DeeDee Austin
“What you're doing is not only great, it's important.” - Howie Mandel
— Canada's Got Talent 2025
DeeDee Austin
Emerging Indigenous Pop Artist
DeeDee Austin is a 19-year-old Indigenous pop powerhouse and proud member of the Abegweit First Nation on Prince Edward Island. A hybrid artist in every sense, DeeDee fuses contemporary and traditional Indigenous music into a sound that’s uniquely her own—vibrant, emotional, and made to move both hearts and dance floors. Her high-energy performances and heartfelt songwriting are earning her recognition far beyond the Atlantic Provinces, with a growing national following.
In 2025, DeeDee stunned audiences across the country as a standout contestant on Canada’s Got Talent, receiving Howie Mandel’s coveted Golden Buzzer for her powerful original song, “Buried Truth” which tells the story of her great-grandmother's experience at a residential school. The viral moment introduced a wider audience to her signature blend of raw honesty and polished pop sensibility.
DeeDee’s sophomore EP, Stay Dancin’ (2023), produced by Corey LeRue (Neon Dreams) and Chris Kirby, is a bold follow-up to her 2021 award-winning debut Stepping Stones. Her recent single, "Tell Me (Why Am I So Different)", released June 21, continues to showcase her evolution as an artist who writes with purpose and performs with passion.
Her résumé includes major performances at the 2023 Canada Games Closing Ceremony, North American Indigenous Games Opening Ceremonies, Wildfire Recovery Concert (alongside Classified, Neon Dreams & Matt Mays), Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Granville Green, and CBC’s Road to the Junos series in Halifax.
Named Music Nova Scotia’s Indigenous Artist of the Year (2023) and nominated for Dance Recording of the Year at the 2024 ECMAs, DeeDee’s impact is being recognized by industry and community alike. She’s also the recipient of the Chief Noel Doucette Youth Achievement Award, Women in Music Canada Honours (2023), and SOCAN’s Young Canadian Songwriter of the Year (2022).
“My goal is to touch the hearts of all my listeners through my authentic lyrics,” she says. “I pour my heart into everything that I sing and play.”
With her star on the rise, DeeDee Austin is more than a performer—she’s a voice for her generation, an ambassador of culture, and a force on the national stage.
“I was mesmerized by the engagement and excitement she fostered in her audiences.” - Richard Champagne
— Anglophone School District West