Canada
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.
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“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
Vancouver label Nettwerk is giving a boost to a key west coast accelerator program.
Music BC’s ARC intensive welcomes 10-15 emerging artists annually to participate in intensive workshops and professional development training. For the next three years, Nettwerk will be offering extra resources to the program, to help the cohorts further grow their skills and profiles.
Specifically, Nettwerk will give participants the opportunity to leverage the label’s direct access to digital service providers (DSPs) and social media properties. In an industry where digital presence has become paramount, those tools will help ARC artists reach a wider range of fans and build audiences toward long-term loyalty.
The label is an influential indie music company in Canada, representing Canadian and international talent like pop duo Milk & Bone, folk singer James Vincent McMorrow, and indie pop artist Miya Folick. Founded in 1984, Nettwerk operates in cities across the globe like London, Sydney, Berlin and Nashville. Recently, the label celebrated its 40th anniversary.
“At Nettwerk, we believe deeply in the value of the independent music sector in fostering innovation and elevating exceptional talent,” says Nettwerk president Simon Mortimer-Lamb. “Partnering with Music BC’s ARC Program celebrates Nettwerk’s unwavering commitment to helping unsigned Canadian talent find their places on the world stage and build a lasting legacy in the music industry.”
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“With an undeniable track record and a long-standing commitment to artist development, Nettwerk has helped shape the careers of countless artists on the global stage,” adds Music BC Executive Director Lindsay MacPherson. “It speaks volumes that they recognize the impact of our work through ARC to empower emerging talent in our own backyard.
ARC has hosted three cohorts so far, with alumni including rising hip-hop artist Kimmortal and R&B singer Sadé Awele. The program consists of a three-day training clinic, a five-day retreat, and a culminating performance, tackling topics like building a brand, vocal performance and recording techniques and mental health care.
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bbno$ Lands ‘Check’ on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100
bbno$ has a knack for making the most of a moment.
The Vancouver rapper won the TikTok Fan Choice Award at the Junos this past weekend, and used the time to nab the viral moment of the night. “Elon Musk is a piece of garbage,” he said, eliciting cheers in the patriotic crowd. (He also took the time to remind people his name is pronounced “baby no money” and not “bibinos.”)
Already in the viral zeitgeist, he has another thing to celebrate as his song “Check” debuts at No. 75 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 for the chart dated April 5, 2025.
Built around a familiar sample, War’s instantly recognizable “Low Rider” horns, the song’s nonstop hooks burrow into your head in less than two minutes – though many are hearing it in even shorter 5 or 10 second chunks on TikTok.
bbno$ has had billions of streams on Spotify and TikTok for songs like “La La La” and “Edamame,” with “Check” quickly racking them up too, so expect to see him on the charts again.
Check out more on this week’s charts here.
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SOCAN Celebrates 100th Year: Canada’s largest music rights organization marks its centennial with a record $512.4 million in royalty distributions, a 17.5% increase from 2023. Despite this success, SOCAN warns that less than 10% of online music consumed in Canada is Canadian-made. It urges greater support for local artists, emphasizing their role in the nation’s economy, culture, and global presence. SOCAN’s 2024 Annual Report highlights revenue growth to $559.4 million, new software initiatives, and enhanced educational programs, maintaining an expense-to-revenue ratio of 12%. FULL STORY
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SiriusXM Canada Launches New South Asian Music Channel, SiriusXM Dhamaka
SiriusXM Canada is launching a new channel dedicated to South Asian music.
That makes the satellite radio company the latest in a series of Canadian music institutions to put resources behind the massive growth of South Asian music in Canada.
The new channel, SiriusXM Dhamaka, is available across North America on channel 796. The channel will play a mix of Canadian and international stars, as well as featuring exclusive artist interviews, live performances, talk programming and comedy.
It’s programmed by Canadian radio host and Emmy-nominated music supervisor Raoul Juneja. Juneja previously created Canada’s first South Asian music TV show, V-Mix on OMNI Television in 2011.
Over ten years later, South Asian music is one of the buzziest subjects in the Canadian industry.
Rising superstar Karan Aujla won the Junos fan choice award last year, and heads into this year’s Junos with three nominations In 2024, Diljit Dosanjh made history with two Canadian stadium shows on his Dil-Luminati Tour, while artists like AR Paisley, AP Dhillon and Ikky make waves on the Canadian charts.
The Canadian industry is supporting that growth. The Junos introduced a new category for South Asian music recording for the 2025 awards, and Warner Music Canada’s 91 North records, a joint venture with Warner India, has been a key source of investment in new South Asian talent.
SiriusXM Dhamaka provides a new avenue for that expansion, promising to showcase Hindi, Punjabi, Pakistani, South Indian,Bengali and West Indian artists who make up the global South Asian diaspora.
“This channel has been in the works for some time, and we are so proud to finally announce its launch,” says Michelle Mearns, senior vice president of programming and operations. “SiriusXM Dhamaka showcases not only our incredible South Asian talent right here in Canada, but also international artists, giving listeners the opportunity to discover new and emerging music from around the world.”
SOCAN, Canada’s largest member-owned music rights organization, turns 100 this year. It’s celebrating with a major milestone — but also issuing a warning to the Canadian music industry.
The organization has reported a record-high half-billion dollars in total royalty distributions to music creators and publishers.
Today (April 2), SOCAN released its 2024 Annual Report, which shows a total of $512.4-million in distributed royalty payments. SOCAN revenue also grew to $559.4-million in 2024, a 7% increase over 2023. SOCAN currently has nearly 200,000 songwriter, composer, and music publisher members.
SOCAN’s record royalty distributions were 17.5% higher than 2023. That includes royalties paid to music creators and publishers derived from data matched to revenue received in 2023 and beginning of 2024.
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That would seem to be unqualified good news, but in a statement, SOCAN called the results “bittersweet for the member-owned, not-for-profit.” That’s because SOCAN data shows less than 10% of music consumed online in Canada was written or composed by Canadians.
“Never in history has consuming Canadian meant more to our nation,” SOCAN writes. “As SOCAN celebrates 100 years, the organization urges Canadians to support homegrown talent. The music that Canadian songwriters and composers create is important to Canada’s local economy, our culture, our storytelling, and our global identity.”
SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown (one of Billboard Canada‘s 2024 Power Players) drives home the “support local” message.
“Canadians are increasingly choosing local products and services, driving the success of Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs. It’s important to show the same support for our songwriters and composers — not just today, but always,” she says. “Canadian music fans, businesses and government, alongside the international music companies choosing to grow their business in Canada, all play a role in showcasing music as part of Canada’s cultural identity.”
Clearly, the performing rights org is hopeful that the current surge in patriotic Canadian pride in the face of a trade war with and threats of annexation from the U.S. may have an impact on the way we all use and consume music.
The report features other data, including an increase in revenue from music uses that took place in Canada by $18.1-million to a high of $421.6-million. The increase is led by revenue from digital sources totaling $208.7-million, a 10.8% year-over-year increase, and General Licensing and Concerts increasing 15%. Revenue from music uses in international territories, meanwhile, increased an impressive 14.9% to $137.8-million, a testament to the talent and success of Canadian music creators on the global stage.
