Hill Kourkoutis
Hill Kourkoutis was born on the 23rd of January 1988 in Toronto. She grew up in Greenwood, a small hamlet located east of that city. Her family heritage traces back to Greece, with her grandfather originating from the island of Lefkada. At age eight, she began guitar lessons at Durham Music. Piano instruction followed one year later. In sixth grade, she enrolled at Trafalgar Castle School, a private girls' school in Whitby. There she deepened her studies in piano, vocal performance, and music theory through The Royal Conservatory of Music syllabus. While in Grade 7, she formed her first band, the Sirens, with schoolmates including future country singer Meghan Patrick.
At age 16, Kourkoutis was cast in the television series Radio Free Roscoe which aired from 2004 to 2005. Producers needed a girl who could play drums for the show. She played Megan, the drummer for the show's fictional band. The experience of working on a film set sparked her interest in pursuing formal studies in the field. After graduating from Trafalgar Castle, she attended Toronto Metropolitan University then known as Ryerson University. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with honours in film studies. This transition marked a shift from performing to studying the mechanics behind the camera.
Her breakthrough as an engineer came with SATE's album The Fool released in 2021. That record earned her the historic Juno nomination and win for Recording Engineer of the Year. The album also appeared on the 2022 Polaris Music Prize long list. That same year she won a Juno for her engineering work on Leela Gilday's North Star Calling. Gilday's project took the Juno Award for Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year. In 2023 two albums she produced competed against each other in the Juno Award for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year category. Digging Roots' Zhawenim won while Aysanabee's Watin reached the Polaris Prize shortlist. Kourkoutis became the first woman to win the Juno Award for Recording Engineer of the Year in 2022.
Kourkoutis works primarily out of her studio called The Lair located in Toronto. Her production and engineering work spans multiple genres with particular focus on Indigenous and alternative artists. She has produced, engineered, or mixed albums for artists including Aysanabee and Digging Roots. Several of these albums have received Juno Awards or nominations. Aysanabee's Watin which Kourkoutis produced reached the Polaris Music Prize shortlist in 2023. Its single Nomads reached number one on the Canadian alternative rock charts. In 2024 Kourkoutis received a nomination for the Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award. She has also written songs for artists including Royal Wood and Meghan Patrick.
Before focusing on production Kourkoutis performed in several bands including the alternative pop/rock duo Drowning Girl with David Paoli. She later formed Hill & The Sky Heroes whose sound was described as alien surf rock. The group released an EP on the 11th of November 2011 followed by the full-length album 11:11 in June 2012. That album featured contributions from Serena Ryder Martha and the Muffins Donna Grantis and producer Adrian Eccleston. As a session musician and touring guitarist she has performed with Serena Ryder The Weeknd and Martha and the Muffins. In 2018 to 2019 she appeared in the house band for the CTV series The Launch created by Scott Borchetta.
Kourkoutis has composed music for children's television including the theme song for Dino Ranch. She wrote songs for Remy & Boo and Thomas & Friends All Engines Go. In 2025 she was selected as one of the remix artists for the 2026 FIFA World Cup official theme representing Toronto. At age 16 she played Megan the drummer for Radio Free Roscoe which aired on Noggin in the United States and The Family Channel in Canada. She has directed music videos for artists including Serena Ryder Mother Mother Sass Jordan and Alex Cuba. Her filmography includes directing videos like Hayloft for Mother Mother and Why Did You? for Sass Jordan both released in 2009.
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Common questions
When and where was Hill Kourkoutis born?
Hill Kourkoutis was born on the 23rd of January 1988 in Toronto. She grew up in Greenwood, a small hamlet located east of that city.
What education did Hill Kourkoutis receive for film studies?
After graduating from Trafalgar Castle School, she attended Toronto Metropolitan University then known as Ryerson University. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with honours in film studies.
Who was the first woman to win the Juno Award for Recording Engineer of the Year?
Hill Kourkoutis became the first woman to win the Juno Award for Recording Engineer of the Year in 2022. Her breakthrough engineering work came with SATE's album The Fool released in 2021 which earned her this historic nomination and win.
Which albums has Hill Kourkoutis produced or engineered for Indigenous artists?
She has produced, engineered, or mixed albums for artists including Aysanabee and Digging Roots. Aysanabee's Watin reached the Polaris Music Prize shortlist in 2023 while Digging Roots' Zhawenim won the Juno Award for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year in 2023.
When did Hill Kourkoutis release her full-length album 11:11?
The group Hill & The Sky Heroes released their full-length album 11:11 in June 2012. This album followed an EP on the 11th of November 2011 and featured contributions from Serena Ryder Martha and the Muffins Donna Grantis and producer Adrian Eccleston.