Ginette Reno

Ginette Reno (born Ginette Raynault; 28 April 1946) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and actress. She has received nominations for the Genie and Gemini Awards and is a multi-recipient of the Juno Award. She is a gold and platinum selling Canadian musician.

Early life Reno was born Ginette Raynault in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, she began singing in 1960 and won the talent contest "Les Découvertes de Jean Simon" (Jean Simon's Discoveries). With this success, three clubs in Montreal (Café Caprice, le Café de l'Est and the Café Provincial) offered Reno her first professional contract. Simon suggested she adopt the stage name Reno—a phonetic spelling of her real last name (as pronounced in Canadian French).

Film Reno played the mother in Jean-Claude Lauzon's 1992 film Léolo. She played Laura Cadieux in Denise Filiatrault's 1998 film It's Your Turn, Laura Cadieux (C't'à ton tour, Laura Cadieux). The role earned her a Genie Award nomination for Best Actress. She reprised her role for the 1999 sequel Laura Cadieux II (Laura Cadieux...la suite). She was again nominated at the 2000 Genie Awards. She played the role of Maria Barberini in the 2003 Canadian independent film Mambo Italiano.

Television Reno was twice nominated for a Gemini at the 1999 Gemini Awards and 2000 Gemini Awards. As Reno has a very matronly and respectable image in Quebec, her willingness to pose smiling next to Boucher, a man convicted of rape amongst other things, caused some controversy. She has since returned to sing for the 2015 and 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs. She previously sang the anthems for the Quebec Nordiques as well in the 1980s and 1990s and as well as the 64th Grey Cup in 1976.

Honours

Reno won the Top Female Vocalist at the Gold Leaf Awards of 1970. She was awarded a 1972 Juno and a 1973 Juno in the category Outstanding Performance of the Year – Female. Reno was nominated for a Juno in 1998 in the category Best Selling Francophone Album for her album Versions Reno. She was again nominated at the Juno Awards of 1999 for Best Female Vocalist. In 2001 she won a Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year for her album Un Grand Noël d'amour. In 2010 Reno was nominated for a Juno Fan Choice Award. In 2000, she was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

The Canada Gazette announced on 24 April 2021, that Reno was appointed as a Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, in which she was invested in on 28 April 2022.

In 2002 and 2012, Mme Reno received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and Diamond Jubilee Medal, in particular due to her induction as an Officer in the Order of Canada.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1992 Léolo Mother 1996 Dionne quintuplets (telefilm) Madame Legros 1998 It's Your Turn, Laura Cadieux Laura Cadieux 1999 Laura Cadieux II Laura Cadieux 2003 Mambo Italiano Maria Barberini 2006 A Family Secret Blanche 2020 Imelda 3: Simone Simone 2022 The 12 Tasks of Imelda (Les 12 travaux d'Imelda) Simone 2023 Katak: The Brave Beluga (Katak, le brave béluga) Grandmother English and French versions