Q with Tom Power
CBC
Five days a week, Tom Power brings you candid conversations with the artists shaping our culture. Whether he’s chatting with A-listers or rising stars, his disarming warmth and meticulous research always gets below the surface, bringing us deeper into the art and lives of today's most compelling musicians, writers, actors and filmmakers.As a Canadian institution, Q has attracted the biggest names in the world. But it's never been about the fame. It's always been about the art.Since becoming the host of Q in October 2016, listeners have come to know Tom for his in-depth interviewing style (asking founding Wu-Tang Clan member RZA what was inside his teenage notebooks), his mischievous sense of humour (jokingly chiding actor Catherine O'Hara for her parenting skills in Home Alone), and his genuine enthusiasm and fearlessness (singing a duet with Mavis Staples).You’re just as likely to hear from celebrities and cultural icons as you are to hear from emerging artists at the beginning of their career. Tom gives each and every artist the space to tell their story in their own words. He also has a track record for interviewing artists on the precipice of stardom, like Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Daniel Caesar, who appeared on Q well before they hit the mainstream.On Q, we cover arts and culture in all its forms, including music, movies, film, TV, comedy, painting, photography, theatre, cinema, Broadway, fashion, dance, opera, documentaries, books, fiction and memoirs.Look to our archives to hear some of Tom’s award-winning artist interviews, including his moving and insightful conversation with the Canadian actor Michael J. Fox, which was awarded the prestigious gold medal for best interview at the 2021 New York Festivals Radio Awards.In 2022, Tom spoke with Friends star Matthew Perry in front of a live audience. Their warm and frank conversation about the actor's struggles with substance abuse struck a chord, leading to millions views on TikTok and Instagram, while also being picked up by news outlets internationally, including Vanity Fair and CNN.Tom’s impactful discussions with top talent have included Adele, Bono, Chappell Roan, Pamela Anderson, Cate Blanchett, Dua Lipa, Cher, Denzel Washington, Mick Jagger, Florence Pugh, Francis Ford Coppola, Kristen Stewart, Emma Stone, Jim Carrey, Billy Porter, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld, Tyler Perry, Alicia Keys, Alan Moore, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, Darren Aronofsky, Harry Styles, Simu Liu, Sean Penn, Sandra Bullock, Michaela Coel, Ryan Reynolds, Katy Perry, Neil Young, Shakira, George Clooney, Ava DuVernay, Omar Apollo, Trixie Mattel, Orville Peck, Big Sean, Anil Kapoor, Jane Fonda, Robert DeNiro, Antonio Banderas, Elton John, Celine Dion, Kerry Washington, Chuck D, Steven Soderbergh, Mikey Madison, Cillian Murphy, Sean Baker, Steve McQueen, Paris Hilton, Taylor Tomlinson, Gwen Stefani, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kylie Minogue, Stanley Tucci, Rufus Wainwright, Caroline Polachek, Hans Zimmer, Denis Villeneuve, Alex Garland, Alan Ritchson, Britt Lower, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, David Blaine, Brian Tyree Henry, Perfume Genius, Deepa Mehta, Tracy Chapman, Chloë Sevigny, Josh Hartnett and many more.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 8, 2025 • 32min
Maggie O’Farrell on the tragedy of Hamnet
When novelist Maggie O’Farrell learned that Shakespeare had a son who died just a few years before he wrote “Hamlet” — and that history books barely mentioned it — she wanted to find out more. That led her to write the bestselling novel “Hamnet,” which has now been adapted into a new film starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley. Maggie joins Tom Power to tell us how her Hamnet story came to be, what Shakespeare might have been trying to tell us by naming his play after his son, and why she waited until her own son was past the age that Hamnet was when he died to start writing her novel.
