Corey Payette is an interdisciplinary storyteller, writer, composer, director in theatre and film. He is Anishinaabe (a member of the Mattagami First Nations), with French Canadian and Irish ancestry, and lives on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl'ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.
 
Known for his deeply moving, large-scale original musical creations, Payette’s work challenges the public’s notion of what musicals can be, inserting Indigenous perspectives and narratives into mainstream spaces, igniting conversations that inspire social change. Payette’s work explores themes of colonization, Indigenous language revitalization, cultural healing, reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and the complexity of historic and contemporary Indigenous experiences across music, theatre, and film. Payette’s deeply collaborative, multi-disciplinary, and community engaged creation process has been integral in shining a light on stories that have gone unheard for generations. In 2021, Payette received the inaugural BC Award for Reconciliation from The Honourable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, created to honour those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity, respect, and commitment to furthering Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in the province of British Columbia.
 
Payette has been the Artistic Director of Urban Ink since 2014, an Indigenous and Culturally Diverse creation company in the Downtown East Side of Vancouver, past Artist-in-Residence and Associate Artist with English Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre, and founding Artistic Director of Raven Theatre, focusing on his new musical works. He was an Artistic Associate with Full Circle: First Nations Performance, Talking Stick Festival, and The Indigenous Cycle at the National Arts Centre, an investigation into the broad spectrum of the Indigenous body of work being created within Canada’s borders. This cycle resulted in the creation of a new department of Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre, which launched its inaugural season in 2019.
 
As a musical creator, Payette writes the music, lyrics, and directs his productions. His original musical Children of God has been performed across Canada since 2017 at The Cultch (Vancouver), National Arts Centre (Ottawa), Citadel Theatre (Edmonton), Western Canada Theatre (Kamloops), Segal Centre (Montreal), Vernon Performing Arts Centre (Vernon), Capitol Theatre (Nelson), Key City Theatre (Cranbrook), Surrey Arts Centre (Surrey), NVIT (Merritt), McPherson Playhouse (Victoria), and NACC (Yellowknife).
 
His second musical Les Filles du Roi (The King’s Daughters) written in English, French, and Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) with Julie McIsaac had its world premiere in 2018 at The Cultch (Vancouver). In 2023, Payette directed a film adaptation that was selected at over 17 International Film Festivals, featured on the TIFF film circuit, and has won Best Feature Film, Best Original Score, and Best Director at the Flathead Lake International Cinemafest, Best Original Score at the Leo Awards, and Best Music at the Hamilton Film Festival.

Payette’s third musical Sedna co-created with Reneltta Arluk and Marshall McMahen had its world premiere at Caravan Farm Theatre in 2018.
 
In 2023, his original musical Starwalker premiered at the York Theatre. In 2021, Starwalker began development under Warner Media / Access Canada writer’s program as a television series. Starwalker was released as a feature film in 2025, and has been selected in over 10 International Film Festivals, winning the Golden Pegasus Prize - Best International Feature Film, Best Director, and Best Original Score at the Bridges International Film Festival in Greece, and Grand Prize - Alternative Spirit Award at Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival.

Payette’s next original musical On Native Land is premiering at the York Theatre in 2026 and his next original musical Monarch has been commissioned by the Stratford Festival.

As a director, other credits include: Moonlodge (Urban Ink/NAC English Theatre), associate director for A Christmas Carol (NAC English Theatre 2017 & 2018), Stories that Transform Us (VIFF 21), Guide My Way (2023) and Closest Thing to Home (2026).
 
Corey holds a B.F.A. in Music Composition from York University, and composed the film score to the documentary AMIN AMIR (OMNI TV). He is the past Grand Chief of the Board of Directors of the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA) and past board member of Vancouver Aboriginal Health Society providing mental, physical, and spiritual relief to Indigenous peoples on the DTES (Vancouver, BC).
 
Payette has released four musical albums “The Music from Children of God”, “The Music from Les Filles du Roi”, “The Music from Sedna”, and “The Music from Starwalker”; Children of God, Les Filles du Roi, and Starwalker scripts have been published through Scirocco Drama, and piano/vocal songbooks are available as well. He has been name “10 to watch” by Playback Magazine, is the recipient of the John Hirsch Prize for Direction (Canada Council), Fleck Fellowship from the Banff Centre, has won 4 Ovation Awards and 2 Jessie Awards, and a Leo Award for his writing and directing work. He lives in East Van with his husband Marshall and tuxedo cat Mabel.