of French-language musical theatre's biggest roles, playing Johnny Rockfort in Starmania more than 360 times across Europe and Quebec. His 2022 album On ira earned an ADISQ nomination for album of the year (given out by a non-profit organization that supports the independent music industry in Quebéc), and he followed it up with 2025's L'amour.
WATCH | William Cloutier:
Josiane: Bilingual pop with Acadian roots
Josiane is an Acadian singer-songwriter from Dieppe, N.B. (CBC/Radio-Canada)
The Dieppe, N.B., singer-songwriter performs under her first name and moves between French and English pop, with a sound shaped by her Acadian heritage and distinctive Chiac phrasing. She won La Voix, the French Canadian edition of the The Voice singing competition, in 2020 and released her debut album, Take Care, in March 2026.
She says her music explores resilience, heartbreak and self-worth. Her song Lose It All has amassed over six million streams.
WATCH | Josiane:
Rêve: Made for the dance floor
Rêve is a Montreal-born, Toronto-based electronic and dance-pop singer-songwriter. (CBC/Radio-Canada)
The Juno-winning artist blends contemporary pop and R&B with '90s eurodance. Born and raised in Montreal and now based in Toronto, Rêve broke through in 2021 with songs including Ctrl + Alt + Del, Big Boom and Whitney.
Her music draws on club culture, her French-Canadian roots and the communities that have shaped her. She sees the dance floor as a place for both escape and connection — a perspective that could make for a lively Eurovision performance.
WATCH | Rêve:
Talk: The colourful storyteller
Talk is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Ottawa. (CBC/Radio-Canada)
The Ottawa-born singer-songwriter rose to global attention with Run Away to Mars, written during what he calls a lonely night. He followed it with the album Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees and a sold-out international tour.
Talk won the 2024 Juno award for breakthrough artist of the year. His next concept album, The Ballad of Ozzy Moon, is scheduled for release in early 2027.
WATCH | Talk:
Tyler Shaw: Pop with international reach
Tyler Shaw is a Canadian singer, songwriter, music producer and actor born in Richmond, B.C. and raised in nearby Coquitlam, B.C. (CBC/Radio-Canada)
The Richmond, B.C.-born Chinese Canadian singer, producer and actor broke through with Kiss Goodnight in 2012. He found a new audience in 2022 with Love You Still (abcdefu Romantic Version), his take on Gayle's hit song.
Shaw toured Europe for the first time in 2026, playing sold-out shows in Germany, Austria and the U.K.
WATCH | Tyler Shaw:
How the finalists were chosen
The five finalists were selected from 325 applications submitted between Aug. 31 and Sept. 9. CBC/Radio-Canada's music teams narrowed the entries to 15, then a jury of music industry professionals and public broadcasting executives chose the final five.
Applicants were assessed on vocal ability, stage presence, artistic experience, musical vision and availability, as well as their potential to deliver a strong performance on an international stage.
The jury included Montreal International Jazz Festival programming director Maurin Auxéméry, choreographer Samuel Chouinard, television composer Orin Isaacs, social media strategist and Eurovision specialist Shawn Myers and soprano Élisabeth St-Gelais. CBC executive vice-president Douglas Smith and Radio-Canada executive vice-president Dany Meloul also took part.
PHOTOS | Meet Canada's finalists for Eurovision:
How to vote
Now, voting is in the public's hands. Canadians can watch the finalists' performances at CBC.ca/eurovision and vote for their preferred artist up to 10 times.
The voting window is open over the next 10 days, closing on Nov. 5 at 11:59 p.m. PT, with the winner to be announced by December. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is overseeing the voting system and tabulation of results.
Canada is the first new country to join the Eurovision Song Contest since Australia in 2015.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christine Pagulayan is a Toronto-based producer and writer with CBC News, currently with the Entertainment unit. She has worked in various roles at CBC News Network and The National. She has also worked as a multiplatform reporter in Toronto, Winnipeg, Halifax and Moncton. You can reach her at christine.pagulayan@cbc.ca.
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