SOCAN also boasts a new software platform to be be complete in 2025, improved distribution processing times, an educational SOCAN Academy initiative, and development and networking programs. “Even with these essential enhanced efforts, SOCAN was able to maintain their expense-to-revenue ratio at 12%” the report says.
SOCAN’s Annual and General meeting is scheduled for May 21, in Toronto.
This story was originally published by Billboard Canada.
There was an unmistakable current of Canadian nationalism running through the 2025 Juno Awards, which aired live on CBC from Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on Sunday (March 30).
The awards gala – and its night-before invite-only gala where most of the awards are given out – is always a chance for the music industry to tout its successes. This year, those affirmations had a different flavour. Canada has a wave of national pride that tends to arise when the country is threatened, and with tariffs imposed by the United States among threats of annexation by U.S. President Donald Trump, it was ever-present at this year’s Junos.
Here is how it played out.
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“Canada Is Not for Sale”
“Canada Is Not for Sale” has become a defiant slogan of pride of late, opposing Trump’s repeated threats of turning the country into the “51st state.” Junos host Michael Bublé was the latest star to use the phrase recently sported on a t-shirt by Mike Myers on Saturday Night Live. In an opening monologue that echoed the famous “I Am Canadian” Molson ad of the early 2000s, Bublé asserted a number of vaguely political affirmations of what he called “the greatest nation on earth.” “When they go low, we go high,” he said. “We love this country, and when you love something, you show up for it,” he said.
Allan Reid, president and CEO of CARAS, the organization that administers the Junos, also asserted culture as a form of Canadian identity in his speech at the industry gala on Saturday. Canada is the third largest exporter of music to the world, he said, likely referring to Luminate’s recent year-end report, and that’s an important distinction. “It is our culture that defines who we are and it is the touchstone of what it means to be Canadian,” he said. The music crosses borders, and that strengthens Canada internationally.
Winning the Walt Greilis Award, which recognizes individuals who have strengthened the growth or development of Canadian music, Live Nation Canada chairman Riley O’Connor echoed that sentiment. “It’s a time not to retreat, but to show innovation and talent,” he said. He was recognized for playing a big part in building the national touring network in Canada and showing international acts that there are fans in the country who want to hear the world’s music on live stages. He quoted Rush‘s “The Spirit of Radio,” then said, “now it’s time to turn up our Canadian volume.”
Behind-the-Scenes Success Stories
There is a tendency for the Canadian music industry, and the Junos, to speak to itself. That can be a problem when some of the biggest international stars strive for international success but don’t always show up for Canadian recognition.
While the Junos were a building block of a self-sufficient Canadian music industry, along with Canadian Content regulations and a strong system of government arts funding through organizations like FACTOR, it now has an issue of star power. Tate McRae was this year’s biggest winner with four awards, but wasn’t there to accept, and stars like The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes were also missing.
Some of the country’s biggest recent success stories, however, are behind the scenes, and this year they got an important overdue gesture of recognition. The Junos introduced the inaugural songwriter of the year (non-performer) category, and the winner was Lowell. The same winner of the Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award, which she also accepted at the Billboard Canada Power Players in 2024, Lowell has been pushing for the category for years. “I’ve been here [at the Junos] eight or nine times before and watched hits I wrote win,” she said on Saturday night. “But never moi.” She shouted out her Canadian co-writer Nate Ferraro and all the other artists who should have won the award before her.
Lowell co-wrote some big hits recently, including Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and that shows a major impact made by Canadian musicians behind the scenes. Jack Rochon won the producer of the year award for his work with major international artists like Beyoncé, Kehlani and local R&B favourite Charlotte Day Wilson. Serban Ghenea, meanwhile, won recording engineer of the year for work with two of the biggest charting artists of the last year, Sabrina Carpenter and Teddy Swims (Ghenea has been nominated for 50 Grammys and won 21). Producer Boi-1da, meanwhile, won the international achievement award for work on some huge songs by stars like Drake, Rihanna and Eminem.
Canada is a heavy hitter for its relatively small population, and its fingerprints are on some of music’s biggest hits. It’s a good time to bring those accolades into the open.
Diversity as a Strength
There’s no one distinct Canadian sound, but the country has a cultural fluidity that is well-suited to the increasingly globalized music industry. There is music being made in multiple languages, well beyond even English and French.
Canada has become a global hub for the ascent of Punjabi music – what Billboard Canada coined the Punjabi Wave – and that’s become a big part of the Junos over the last few years. This year, the awards introduced the South Asian recording of the year award, which AP Dhillon won for “The Brownprint.” Unfortunately, the category was not televised and Dhillon wasn’t there to accept, but there was still a Punjabi performance by Gminxr, Jazzy B, Inderpal Moga and Chani Nattan.
Elisapie, meanwhile, won alternative album of the year for Inuktitut, an album of covers of songs by artists like Blondie and Pink Floyd in the title language. Accepting, she said she was proud to be an Inuk woman, singing in her language. Winning rap album of the year for their album RED FUTURE, Snotty Nose Rez Kids talked about Indigenous excellence and creating a vision for Indigenous people to see themselves in the future. In a year when Buffy Sainte-Marie had her awards revoked amidst questions of her own Indigenous identity, the Junos also recognized new and present cultural voices.
“Elon Musk Is a Piece of Garbage”
While many of the criticisms of the U.S. were more subtle or centered around Canada – the name Trump was barely spoken – there were a couple of sharper criticisms. One came from bbno$ on Sunday’s televised broadcast. After saying his thank yous for winning the fan choice award, he had one last thing to say: “Also, Elon Musk is a piece of garbage.” The crowd cheered for the jab at Trump’s head of DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency]. Introducing the next segment with Max Kerman of Arkells, Bublé said he didn’t hear what was said but could tell the crowd loved it. “I heard it,” Kerman said. “And it was right.”
At Saturday’s gala, Montreal band NOBRO brought real punk energy to their performance while lead singer Kathryn McCaughey sported a tank top that said “Pussies Against Fascism.” They won rock album of the year for their album Set Your Pussy Free and advocated for equal representation of women and for abortion as health care. “No pussy is free until they all are,” they proclaimed.
Made in Canada
In recent weeks in response to tariffs, American products have been pulled off liquor store shelves and grocery stores have hung signs letting shoppers know which products are Canadian-made. The messaging of the Junos also touted Canadian success stories, but there was a criticism below the surface of overrepresentation of major label acts in both the nominations list and televised performances. Sony, Universal and Warner all have Canadian offices and are thriving Canadian operations, but are also adjuncts of American companies.
There were some notable exceptions, however. The Beaches, who won group of the year for the second year in a row, gained bigger success after splitting with their former label, Universal Music Canada.
Sum 41 have been a major-label band throughout the majority of their career, but remarked on the strangeness of getting industry recognition. “We’re not really an award show band,” Deryck Whibley said. Being honoured with an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, they remembered sending their demo to every label and having it turned down by all of them. “One even told me it was the worst he had heard in a decade,” he said. “Maybe he’s here tonight.” They persisted, though, and became a major-label success story.