Dec 8, 2025 • 18min
Rogers v. Rogers is like the Canadian version of Succession
The Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Michael Healey (The Master Plan, The Drawer Boy) is putting a Canadian corporate drama front and centre in his new play, “Rogers v. Rogers.” The story, which feels like a Canadian version of the hit HBO show “Succession,” is about the real-life family battle for control of Rogers Communications — one of the big three telecommunications and media giants in Canada. Michael joins Tom Power to tell us why he wanted to bring this story of corporate chaos to the stage, and why he opted to make it a one-actor play, starring Tom Rooney.
Dec 5, 2025 • 36min
The Dears almost quit the band several times
Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak are a husband-and-wife duo who lead the acclaimed Montreal rock band The Dears. In the early 2000s, they put a heavy stamp on indie pop music in Canada. Now, they’re celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band with the release of a new album, “Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful!” Murray and Natalia sit down with Tom Power to talk about their hopeful new record, their partnership, and that very unique time in Canadian music when they got their start.
Dec 5, 2025 • 25min
Mark Critch wants Trump to know he isn’t sorry
After years playing U.S. President Donald Trump on the news parody show “This Hour Has 22 Minutes,” comedian Mark Critch has come up with a few ideas on how Canada should deal with him. He’s just released a new book, “Sorry, Not Sorry,” in which he argues that it’s time for Canadians to park their apologies and match the president’s bravado with some of our own. Mark joins Tom Power to share his unapologetic look at what makes Canada worth fighting for.
Dec 4, 2025 • 33min
Dav Pilkey came up with Captain Underpants in the 2nd grade
When author Dav Pilkey was in the second grade, he started drawing cartoons in his notebook. He ended up naming them “Captain Underpants” and “Dog Man.” Those two characters would end up becoming his life’s work. Together, they’ve led to nearly 40 graphic novels, two Hollywood movies and a TV series. Dav sits down with Tom Power to talk about being misunderstood as a kid with ADHD and dyslexia, how drawing gave him confidence, and why he thinks graphic novels are a great way to introduce kids to reading.
Dec 4, 2025 • 21min
Cœur de pirate’s most toxic relationship is with anxiety
On her seventh and latest album, “Cavale,” the award-winning Quebecois artist Cœur de pirate explores her longest and most toxic relationship — with anxiety. She sits down with Tom Power to talk about the record, the cost of fame, and how being “scared of everything” inspired her to write her first new song in two years.
Dec 3, 2025 • 24min
Easy Rawlins exists to testify about Black history in America
Walter Mosley has been writing Easy Rawlins detective novels for more than 40 years now. The National Book Award-winning author joins Tom Power to talk about his 17th and latest book in the series, “Gray Dawn: An Easy Rawlins Mystery.” Walter opens up about his beloved character, why he says Easy’s role is to testify about Black history in America, and why this time he’s done something he almost never does: written an introductory author’s note.
Dec 3, 2025 • 21min
How the 1992 cod moratorium led to the rise of Newfoundland music
This year, musician Con O’Brien is celebrating 35 years with his band the Irish Descendants. They’re local legends in Newfoundland and Labrador, but they’re also part of a wave of modern traditional music that swept across the country in the ’90s. As the Irish Descendants embark on their annual cross-country Christmas tour, Con joins Tom Power to talk about their journey — from the 1992 cod moratorium to their interpretation of Otto Kelland’s song “Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's” and beyond.
Dec 2, 2025 • 36min
Why we still need classical music
Earlier this year, violin virtuoso Joshua Bell gave a TED Talk asking the question, do we still need classical music? Joshua is performing in Canada this year and next as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Spotlight Artist. On a rare day off in his schedule, he sits down with Tom Power to make the case for why we need classical music in our lives now more than ever. He also explains why his Stradivarius violin is so special to play, aside from the multi-million dollar price tag.
Dec 2, 2025 • 18min
Heather Ogden on dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy
For more than 20 years, Canadian ballet dancer Heather Ogden has been performing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the enduring Christmas classic “The Nutcracker.” Last December, Heather sat down with Tom Power to talk about the magic and opulence of this production at the National Ballet of Canada — and what makes the Sugar Plum Fairy’s solo so tricky.
