Leela Gilday facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leela Gilday
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Gilday in 2011
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
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| Labels | Diva Sound Records |
Leela Gilday is a talented Canadian singer and songwriter. She comes from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Since 2002, she has released five albums. Two of her albums have won a special award called the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year.
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About Leela's Early Life
Leela Gilday was born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Her father was Irish Canadian, and her mother was Dene. Leela has a younger brother named Jay Gilday, who is also a singer and songwriter. Leela studied music at the University of Alberta. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Music in 1997.
Leela's Music Career
Starting Her Music Journey
In 2002, Leela Gilday released her first album, Spirit World, Solid Wood. This album helped her win three awards at the Indigenous Music Awards. She was named Best Female Artist, Best Folk Album, and Best Songwriter. That same year, Maclean magazine included her in their "Top 50 Under 30" list. In 2003, she was nominated for an award at the Juno Awards.
Winning Awards with Her Music
Her second album, Sedzé, came out in 2006. This album won the Aboriginal Recording of the Year award at the 2007 Juno Awards. In 2007, Up Here magazine named Leela Gilday "Northerner of the Year."
Her third album, Calling All Warriors, was released in 2010. It also won Aboriginal Recording of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards. In 2011, Leela won Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year at the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards.
Recent Albums and Projects
Leela's fourth album, Heart of the People, was released in 2014. It was nominated for Aboriginal Album of the Year at the 2015 Juno Awards. Her fifth album, North Star Calling, came out in 2019. This album earned her the Indigenous Songwriter of the Year award at the 16th Canadian Folk Music Awards. North Star Calling also won Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the 2021 Junos.
In 2021, Leela Gilday and her brother Jay started a music project together. It is called Sechile Sedare. They created this project during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2023, Leela joined over 50 other artists to record a special song. This song was for a charity called Kids Help Phone. The song combined Serena Ryder's "What I Wouldn't Do" with a part of Leela's song "North Star Calling."
Leela's Acting Role
Besides music, Leela Gilday also had an acting role. She appeared in the 2019 independent movie called Red Snow.
Leela Gilday's Albums
- Spirit World, Solid Wood (2002)
- Sedzé (2006)
- Calling All Warriors (2010)
- Heart of the People (2014)
- North Star Calling (2019)