If resilience was a theme of the Junos, Nemahsis provided a different example. The Palestinian-Canadian artist told the story of being dropped from her major label shortly after Oct. 7 and releasing her breakout album Verbathim fully independently with the help of her manager Chass Bryan.
“So many labels are being thanked and mentioned,” she said on Saturday night accepting the alternative award, right in front of many major players of the Canadian music industry. “Labels have money. Money pays for albums. Artists need money to make art. I was cut off and left with nothing, and this album still came out because of Chass and my parents and the people of Palestine.”
The biggest winner at the 2025 Juno Awards wasn’t there to accept her awards.
Tate McRae won four awards – for artist, single, album and pop album of the year – but was not able to make it to the Vancouver, British Columbia awards ceremony on Sunday (March 30) or the untelevised gala the night before to accept. That’s an ongoing issue at the Junos, where the responsibilities of the biggest international superstars often keep them from their home country’s award show.
Stars like Drake, The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes were not at Rogers Arena for the show, but there was an ongoing theme of Canadian excellence. At a time when U.S. President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canada and threatens to annex it as the 51st state, many used the Junos as a chance to wave the cultural flag.
McRae won four out of five of her nominations, taking artist of the year for the second year in a row, single of the the year for the second year in a row (with “Exes” taking the award won last year by “Greedy”) and album of the year and pop album of the year for the first time (with Think Later). She missed out only on the fan choice award. That was won by the perpetually viral rapper bbno$, a hit on TikTok, which sponsored the award. He used the acceptance speech to create another viral moment, using his time to call billionaire and top Trump advisor Elon Musk a “piece of garbage.”
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That was a more direct criticism of the American administration than what ran through most of the show, where a more nationalistic “Canada is not for sale” message rang through. Accepting the award for country album of the year, breakout Ontario singer Josh Ross thanked his label Universal Music both in Canada and south of the border, reminding them that “friends are better than enemies.”
Host Michael Bublé began the show with a medley of his hits in four different languages, duetting with Canadian artists including Elisapie, Jonita Gandhi, Roxane Bruneau and Maestro Fresh Wes. That recognized the diversity of sounds and genres, while his opening monologue recalled the famous “I Am Canadian” ad with Canadian pride and an affirmation that Canada is “the greatest nation on earth.”
Other than special awards, only four awards were presented on CBC’s Sunday broadcast, with the vast majority given out at the industry gala the night before. One of those was for group of the year. While Sum 41 seemed like a safe prediction given that they also were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame on the show and closed it with a medley of their pop-punk classics, it was instead awarded for the second year in a row to The Beaches. That continued a hot few years for the Toronto band, who broke out with their hit “Blame Brett” in 2023 and haven’t looked back since.
The other big award of the night was for breakthrough artist of the year. That accolade went to Nemahsis, the Palestinian-Canadian artist who was reportedly dropped from her major label for her refusal to silence her pro-Palestinian advocacy after Oct. 7. The singer, who also won alternative album of the year and performed on the broadcast, dedicated the award to her fellow hijabis and said all she ever wanted was to turn on Canadian TV and see someone who looked like her. “I didn’t think it would take this long or that I would be the one to do it,” she said. She thanked OVO Sound producer Noah “40” Shebib and artist Jad El Khoury for helping her finish her album Verbathim when she was suddenly fully independent and didn’t have the money to do so on her own.
Anne Murray was given the lifetime achievement award, marking only the second time in Junos history the award has been given (the other was to the architect of Canadian Content regulations and the namesake of the Junos, Pierre Juneau). Wearing a bedazzled Canada hockey jersey, the singer – who holds the record for most-ever Junos ahead of The Weeknd – talked about the importance of Canada to her multi-decade career and called the country her “safety blanket.” Producer Boi-1da won the international achievement award, recognizing his huge hits on the global stage – including four No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 – for artists like Rihanna, Drake and Eminem.
Other performances on the show included Haida Nation rap album of the year winners Snotty Nose Rez Kids with Tia Wood, Sunday night winners bbno$ and Josh Ross and an all-star Punjabi performance that featured Gminxr, Jazzy B, Inderpal Moga and Chani Nattan. Karan Aujla winning the fan choice award in 2024 showed the institution’s recognition of the Punjabi Wave, and the Junos implemented the new South Asian recording of the year award this year. AP Dhillon won for The Brownprint; however, the award was unfortunately not televised.
Find a full list of 2025 Juno Award winners below:
TikTok Juno Fan Choice
WINNER: bbno$ (Independent*Stem)
Dean Brody (Starseed)
Jade Eagleson (Starseed)
Josh Ross (Universal)
Karan Aujl (Independent)
Les Cowboys Fringants (Les Disques de La Tribu*Propagande)
Preston Pablo (Universal)
Shawn Mendes (Universal)
Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
The Weeknd (XO*Universal)
Artist of the Year
Josh Ross (Universal)
Kaytranada (RCA*Sony)
Shawn Mendes (Island*Universal)
WINNER: Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
The Weeknd (XO*Universal)
Single of the Year
“Single Again,” Josh Ross (Universal)
“Winning Speech,” Karan Aujla (Independent)
“Why Why Why,” Shawn Mendes (Island*Universal)
WINNER: “exes,” Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
“Timeless,” The Weeknd & Playboi Carti (XO*Universal)
Album of the Year
Inuktitut, Elisapie (Bonsound*Sony)
Complicated, Josh Ross (Universal)
Submergé, Roxane Bruneau (Disques Artic*Sony)
UNDISPUTED, Sukha (GK*Universal)
WINNER: THINK LATER, Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
Group of the Year
Crash Adams (Warner)
Mother Mother (Warner)
Spiritbox (BMG*Universal)
Sum 41 (Rise/BMG*Universal)
WINNER: The Beaches (Independent*AWAL)
Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year
Alexander Stewart (FAE*The Orchard)
AP Dhillon (Republic*Universal)
AR Paisley (Warner)
Chris Grey (Rebellion Records)
EKKSTACY (Dine Alone*The Orchard)
WINNER: Nemahsis (Independent)
Owen Riegling (Universal)
Sukha (GK*Universal)
Tony Ann (Decca*Universal)
Zeina (Artist Partner Group)
Jack Richardson Producer of the Year
Aaron Paris — “intro (end of the world)” (Ariana Grande), “Bought the Earth” (Yeat), “Let it Breathe” (Ski Mask the Slump God), “Tiger Eye” (Loony), “Dishonored” (Sean Leon and Jessie Reyez, “R e a l W o m a n” (PartyNextDoor)
Akeel Henry — “Spin” (Megan Thee Stallion), “Smoke” (Ari Lennox), “Shake” (Chlöe), “Oh, Wait…” (Shae Universe), “I Choose You” (Melanie Fiona), “Love Ain’t Guaranteed” (Mist)
Evan Blair — “Pretty Slowly” (Benson Boone), “Beautiful Things” (Benson Boone), “club heaven” (Nessa Barrett), “No High” (David Kushner), “this is how a woman leaves” (Maren Morris), “i hope i never fall in love” (Maren Morris)
WINNER: Jack Rochon — “II Hands II Heaven” (Beyoncé), “Protector” (Beyoncé), “Jolene” (Beyoncé), “My Way” (Charlotte Day Wilson), “Crash” (Kehlani), “Tears” (Kehlani)
Shawn Everett — “II Most Wanted” (Beyoncé), “Found Heaven” (Conan Gray), “Bright Lights” (The Killers), “I Don’t” (Brittany Howard), “Eye of the Night” (Conan Gray), “Prove It to You” (Brittany Howard)
Recording Engineer of the Year
George Seara — “Soft Spot” (Keshi), “Dream” (Keshi)
Hill Kourkoutis — “Ghost” (Sebastian Gaskin), “Should We” (Emi Jeen)
Mitch McCarthy — “Good Luck, Babe!” (Chappell Roan), “Make You Mine” (Madison Beer)
WINNER: Serban Ghenea — “Please Please Please” (Sabrina Carpenter), “Lose Control” (Teddy Swims)
Shawn Everett — “Don’t Forget Me” (Maggie Rogers), “Deeper Well” (Kacey Musgraves)
Songwriter of the Year
Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) — “Dancing in the Flames,” “Timeless,” “São Paulo”
AP Dhillon — “Old Money,” “Losing Myself,” “Bora Bora”
Jessie Reyez — “Child of Fire,” “Ridin,” “Shut Up”
WINNER: Mustafa Mustafa — “Name of God,” “Leaving Toronto,” “I’ll Go Anywhere”
Nemah Hasan (Nemahsis) — “stick of gum,” “you wore it better,” “coloured concrete”
Songwriter of the Year (Non-Performer)
Evan Blair – “Beautiful Things” (Benson Boone), “Pretty Slowly” (Benson Boone), “i hope i never fall in love” (Maren Morris)
WINNER: Lowell – “Texas Hold ‘Em” (Beyoncé), “Bodyguard” (Beyoncé), “Takes One to Know One” (The Beaches)
Nathan Ferraro— “Texas Hold ‘Em” (Beyoncé), “Smoke” (Ari Lennox), “Who Do I Call Now? (Hellbent)” (Sofia Camara)
Shaun Frank – “Love Somebody” (Morgan Wallen), “Training Season” (Dua Lipa), “Sideways” (Gordo)
Tobias Jesso Jr.”Houdini” (Dua Lipa), “push me over” (Maren Morris), “Come Show Me” (Camilla Cabello)
Music Video of the Year
“Human,” Adrian Villagomez, Apashe & Wasiu (Kannibalen*Create)
“Nasty,” Jonah Haber, Tinashe (Independent)
“GRAVITY,” Jorden Lee, Sean Leon (Independent)
WINNER: “Name of God,” Mustafa, Mustafa (Arts & Crafts*Universal)
“Jump Cut,” Winston Hacking, Corridor (Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard)
Album Artwork of the Year
Erik M. Grice (Art Director), Vanessa Elizabeth Heins (Photographer); Chandler – Wyatt C. Louis (Independent*Universal)
Gabriel Noel Altrows (Art Director, Illustrator); Good Kid 4 – Good Kid (Independent/The Orchard)
Kee Avil, Jacqueline Beaumont (Art Director), Fatine-Violette Sabiri (Photographer); Spine – Kee Avil (Constellation*Secretly Canadian)
WINNER: Keenan Gregory (Art Director); Altruistic – Royal Tusk (MNRK)
Kevin Hearn, Lauchlan Reid (Art Director), Antoine Jean Moonen (Designer), Lauchlan Reid (Illustrator); Basement Days – The Glacials (Celery*IDLA)
Country Album of the Year
The Compass Project – West Album, Brett Kissel (Independent*Universal)
Dallas Smith, Dallas Smith (Big Loud*Universal)
WINNER: Complicated, Josh Ross (Universal)
Nobody’s Born With a Broken Heart, MacKenzie Porter (Big Loud*Universal)
Going Home, Tyler Joe Miller (Independent*The Orchard)
South Asian Music Recording of the Year
WINNER: “The Brownprint,” AP Dhillon (Republic *Universal)
“COOLIN,” Chani Nattan, Inderpal Moga & Jazzy B (Warner)
“Love Like That,” Jonita Gandhi (Warner)
“Tauba Tauba” (From Bad Newz), Karan Aujla (T-Series)
“Arul,” Yanchan, Produced & Sandeep Narayan (Independent)
Classical Album of the Year (Solo Artist)
Signature Philip Glass, Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà (Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard)
Messiaen, Barbara Hannigan (Alpha Classics*Naxos)
WINNER: freezing, Emily D’Angelo (Deutsche Grammophon*Universal)
Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth, India Gailey (Red Shift*Believe)
Williams Violin Concerto No. 1; Bernstein Serenade, James Ehnes (Pentatone*Naxos/The Orchard)
Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble)
Known To Dreamers: Black Voices in Canadian Art Song, Canadian Art Song Project (Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos)
Rituæls, collectif9 (Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard)
East is East, Infusion Baroque (Leaf*Naxos)
Marie Hubert: Fille du Roy, Karina Gauvin (ATMA*Universal)
Kevin Lau: Under a Veil of Stars, St. John–Mercer–Park Trio (Leaf*Naxos)
Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble)
Ispiciwin, Luminous Voices (Leaf*Naxos)
Alikeness, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra Sinfonia, conducted by/dirigé par Mark Fewer featuring Aiyun Huang, Deantha Edmunds and Mark Fewer (Leaf*Naxos)
Sibelius 2 & 5, Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by/dirigé par Yannick Nézet-Séguin (ATMA*Universal)
Schoenberg: Pelleas und Melisande & Verklärte Nacht, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, conducted by/dirigé par Rafael Payare (Pentatone*Naxos/PIAS)
WINNER: Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by/dirigé par Gustavo Gimeno featuring Marc-André Hamelin and Nathalie Forget (Harmonia Mundi)
Jazz Album of the Year (Solo)
WINNER:Montreal Jazz Series 1 (Échanges Synaptiques), André Leroux (Disques BG*Believe)
The Head of a Mouse, Audrey Ochoa (Chronograph*Fontana North)
Portrait of Right Now, Jocelyn Gould (Independent)
Slice of Life, Larnell Lewis (Independent)
The Antrim Coast, Mark Kelso (Modica)
Jazz Album of the Year (Group)
Time Will Tell, Andy Milne and Unison (Sunnyside*AMPED)
Reverence, Carn Davidson 9 (Independent)
Harbour, Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra (Justin Time*F.A.B./Nettwerk)
WINNER: Gravity, Jeremy Ledbetter Trio (Independent)
Jaya, Raagaverse (Independent)
Vocal Jazz Album of the Year
Oh Mother, Andrea Superstein (Cellar*La Reserve)
WINNER: Hello! How Are You?, Caity Gyorgy (La Reserve*The Orchard)
Winter Song, Kellylee Evans (Independent)
Wintersongs, Laila Biali (Independent/Believe)
Magpie, Sarah Jerrom (TPR*Outside In)
Instrumental Album of the Year
Disaster Pony, Disaster Pony (Independent*The Orchard)
Distant Places, Eric Bearclaw (Independent)
Ginger Beef, Ginger Beef (Independent)
WINNER: memory palace, Intervals (Independent*Believe)
Confluencias, Melón Jimenez & Lara Wong (Independent)
Blues Album of the Year
WINNER: This Old Life, Big Dave McLean (Cordova Bay*Fontana North)
New Orleans Sessions, Blue Moon Marquee (Independent)
YEAH!, David Gogo (Cordova Bay*Fontana North)
Samantha King and the Midnight Outfit, Samantha King & The Midnight Outfit (Independent)
One Guitar Woman, Sue Foley (Stony Plain*Fontana North)
Traditional Roots Album of the Year
Hemispheres, Inn Echo (Independent)
WINNER: Retro Man … More and More (Expanded Edition), Jake Vaadeland, Jayward*The Orchard Domino!, La Bottine Souriante (LABE*Sony/The Orchard)
The Road Back Home (Live), Loreena McKennitt (Independent*Universal)
At The End of the Day, Sylvia Tyson (Stony Plain*Fontana North)
Contemporary Roots Album of the Year
Anniversary, Abigail Lapell (Outside)
For Eden, Boy Golden (Six Shooter*The Orchard)
Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now, Donovan Woods *End Times*The Orchard)
Pathways, Julian Taylor (Howling Turtle*ADA)
WINNER: Strange Medicine, Kaia Kater (acronym*The Orchard)
Adult Alternative Album of the Year
WINNER: Inuktitut, Elisapie (Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard)
Revelation, Leif Vollebekk (Secret City*F.A.B.)
Healing Power, Terra Lightfoot (Sonic Unyon*Universal)
We were born here, what’s your excuse?, The Secret Beach (Victory Pool*The Orchard)
Never Better, Wild Rivers (Nettwerk*F.A.B./Nettwerk)
Alternative Album of the Year
When a Thought Grows Wings, Luna Li (In Real Life*AWAL)
WINNER: Verbathim, Nemahsis (Independent)
Magpie, Peach Pit (Columbia*Sony)
What’s The Point, Ruby Waters (Independent*Dine Alone)
Water The Flowers, Pray for a Garden, Valley (Universal)
Rock Album of the Year
Pages, Big Wreck (Sonic Unyon*Universal)
Vices, JJ Wilde (Black Box)
Grief Chapter, Mother Mothe (Warner)
WINNER: Set Your Pussy Free, NOBRO (Dine Alone*The Orchard)
Heaven :x: Hell, Sum 41 (Rise/BMG*Universal)
Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year
WINNER: Beyond the Reach of the Sun, Anciients (Season of Mist*The Orchard)
PowerNerd, Devin Townsend (InsideOutMusic*Sony)
Fire, Kittie (Sumerian*Virgin)
The Fear of Fear, Spiritbox (BMG*Universal)
ULTRAPOWER, Striker (Independent)
Adult Contemporary Album of the Year
Roses, Aphrose (Independent)
Boundless Possibilities (Celeigh Cardinal, Independent)
Transitions, Kellie Loder (Independent*Warner)
Songs of Love & Death, Maddee Ritter (Independent*Universal)
WINNER: Lovers’ Gothic, Maïa Davies (acronym)
Pop Album of the Year
bleeding heart, Alexander Stewart (FAE*The Orchard)
if this is it…, Jamie Fine, Universal)
Anywhere But Here, Preston Pablo (31 East*Universal)
Shawn, Shawn Mendes (Island*Universal)
WINNER: THINK LATER, Tate McRae (RCA*Sony)
Dance Recording of the Year
“UH HUH,” DijahSB (Never Worry*The Orchard)
WINNER: “No Time,” Interplanetary Criminal & SadBoi (Room Two*Columbia)
Give in to you, REZZ, Virtual Riot & One True God (Monstercat)
“Call Me When,” So Sus (Independent)
“FOUL TASTE,” WAWA (Independent)
Underground Dance Single of the Year
WINNER: “Bamboo,” Ciel (Independent)
“Keepsake,” Destrata (Independent)
“Distant Memories,” Hernan Cattaneo, Hicky & Kalo (Independent)
“La Vérité,” Jesse Mac Cormack, Charlie Houston & Brö (Secret City*F.A.B)
“WTP,” Suray Sertin (Altered States*Universal)
Electronic Album of the Year
Honey, Caribou (Merge*F.A.B)
Union, ÈBONY (Independent*ADA)
Love, Care, Kindness & Hope, Fred Everything (Lazy Days*Prime Direct)
Timeless, Kaytranada (RCA*Sony)
WINNER: This But More, Priori (NAFF*One Eye Witness)
Rap Single of the Year
“People,” Classified (Independent)
“Double The Fun,” Haviah Mighty (Independent)
WINNER: “SHUT UP,” Jessie Reyez (FMLY/Island*Universal)
“BBE,” Snotty Nose Rez Kids (Sony)
Hier encore, Souldia & Lost (Disques 7ième Ciel)
Rap Album/EP of the Year
96 Miles From Bethlehem, Belly (SALXCO*Universal)
Luke’s View, Classified (Independent)
The Flower That Knew, DijahSB (Lowly)
See You When I See You…, Dom Vallie (Awesome*The Orchard)
WINNER: RED FUTURE, Snotty Nose Rez Kids (Sony)
Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
Limbo, Aqyila (Sony)
The Worst, Benita (Independent*Believe)
Cyan Blue, Charlotte Day Wilson (Independent*The Orchard)
Halfway Broken, Luna Elle (Hot Freestyle*Independent)
WINNER: VELVET SOUL, THEHONESTGUY (Independent*Believe)
Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year
WINNER: Bloom, Aqyila (Sony)
Noire, Avenoir (Independent*LISTEN TO THE KIDS)
FOR THE BOY IN ME, Dylan Sinclair (Five Stone*The Orchard)
LOONY, LOONY (Independent*AWAL)
Eastend Confessions, Zeina (Artist Partner Group)
Reggae Recording of the Year
WINNER: Born to Be Free, Exco Levi (Independent)
FALLBACK, King Cruff & Runkus (Tuff Gong*Universal)
Destiny, Lee “Scratch” Perry & Bob Riddim (Independent)
Sky’s The Limit, Skystar (Independent)
Rise, Tonya P (Independent)
Children’s Album of the Year
Shun Beh Nats’ujeh: We Are Healing Through Songs, Kym Gouchie (Independent)
WINNER: Penny Penguin, Raffi & Good Lovelies (Independent*Universal)
Riley Rocket: Songs From Season One, Riley Rocket and Megablast (Independent)
Buon Appetito, Walk off the Earth & Romeo Eats (Golden Carrot*The Orchard)
Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Young Maestro “Rhyme Travellers”, Young Maestro (Independent)
Comedy Album of the Year
Wonder Woman, Courtney Gilmour (Comedy Records*Downtown)
WINNER: Honourable Intentions, Debra DiGiovanni (Independent)
Popcorn, Ivan Decker (Independent)
Sad Witch, Jess Salomon (Independent)
Down With Tech, Nathan Macintosh (Comedy Records*Downtown)
Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year
WINNER: New Comings, Black Bear Singers (Independent)
Winston & I, Brianna Lizotte (Independent)
Travelling Home, Cree Confederation (Independent)
REZilience, Northern Cree (Independent)
Ostesihtowin-“Brotherhood”, Young Spirit (Independent)
Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year
Precious Diamonds, Adrian Sutherland (Independent)
Boundless Possibilities, Celeigh Cardinal (Independent)
WINNER: Brown Man, Sebastian Gaskin (Ishkōdé*Universal)
RED FUTURE, Snotty Nose Rez Kids (Sony)
Pretty Red Bird, Tia Wood (Sony)
Francophone Album of the Year
Aliocha Schneider, Aliocha Schneider (Les Disques Audiogramme*Sony/The Orchard)
Demain il fera beau, Fredz (La Taniere*Believe)
Toutes les rues sont silencieuses, Jay Scøtt (Disques 7ième Ciel*Believe)
Abracadabra, Klô Pelgag (Secret City*F.A.B.)
