In Canada: Canadian Live Music Association CEO Cites ‘Growing Uncertainty’ in Open Letter Ahead of Election

Canadian music is good for more than just the economy — it’s central to the country’s national identity.

That’s the crux of a new open letter written by Erin Benjamin, president/CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association. The letter anticipates the Canadian federal election on April 28 and advocates for elected officials to understand the cultural significance of music to the country. Liberal leader Mark Carney recently became Prime Minister of Canada after Justin Trudeau’s resignation, while Pierre Poilievre is running for the Conservative party and Jagmeet Singh for the New Democratic Party (NDP). 

The letter doesn’t mention the U.S. President by name or refer explicitly to tariffs or talk of Canada as the “51st state,” but it situates the country in a moment of national uncertainty, reflecting on what it means to live in Canada and what the country will look like going forward.

Within that context, Benjamin writes, it’s crucial that policymakers understand both the economic and cultural benefits of Canada’s live music sector.

“In the face of today’s generational challenges, on the doorstep of our nation’s future, the time has come to fully integrate and interlace this formidable industry into the systems and policies that shape our society, for the benefit of all Canadians,” Benjamin writes.

The letter cites CLMA’s recent Hear and Now study, the first-ever economic impact assessment of live music in Canada, which found that live music contributed $10.92 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2023 and supported more than 100,000 jobs. But music’s impact can’t just be measured monetarily, Benjamin writes.

“It’s central to our cultural fabric, shaping how we connect and define ourselves as Canadian,” the letter continues. “As we face growing uncertainty and instability — we risk losing not just critical economic opportunities but the very essence of our national identity.”

“Who are we if our artists can’t continue to create and perform due to financial pressures brought on by the cost of touring, access to performance opportunities, and shrinking resources and supports? What happens to our sense of community, our shared experiences, if we lose our cultural infrastructure…the venues, festivals, and spaces that live music provides?”

Benjamin’s letter is part of a broader conversation happening amidst a swell in national pride in the face of threats from the U.S. The music industry has tapped into that pride, which was on display at the 2025 Junos.

Beyond hockey slogans and beer ads, Canadian cultural leaders are emphasizing the importance of the arts and culture sector in maintaining Canadian sovereignty.

Read more here. — Rosie Long Decter

Billboard Canada Partners with Music Managers Forum

Billboard Canada is teaming up with Music Managers Forum (MMF Canada) to highlight vital, yet often under-recognized, drivers of the music industry.

Behind many great artists is a dedicated and strategic music manager working tirelessly. For nearly three decades, MMF Canada has been the voice of music managers and self-managed artists in the country. The organization builds community and empowers managers with opportunities and mentorship.

MMF Canada also presents the Honour Roll, an annual celebration of outstanding Canadian music managers and self-managed artists. This award acknowledges the critical role managers play in shaping the success of Canadian artists and celebrates those who have made a lasting impact. This year, the honour will be presented during NXNE, the longstanding and well-loved music festival that is also beginning a strategic partnership with Billboard Canada.

“We are excited about this partnership with Billboard Canada and NXNE,” says MMF Canada executive director Amie Therrien. “One of our goals at MMF Canada is to ensure that the work managers do, largely behind the scenes, is recognized and celebrated. As the artist’s representative and support system, the contributions of managers is crucial for a thriving and sustainable music industry. To have a partner that understands and champions that work is invaluable.”

The organization has a thriving network and community of managers representing some of the biggest success stories in Canadian music, and some artists who are well on their way to joining them. 

“At Billboard Canada, we recognized a significant gap in the industry: a lack of industry-wide support and recognition for the vital work that music managers do every day,” says Mo Ghoneim, president of Billboard Canada and Artshouse Media Group, the co-owner of NXNE. “Understanding their role as the foundation of the music industry, we felt a responsibility to fill that gap by creating a space to tell their stories, highlight their contributions and provide them with the recognition they deserve.”

The MMF Honour Roll has been presented annually since 2007, though this is the first year it will move to NXNE. The award is given to a Canadian music manager for outstanding career achievements. 

Previous recipients have included industry legends and current stalwarts, from Bernie Finklestein, Bruce Allen and Ray Danniels to Jake Gold, Chris Smith, Susan de Cartier, Sandy Pandya and Lascelles Stephens. Whether or not you know their names, you do know the results of their work. Together, they’ve guided the careers of artists including Nelly Furtado, Bruce Cockburn, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Bryan Adams, Rush, Colin James, Sarah MacLachlan, kd lang, The Tragically Hip, Haviah Mighty and many more.

Read more here. — Richard Trapunski

Neil Young Will Play a Rare Solo Concert Near His Hometown in Lakefield, Ontario

Neil Young‘s status as a hometown hero in the Peterborough/Lakefield region in Ontario just took another giant leap forward.

On May 23, the Canadian rock icon will play an outdoor benefit concert at Lakefield College School’s Northcote Campus to raise funds for the restoration of the historic farmhouse on the Northcote property — a project that fits with Young’s commitment to the values of preserving history and community.

Young’s roots in this area run deep, as he spent formative childhood years (from ages 4 to 11) in the small community of Omemee, 20 kilometers west of Peterborough and close to Lakefield. “There is a town in north Ontario,” goes a Young-penned line featured in the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young classic “Helpless” that was inspired by Omemee.

Young’s journalist/novelist father, Scott Young, bought a family farm there that was in the family until the late 1980s. The Ptbotoday website reports that “Neil’s connection to the area deepened in recent years when he and his wife, actress Daryl Hannah, relocated to a 116-year-old cottage near Lakefield in September 2020. According to updates on his Neil Young Archives website, the couple winterized the property and spent nearly six months there during the pandemic, embracing the solitude of the Kawarthas.”

This is not the first Neil Young benefit concert in the area. In 2017, he played a solo acoustic show at Omemee’s Coronation that was live-streamed worldwide and raised $18,000 for the music program of the town’s Scott Young Public School. He will also perform solo at the upcoming show.

The Lakefield concert, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., will have a restricted capacity of approximately 2,000 concertgoers.

Read more here. — Kerry Doole

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