diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/core/column_accessor.py b/python/cudf/cudf/core/column_accessor.py
index 83596704672..48bc84070b1 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/core/column_accessor.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/core/column_accessor.py
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ def _pad_key(self, key: Any, pad_value="") -> Any:
         return key + (pad_value,) * (self.nlevels - len(key))
 
     def rename_levels(
-        self, mapper: Mapping[Any, Any] | Callable, level: int | None
+        self, mapper: Mapping[Any, Any] | Callable, level: int | None = None
     ) -> ColumnAccessor:
         """
         Rename the specified levels of the given ColumnAccessor
@@ -653,10 +653,7 @@ def rename_column(x):
                 return x
 
             if level is None:
-                raise NotImplementedError(
-                    "Renaming columns with a MultiIndex and level=None is"
-                    "not supported"
-                )
+                level = 0
             new_col_names = (rename_column(k) for k in self.keys())
 
         else:
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/core/groupby/groupby.py b/python/cudf/cudf/core/groupby/groupby.py
index 92c4b73ceaa..9b71ea57f1f 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/core/groupby/groupby.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/core/groupby/groupby.py
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ def _groupby(self):
         )
 
     @_performance_tracking
-    def agg(self, func, *args, engine=None, engine_kwargs=None, **kwargs):
+    def agg(self, func=None, *args, engine=None, engine_kwargs=None, **kwargs):
         """
         Apply aggregation(s) to the groups.
 
@@ -648,11 +648,10 @@ def agg(self, func, *args, engine=None, engine_kwargs=None, **kwargs):
             raise NotImplementedError(
                 "Passing args to func is currently not supported."
             )
-        if kwargs:
-            raise NotImplementedError(
-                "Passing kwargs to func is currently not supported."
-            )
-        column_names, columns, normalized_aggs = self._normalize_aggs(func)
+
+        column_names, columns, normalized_aggs = self._normalize_aggs(
+            func, **kwargs
+        )
         orig_dtypes = tuple(c.dtype for c in columns)
 
         # Note: When there are no key columns, the below produces
@@ -1266,11 +1265,11 @@ def _grouped(self, *, include_groups: bool = True):
         return (group_names, offsets, grouped_keys, grouped_values)
 
     def _normalize_aggs(
-        self, aggs: MultiColumnAggType
+        self, aggs: MultiColumnAggType, **kwargs
     ) -> tuple[Iterable[Any], tuple[ColumnBase, ...], list[list[AggType]]]:
         """
         Normalize aggs to a list of list of aggregations, where `out[i]`
-        is a list of aggregations for column `self.obj[i]`. We support three
+        is a list of aggregations for column `self.obj[i]`. We support four
         different form of `aggs` input here:
         - A single agg, such as "sum". This agg is applied to all value
         columns.
@@ -1279,18 +1278,30 @@ def _normalize_aggs(
         - A mapping of column name to aggs, such as
         {"a": ["sum"], "b": ["mean"]}, the aggs are applied to specified
         column.
+        - Pairs of column name and agg tuples passed as kwargs
+        eg. col1=("a", "sum"), col2=("b", "prod"). The output column names are
+        the keys. The aggs are applied to the corresponding column in the tuple.
         Each agg can be string or lambda functions.
         """
 
         aggs_per_column: Iterable[AggType | Iterable[AggType]]
-        if isinstance(aggs, dict):
-            column_names, aggs_per_column = aggs.keys(), aggs.values()
-            columns = tuple(self.obj._data[col] for col in column_names)
+        # TODO: Remove isinstance condition when the legacy dask_cudf API is removed.
+        # See https://github.com/rapidsai/cudf/pull/16528#discussion_r1715482302 for information.
+        if aggs or isinstance(aggs, dict):
+            if isinstance(aggs, dict):
+                column_names, aggs_per_column = aggs.keys(), aggs.values()
+                columns = tuple(self.obj._data[col] for col in column_names)
+            else:
+                values = self.grouping.values
+                column_names = values._column_names
+                columns = values._columns
+                aggs_per_column = (aggs,) * len(columns)
+        elif not aggs and kwargs:
+            column_names, aggs_per_column = kwargs.keys(), kwargs.values()
+            columns = tuple(self.obj._data[x[0]] for x in kwargs.values())
+            aggs_per_column = tuple(x[1] for x in kwargs.values())
         else:
-            values = self.grouping.values
-            column_names = values._column_names
-            columns = values._columns
-            aggs_per_column = (aggs,) * len(columns)
+            raise TypeError("Must provide at least one aggregation function.")
 
         # is_list_like performs type narrowing but type-checkers don't
         # know it. One could add a TypeGuard annotation to
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/groupby/test_agg.py b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/groupby/test_agg.py
index f8847f02d5a..99e7523031b 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/groupby/test_agg.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/groupby/test_agg.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 import cudf
+from cudf.testing import assert_eq
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
@@ -26,3 +27,32 @@ def test_series_agg(attr):
     pd_agg = getattr(pdf.groupby(["a"])["a"], attr)("count")
 
     assert agg.ndim == pd_agg.ndim
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("func", ["sum", "prod", "mean", "count"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("attr", ["agg", "aggregate"])
+def test_dataframe_agg(attr, func):
+    df = cudf.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 1, 2], "b": [0, 0, 0, 0]})
+    pdf = df.to_pandas()
+
+    agg = getattr(df.groupby("a"), attr)(func)
+    pd_agg = getattr(pdf.groupby(["a"]), attr)(func)
+
+    assert_eq(agg, pd_agg)
+
+    agg = getattr(df.groupby("a"), attr)({"b": func})
+    pd_agg = getattr(pdf.groupby(["a"]), attr)({"b": func})
+
+    assert_eq(agg, pd_agg)
+
+    agg = getattr(df.groupby("a"), attr)([func])
+    pd_agg = getattr(pdf.groupby(["a"]), attr)([func])
+
+    assert_eq(agg, pd_agg)
+
+    agg = getattr(df.groupby("a"), attr)(foo=("b", func), bar=("a", func))
+    pd_agg = getattr(pdf.groupby(["a"]), attr)(
+        foo=("b", func), bar=("a", func)
+    )
+
+    assert_eq(agg, pd_agg)
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_column_accessor.py b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_column_accessor.py
index e84e1433c10..2d7bc809d4d 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_column_accessor.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_column_accessor.py
@@ -362,6 +362,10 @@ def test_replace_level_values_MultiColumn():
     got = ca.rename_levels(mapper={"a": "f"}, level=0)
     check_ca_equal(expect, got)
 
+    # passing without level kwarg assumes level=0
+    got = ca.rename_levels(mapper={"a": "f"})
+    check_ca_equal(expect, got)
+
 
 def test_clear_nrows_empty_before():
     ca = ColumnAccessor({})
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_dataframe.py b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_dataframe.py
index 2c59253d500..89eb5a12c71 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_dataframe.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_dataframe.py
@@ -9409,7 +9409,6 @@ def test_rename_for_level_RangeIndex_dataframe():
     assert_eq(expect, got)
 
 
-@pytest_xfail(reason="level=None not implemented yet")
 def test_rename_for_level_is_None_MC():
     gdf = cudf.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 3], "b": [4, 5, 6], "c": [7, 8, 9]})
     gdf.columns = pd.MultiIndex.from_tuples([("a", 1), ("a", 2), ("b", 1)])