Pub Royal, Les Cowboys Fringants (Les Disques de La Tribu*Propagande/Believe)
Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year
elenee., Elenee (Independent)
My Foundation, Jordan St. Cyr (Independent*The Orchard)
WINNER: Restore, Ryan Ofei (Independent*Platoon/Believe)
Miracle in the Making, Tehillah Worship (Independent)
Hymns Alive (Live), Toronto Mass Choir (Independent*Believe)
Global Music Album of the Year
Aarambh, Abby V (Sufiscore)
Kanzafula, Ahmed Moneka (Lulaworld*Independent)
Malak, Didon (Electrofone*Independent)
WINNER: Dankoroba, Djely Tapa (Independent*Believe)
Niebla, Ramon Chicharron (Independent*Believe)
Classical Composition of the Year
WINNER: Angmalukisaa, Deantha Edmunds (Independent*Leaf/Naxos)
the fog in our poise, Gabriel Dharmoo (Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos)
L’écoute du perdu : III. « Voix jetées », Keiko Devaux (ATMA*Universal)
Dark Flowe, Linda Catlin Smith (Redshift*Independent)
String Quartet No. 4 “Insects and Machines”, Vivian Fung, (Independent)
New details have emerged in the legal case between Departure and Canadian Music Week’s former owner Neill Dixon.
In an updated statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on March 25, Dixon expands on his initial lawsuit. In addition to the approximately $485,000 in damages in that earlier March 18 filing, the new statement also seeks the removal of Dixon’s non-compete and non-solicitation clauses.
Those clauses – referred to in the statement as the Restrictive Covenants Agreement – were part of the sale agreement in June 2024, when Dixon sold the company to Oak View Group and Loft Entertainment for $2 million. Now, he claims the new owners of Departure (who changed the festival’s name from Canadian Music Week after buying it last year) have not lived up to their end of the agreement.
“Announcing my retirement was predicated on getting the full sale price,” Dixon tells Billboard Canada. “Retirement in this economy is not cheap. Not getting paid the final payment threw me for a loop. I now realized I couldn’t even work in the industry I love because of a non-compete clause.”
Trending on Billboard
A spokesperson for Departure says they have not yet seen the new statement of claim and can’t comment on it.
After Billboard Canada broke the news of the lawsuit last week, The Canadian Press reported that Loft Entertainment co-founder Randy Lennox (a former head of Bell Media and Universal Music Canada) sent an email to his staff referring to Dixon’s legal action.
“We see things very differently,” he wrote in the memo, according to CP. “We stand firm in our position of integrity, beliefs and values.”
Dixon’s new legal filing claims that in the sale of Canadian Music Week, he agreed to a three-year non-competition and non-solicitation clause, which would be effective until June 1, 2027. That would effectively prevent him from working in the music industry in the province of Ontario during that time.
“The plaintiff [Dixon] states that the defendants [the owners of Departure] were opportunistic and took advantage of the plaintiffs’ goodwill and trust when they unilaterally decided to avoid their legitimate payment obligations…” Dixon’s lawyers write in the statement. “Specifically, the defendants knew or ought to have known that the plaintiff was retiring, after having spent his career building the brand and goodwill of CMW.”
The claim further states that the new owners “deliberately prevent[ed]” Dixon from earning income during his retirement.
There are also new details on the financials of the deal and the outstanding payment Dixon claims is allegedly still owed.
In 2024, it says, CMW incurred a loss of $121,072. An earlier draft of CMW’s 2024 financials showed a smaller loss of $14,640, the claim states, and the first $500,000 installment was paid on November 7, 2024.
The agreement requires Dixon to cover any losses, it continues, and the updated amount has been deducted from the remaining $500,000. The statement says no notice or objection was claimed within 30 days, as per the terms of the agreement. Dixon is also claiming unpaid consulting fees and damages, which contributes to Dixon’s $485,428 claim.
Read more here. – Richard Trapunski
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The Indigenous Music Office Brings Inaugural Cultural Cadence Mentorship Participants to 2025 Juno Awards
The Indigenous Music Office (IMO) is introducing the 10 participants in its inaugural Cultural Cadence Mentorship.
The cohort of First Nation, Inuit and Métis musicians and entrepreneurs includes singer-songwriter Cassidy Mann, funk artist Curtis Clearsky and poet and sound artist January Rogers.
The group is set to head to Vancouver this weekend, as the mentorship culminates at the 2025 Juno Awards on March 30, marking the conclusion of a four-month professional development program launched in 2024.
The Indigenous Music Office is a new organization in the national music landscape, with the Cultural Cadence Mentorship serving as its flagship initiative. The program was designed with the goal of bolstering Indigenous expertise in the music industry, where Indigenous professionals are especially under-represented behind the scenes.
“The majority of Indigenous artists in Canada don’t have managers or teams,” says Alan Greyeyes, IMO chairperson. “I’m excited about this project because it supports the development of managers and administrative talent who know just how daunting the road travelled by Indigenous artists is because they’ve had to walk it too.”
Mentors and presenters from the program will be joining the cohort in Vancouver, including Margaret McGuffin of Music Publishers Canada, multi-disciplinary artist Tessa Balaz, folk musician Jason Burnstick and founder of the International Indigenous Music Summit and Ishkōdé Records, ShoShona Kish, among others.
Find the full list of participants here. –Rosie Long Decter
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Universal Music Canada Names Amanda Kingsland and Shawn Marino Co-Heads of A&R
Universal Music Canada is bolstering its talent development team, announcing Amanda Kingsland and Shawn Marino as co-heads of A&R.
Kingsland moves up within the company to a new role as vp of A&R, and will work alongside Marino — VP of A&R operations — to lead the team.
The announcement follows Julie Adam’s recent ascent to president & CEO of UMC, succeeding Jeffrey Remedios.
