Deborah Cox has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Former Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh did the honours and told the crowd how Deborah’s hit “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here” left a lasting impression on him.

Now 47 year old, Deborah Cox, took the stage at Sunday night’s Juno Awards in a sleek, golden gown and reflected on three decades in the music industry, and the rejections of her early years as she struggled to break through.

“Growing up as a young black girl in Toronto, this vision seemed intangible. It wasn’t easy to leave my home, but it was necessary. Otherwise, I’m not sure I would be standing here this evening. Those rejections became my redirection and only added fuel to my fire,” Cox told the audience.

Another Ontario artist who got her moment at the Junos and was shown appreciation was Avril Lavigne, who grew up in Napanee.

Lavigne, now 37, has been enjoying a renaissance of sorts with the release of her 2022 album Love Sux and performed a medley of her biggest hits before returning to hand Shawn Mendes the TikTok fan choice award.

The Juno Awards were presented live at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage after two years of muted virtual ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic.