Joni Mitchell will return to Canada to accept a lifetime achievement honour at the Juno Awards next month, and organizers hope her arrival will bring something extra.

The Junos have confirmed the Alberta-born folk singer-songwriter will appear at Hamilton's TD Coliseum on March 29, where her lasting impact on music will be celebrated.

But sources close to the broadcast tell the Toronto Star they're also in talks with Mitchell, 82, about performing, though that will depend on her health.

If she's able to perform, Mitchell would likely join Sarah McLachlan and Allison Russell on stage for a previously announced tribute to her career.

Mitchell has rarely performed publicly in recent years. A brain aneurysm in 2015 left her temporarily unable to walk or speak, and it took years of rehabilitation before she gradually returned to public life.

In 2022, she surprised audiences at the Newport Folk Festival, holding court on stage with a circle of her closest musical friends, including Russell and Brandi Carlile. The performance echoed the "Joni Jam" sessions she was known for hosting during the pandemic at her Los Angeles home.

She brought that spirit to a wider audience at the 2024 Grammy Awards, where she performed her classic "Both Sides Now." This month, Mitchell attended the 2026 Grammys to accept the award for best historical album for "Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 4: The Asylum Years." She came dressed in a shimmering gold outfit and an "ICE OUT" button.

Mitchell has not performed in Canada for more than a decade. Her last appearance was in 2013 at Massey Hall, where she participated in Joni: a Portrait in Song, a two-night celebration of her career ahead of her 70th birthday. She recited a new poem accompanied by jazz musician Brian Blade, her long-time collaborator.

At the Junos, Mitchell will become only the third recipient of the lifetime achievement award, which was revived last year to honour Anne Murray. Its only other honouree is Canadian content champion Pierre Juneau, the music show's namesake, who was recognized in 1989.

Other special recipients this year included pop singer Nelly Furtado, who will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and rock band Billy Talent, who will receive the humanitarian award.

Leading the 2026 Juno nominees are pop performers Justin Bieber and Tate McRae, with six nods each, and superstar The Weeknd and country newcomer Cameron Whitcomb with five apiece.

The Junos will be hosted by comedian and actor Mae Martin and air live on CBC and stream on CBC Gem.