Kingsland and Marino will have a renewed mandate for signing and developing talent, UMC says. Kingsland has already led the rebuilding of UMC’s country roster — which includes major breakouts Josh Ross (who co-leads nominations for this weekend’s Juno Awards) and Owen Riegling — and now she’ll focus on big picture strategy for UMC’s full roster.
Marino will continue to oversee UMC’s recording facility 80A Studios as well as performance space The Academy and working with artists like The Tragically Hip and Anne Murray who are seeking to revitalize their catalogues.
They will report directly to Adam and are actively seeking new signings.
In addition to Ross and Riegling, UMC breakouts include pop singer Preston Pablo, rock band Valley, and comedian-turned-singer-songwriter Mae Martin, all of whom are currently charting on Canadian radio. UMC also recently signed prominent Punjabi Wave artist AP Dhillon in partnership with Republic Records.
The UMC A&R team is rounded out by Kwaku Agyemang, Widney Bonfils, Natassha Cuachon-Cruz, Ivan Evidente, Morgan “MJ” James, Shirley Ichkhanian, and Shannen Serrano, and supported by UMC’s venue and studio team Don Kitchen, Lisa Lorenz, and sound engineer Phil Hotz. –RLD
The owners of Departure — the conference and festival formerly known as Canadian Music Week (CMW) — are being sued by its former founder/president for breach of contract and unpaid sale fees.
In a notice of action filed with the Ontario Court of Justice this week (March 17), Neill Dixon has commenced a legal proceeding against the owners of Departure, including Loft Entertainment and Oak View Group (OVG) Canada.
Dixon accuses the companies of breach of contract, unjust enrichment and quantum meruit (a reasonable fee for work done) and seeks damages of $435,428 plus $50,000 in punitive and aggravated damages. The claim states that the new owners have not paid the full sale price of $2,000,000 agreed to in June 2024.
“After 42 years of building an internationally respected Canadian music business, I made the difficult decision to sell and retire, trusting the purchasers to honour their commitments under the Agreement we had between us,” Dixon tells Billboard Canada in a statement. “I have been forced to start a lawsuit to hold them to their end of the Agreement we had between us. It’s disheartening to have decades of dedication and hard work met with such an approach by them.”
Trending on Billboard
In a statement to Billboard Canada, Loft and OVG confirm they have received the statement of claim and write that they have been negotiating with Dixon over the terms.
“LOFT Entertainment and Oak View Group have received a formal statement of claim from Neill Dixon,” they write. “We have been negotiating with Neill and his counsel for an extended period to finalize our agreed upon terms. If we are unable to reach an agreement, we will explore alternative options.”
Dixon announced his retirement and sale of CMW to Loft and the U.S.-based OVG (which has opened an office in Canada) on the opening day of the conference last summer. In a surprise move before the end of 2024, the new owners announced they would be changing the event’s name to Departure. The festival had been known as Canadian Music Week since 1982, which included Dixon’s entire term as president. During that time, it became known as one of the most important music industry conferences in Canada.
The new owners announced the rebranding at a launch event in November at the conference’s new headquarters, Hotel X in Toronto. The new Departure team — including Loft co-founder Randy Lennox, CEO Jackie Dean and executive producer Kevin Barton as well as OVG Canada president Tom Pistore — outlined a new vision for the festival, expanding the music event to also include comedy, tech, food and more. Some of the confirmed speakers for this year include Matty Matheson, Bryan Adams and Dallas Green.
Dixon was at the launch event, where Lennox and Barton announced they would honour the former CMW co-founder with a lifetime achievement award at this year’s festival, which takes place from May 6-11, 2025.
Now, however, Dixon claims the new owners have not honoured their monetary commitments to him.
Full story here. – Richard Trapunski
IFPI Global Music Report 2025 Touts Canadian Revenue Growth, International Punjabi Music Push
Canada’s music market is staying strong, with revenues growing to $660.3 million USD in 2024.
That’s according to the IFPI, which represents the global recording industry. IFPI’s 2025 State of the Industry report again lists Canada as the 8th largest music market in the world.
Canada’s 2024 revenues saw relatively small growth of just 1.5%, but the report notes that the 2024 figures are in comparison to an unusually high 2023, which saw a large one-off performance rights revenue payment.
Meanwhile, Canada’s most popular musician, Drake, saw his global standing rise. During a tough year for the superstar’s reputation, his worldwide popularity increased, rising from No. 4 to No. 2 in the IFPI’s artist rankings, behind only Taylor Swift.
The report highlights Warner Canada and Warner India’s joint venture, 91 North, which has been successfully growing the profile of South Asian music in Canada and abroad. In the report, Warner India’s Jay Mehta and Warner Canada’s Kristen Burke discussed how the collaborative label came to be. Mehta says the idea came to him during lockdown when he noticed the explosion in Punjabi talent coming out of Canada.
“While it was already a big consumption market, Canada was newly becoming a big creator market, which was consistently making great Indian sounds,” Mehta said. He connected with Burke on the idea of a label that could support South Asian artists in Canada who have huge followings in India.
“Jay and I quickly got together and recognized that there was a real opportunity here to be the first label to come together to really support these artists,” Burke added.
Read more on the Canadian insights in the IFPI Global Music Report here. – Rosie Long Decter
Canadian Country Music Association Adds Francophone Artist of the Year Category for 2025
The Canadian Country Music Association is adding a new category for Francophone Artist of the Year.
The inaugural award will be presented during Country Music Week in Kelowna, B.C., this September. It marks a milestone addition for the CCMA Awards, recognizing both the increasing impact of Francophone artists in Canadian country and the popularity of country music in Quebec.
“The addition of the Francophone Artist of the Year category is a significant step forward in celebrating the diversity within Canadian country music,” said Amy Jeninga, CCMA President, in a statement. “We are thrilled to provide a dedicated platform that recognizes and supports Francophone country artists, ensuring their contributions receive the attention they deserve.”
The eligibility period runs from March 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025. Seventy percent of the act’s released repertoire during that period must be in French.
The new award, which joins the 15 established artist awards at the CCMAs, will shine a light on Francophone artists who might not be getting a national spotlight.
Quebec has a robust Francophone country scene. The province’s ADISQ Gala presents an annual award for Country Album, with recent winners and nominees including Acadian group Salebarbes, singer-songwriter Alex Burger and multi-instrumentalist duo Hauterive.
Francophone country artists are also spread across the country beyond Quebec. The Ontario equivalent of the CCMAs, the Country Music Association of Ontario, already features a similar award dedicated to Francophone artists. Reney Ray of Kapuskasing, Ontario, took home the 2024 CMA Ontario Award for Francophone artist of the year.
The new award at the CCMAs is the latest example of major Canadian music associations adapting to account for the country’s musical and cultural diversity.
Read more here. – RLD
After more than 50 years, Saskatchewan’s Regina Folk Festival is saying goodbye.
The festival’s board of directors released a statement announcing the cancellation of a planned 53rd edition for this summer. The board is instead winding down the festival’s operations, explaining that “economic challenges have become insurmountable.”
The longstanding festival had cancelled its 2024 edition in order to take a regrouping year. Last fall, the festival announced a 2025 edition would go ahead. In the months since, however, the board says it has become clear that it’s not financially possible to hold another event.
