Raquel McIntosh Recognized as 2026 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year
Winner Revealed On The JUNO Awards Live Broadcast
- Raquel McIntosh, music educator at Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School in Hamilton, ON, has been named the 2026 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year, presented by Anthem Music Group.
- Announced live during the JUNO Awards broadcast, McIntosh was recognized for transforming her school's music program with student-led choirs, live performances, and access to new creative opportunities.
- Through school initiatives like Creative Minds and her self-founded program Beyond the Soundtrack, McIntosh empowers students--particularly BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth--to explore identity, voice, and community through music.
TORONTO, March 29, 2026 /CNW/ - MusiCounts, Canada's leading music education charity, is excited to reveal Raquel McIntosh from Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School in Hamilton, ON is the winner of the esteemed national 2026 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, presented by Anthem Music Group. McIntosh received the award during tonight's live JUNO Awards broadcast at the TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.
Raquel McIntosh from Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School (Hamilton, ON) is an extraordinary educator and has transformed her school's music program by establishing student-led choirs, organizing school performances, and providing on-stage and behind-the-scenes opportunities for every student.
Raquel is the 21st recipient of the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award. In recognition of this achievement, she will receive a $10,000 cash prize, a significant contribution to her school's music program through the MusiCounts School Music Funding Program, a JUNO Award statuette, and grants to additional schools in her honour
McIntosh is a key contributor to the unique Creative Minds initiative at the school, which aligns educator strengths and passions with student voices to meet learner needs. McIntosh is also an innovator, having founded "Beyond the Soundtrack", a program that combines spoken word, slam poetry, restorative practice and musical foundations to prepare students for the highly anticipated mobile music production studio at the school. Through this initiative McIntosh continues to model Black Excellence by ensuring BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and the diverse array of students can access space to be vulnerable, explore identity, and grow together through music-making.
"Congratulations to Raquel McIntosh, this year's MusiCounts Teacher of the Year," said Kristy Fletcher, President of MusiCounts and COO of CARAS/The JUNO Awards. "It's a privilege to spotlight the dedication and passion of music teachers, and especially meaningful to celebrate an educator in the community she calls home. Raquel has made an extraordinary impact on young people across Hamilton, and we're proud to recognize her as this year's winner.."
"Thank you to my wonderful family, my supportive and creative colleagues, and of course the students that bring music class to life at Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School," said Raquel McIntosh. "MusiCounts has given me and my incredible colleagues the opportunity to dismantle the systemic barriers that decide who is worthy of holding an instrument. Every child has the right to experience the transformative power of music with dignity."
Since 2005, the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award has celebrated and honoured outstanding Canadian music educators annually for their impact on both their students and the broader music education community. The prestigious Award is made possible through the generous support of Anthem Music Group.
To learn more about MusiCounts, head to musicounts.ca.
PHOTOS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Photos of Raquel McIntosh: will be available here.
Nominees for the 2026 MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, presented by Anthem Music Group:
- Zeda Ali - Sunny View Middle School - Brampton, ON
- Lynn Harper - Chateauguay Valley Regional High School - Ormstown, QC
- Alex Hutcheon - Cremona School - Cremona, AB
- Isabelle Lemieux - École Caps-des-Neiges - Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, QC
- WINNER: Raquel McIntosh - Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School - Hamilton, ON
About MusiCounts:
MusiCounts is Canada's music education charity associated with CARAS and the JUNO Awards. MusiCounts' vision is to ensure that all youth in Canada have access to music education through their schools and communities. This vision is realized through grant programs that invest directly into schools and communities across Canada that put musical instruments into the hands of kids who need them the most. Additionally, MusiCounts creates educational resources for teachers and students; empowers young people to pursue music as a career; and celebrates teachers, artists, and philanthropists who champion music education. Since 1997 MusiCounts has awarded over $20,000,000 in support of music education in Canada. musicounts.ca
About Anthem Music Group:
Anthem Music Group is one of the world's leading independent music companies. Comprising award-winning organizations, Anthem Music Group is home to Anthem Music Publishing and Anthem Records. Headquartered in Toronto, with operations in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles, Anthem supports and invests in the careers and works of songwriters and artists, and the creation of exceptional music for recording artists and audio-visual productions. Anthem's unique approach combines the resources, power, and reach of a major with the agility, entrepreneurism, and soul of an independent. www.anthem.music
SOURCE MusiCounts
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