Every artist’s story has a first chapter, and for Halifax singer and performer Mya Kontuk, that chapter is being written right now. With a sound that draws on pop, EDM and indie, a growing list of stage experience and a debut single on the horizon for 2027, she is one of the more promising new names to emerge from Nova Scotia’s music scene.
Halifax has a long record of sending artists to wider audiences. Sarah McLachlan grew up in the city, Joel Plaskett built a national career from the Halifax area, and the annual Halifax Pop Explosion festival has introduced new acts to listeners across Canada for decades. Mya Kontuk is one of the newer names hoping to follow that path, and she is arriving with a broader set of skills than most first-time artists bring.
Kontuk’s music sits where those three styles meet. There is the hook-driven instinct of pop, the energy and pulse of electronic dance music, and the more personal, left-of-centre feel of indie. Rather than choosing one lane, she is shaping a sound that pulls from all three, and the result is something she is working hard to make entirely her own.
That kind of genre blending has become common among new independent artists, who now write for streaming listeners rather than a single radio format. Another independent pop artist we spotlighted this year, Dylan Hopson, shows how far an emotionally honest song can travel without a label behind it.
A major turning point came in 2026, when Kontuk took part in the Canadian Model & Talent Convention (CMTC). She did not limit herself to one category. Over the course of the convention, she competed in singing, TV and film acting, TV commercial, runway modelling and photography, putting her range on show in front of industry professionals from several fields. It was her singing, though, that made the biggest impression. Her vocal performance earned callbacks and attracted interest from multiple music industry professionals, a moment that confirmed for her that a career in music was not just a dream but a real possibility.
A major turning point came in 2026, when Kontuk took part in the Canadian Model & Talent Convention (CMTC). She did not limit herself to one category. Over the course of the convention, she competed in singing, TV and film acting, TV commercial, runway modelling and photography, putting her range on show in front of industry professionals from several fields. It was her singing, though, that made the biggest impression. Her vocal performance earned callbacks and attracted interest from multiple music industry professionals, a moment that confirmed for her that a career in music was not just a dream but a real possibility.
Off the stage, Kontuk is putting in the work to back that possibility up. She is currently studying music and theatre at Dalhousie University in Halifax, where she is building her musicianship alongside her acting and performance skills. She also trains privately with a vocal coach, sharpening her voice and technique outside the classroom. That mix of formal study, theatre training and one-on-one coaching gives her a well-rounded foundation that many artists only develop years into their careers.
Balancing study with a music career is demanding, but more artists are proving that two paths can feed each other. Dr. Dana, a radiologist who also records and performs, is one example of an artist building a music career alongside another profession.
Kontuk’s background across performance disciplines is likely to shape how she presents her music, too. Experience in acting, modelling and photography gives her a strong sense of how a song can be carried through visuals, from music videos to social media content. It is no surprise that one of her stated goals is to build a body of work that is visually distinctive as well as musically strong. In that respect she shares something with multimedia artist Qymira, whose work moves between music, film and fashion.
Right now, Kontuk is preparing for her first professional original release. Her debut single is planned for 2027, marking the official start of her recording career. As she steps into the studio, her focus is clear: she wants her music to feel emotionally honest, to stand out visually and to sound unmistakably like her. For an artist at the very beginning of her journey, it is a confident and grounded place to start.
The months before that release will matter as much as the song itself. Finishing and mastering the track, preparing artwork, building a following on social media and planning how the single reaches listeners are the steps every new independent artist faces. With her background in visuals and performance, Kontuk is better prepared than most for the promotional side of that work.
She also arrives during a busy year for Canadian artists, from new voices on the East Coast to the established Toronto names in our list of the rappers shaping hip-hop around the world in 2026.
With university training, convention success and a debut release in the works, Mya Kontuk is an artist worth keeping an eye on.