“Ongoing financial pressures from the pandemic, including stagnant or reduced funding, rising costs, and declining ticket sales, have created obstacles we can no longer overcome,” says the statement.
The festival is the latest Canadian live arts event to shutter, as the industry faces serious challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Montreal’s Just For Laughs comedy festival filed for creditor protection last year, while the Vancouver Folk Festival announced it was shutting down in 2023, before the community — and an injection of funding — saved it.
Trending on Billboard
The Canada Live Music Association’s Hear and Now report, which measures the value of Canada’s live music industry, highlighted that globally, live music didn’t live up to projected performances in 2024.
“The live music sector in Canada has suffered greatly over the last five years and we are not immune,” the Regina Folk Festival (RFF) board states. “According to Festivals and Major Events Canada, it now costs 30% to 40% more than it did in 2019 to organize a comparable event.”
Like many folk festivals, the RFF is a non-profit. The festival has programmed some of Canada’s best-loved and most acclaimed artists, like Joel Plaskett, Alan Doyle and The Halluci Nation.
Emerging artists often get their first gigs at local folk festivals, and the folk festival circuit is a crucial space for like-minded artists to prioritize community and share best practices. But their grassroots nature also means those festivals aren’t necessarily able to withstand financial shocks.
“For 55 years, the Regina Folk Festival has been more than just a celebration of live music; it’s been a highly-anticipated weekend of community building where lasting memories were made,” the Board message concludes. “We look forward to discovering all the beautiful new events that will sprout in its absence. We encourage everyone to support the arts however they can.”
Read more here.
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As Festival Sponsorships Dwindle, Toronto’s Beaches Jazz Festival Calls On Brands To Support Canadian Arts
One of Toronto’s biggest summer music events, Beaches Jazz Festival, is calling on brands to support Canadian arts.
The free music festival draws 800,000 people a year, programming plenty of local and international musicians.
But as big brands increasingly drop their sponsorship of music events, Beaches Jazz Festival is issuing a direct appeal to Canadian businesses: amidst a wave of Canadian cultural nationalism, champion homegrown talent.
“This call goes beyond just Beaches Jazz,” festival founder Lido Chilelli tells Billboard Canada. “It’s a larger conversation about ensuring that Canada’s cultural events remain strong and independent.”
Even with government funding, festivals often rely on corporate sponsors to operate at a large scale. As the Globe and Mail reports, TD has recently pulled out of sponsoring some of the country’s biggest jazz festivals, including Toronto Jazz Fest and Calgary’s JazzYYC Summer Festival. In January, Vancouver International Jazz Festival, which also recently lost its title sponsor, put out a concerned call for donations.
Chilelli says that Beaches Jazz Festival typically sees strong interest from sponsors early in the year, but conversations have been slower this time around.
“We want companies to recognize that the Beaches Jazz Festival is more than just music — it’s a cultural event that brings communities together, drives tourism and significantly boosts the local economy,” Chilelli explains. “It’s an investment in community and culture.”
Chilelli points out that in a crowded digital landscape, it should be valuable to sponsor events that still provide in-person connection. Without brand sponsorship, though, festivals like Beaches Jazz aren’t able to program as many artists, leading to reduced opportunity for local arts.
Beaches Jazz Festival returns July 4-27, 2025.
Read more here.
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Artists Boycott East Coast Music Awards Following Departure of CEO
At the end of February, the East Coast Music Association announced the nominees for the 2025 ECMA Awards, but it almost immediately faced controversy.
Many prominent nominees have declared that they are withdrawing their nominations following controversy over the recent replacement of former CEO Blanche Israël.
That list includes acclaimed singer-songwriter Mo Kenney, nominated for rock/alternative release of the year, for “Evening Dreams.”
Explaining the move on Instagram, Kenney stated “I was nominated for an ECMA, but I am withdrawing and I will not be attending the conference. I do not agree with the lack of transparency around the sudden firing of former CEO [Blanche Israël], and what I would call essentially online bullying leading up to the firing. Much love and please do better @ecmaofficial.”
Others declining their nominations and boycotting the ECMAs include Indigenous rapper Wolf Castle, New Brunswick rapper Stephen Hero and Outside Music head Evan Newman.
Along with Classified, Juno and Polaris Prize winner Jeremy Dutcher had earned the most ECMA nominations, but he has withdrawn all eight nominations from the East Coast Music Awards in solidarity with other musicians who are boycotting the event.
“We need more than an award show on the East Coast,” Dutcher told CBC. “I hope this is a message to all other arts organizations that when we take on consultation with communities of artists, the artists might actually start to care about what happens … and they might start to get invested.”
A statement from the East Coast Music Association reads, in part: “We recognize that some have chosen to decline their nominations, and we respect their personal decisions. We also acknowledge the concerns that have been shared and remain committed to listening, learning, and fostering open conversations.”
The ECMAs will take place in St. John, Newfoundland, on May 8.
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President Donald Trump is facing questions after walking back threatened tariffs on Mexico & Canada for the second time.
On Thursday (March 6), President Donald Trump reversed course and postponed tariffs of 25% of goods that he levied against Mexico and Canada on Tuesday (March 4) for the second time, leading many to question his process. He stated that they would be postponed until April 2. Trump had bragged about the tariffs at his State of The Union address then, claiming they would lead the U.S. to success. “Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly. There’ll be a little disturbance. We’re okay with that. It won’t be much,” he said at the time.
Canada, Mexico, and China immediately responded with their retaliatory tariffs, which sent the stock market tumbling on Wednesday (March 5)with the Dow falling 1,300 points in response to consumer concerns stateside about rising prices. On Thursday, Trump spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said afterward in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that they “had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results.” Hours later, Trump signed an executive order granting the same postponement to Canada.
Commerce Secretary Harold Lutnick mentioned the possibility of tariff postponements in a CNBC interview, stating that it would cover all goods. “ I think it’s likely that it will cover all USMCA-compliant goods and services,” he said. The USMCA refers to the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that was signed in 2018, and enforced beginning in 2020. Initially, Trump was seeking to relieve tariffs on automakers, no doubt in response to a Fox News segment where an auto dealer explained that the immediate effect of the tariffs would add $20,000 to the price of a car on the lot.
Trump’s backpedaling didn’t come without criticism. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blasted him in a press conference on Tuesday. “Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense,” he said. China was more direct, expressing that they would “resolutely counter” all tariffs placed on their goods.
In a first, the Polaris Music Prize is rescinding Buffy Sainte-Marie‘s wins. The Juno Awards have also revoked the singer-songwriter’s awards and her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), the organization that administers the Junos, released a statement, writing that the singer-songwriter does not meet eligibility requirements following her confirmation that she is not Canadian — similar criteria that the Polaris Prize cited. It was a “not a reflection of Ms. Sainte-Marie’s artistic contributions,” CARAS writes.
CARAS says it made the decision following a thorough review and consultations with the CARAS Indigenous Music Advisory Committee.
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Sainte-Marie has faced criticism and scrutiny following a 2023 CBC investigation that cast serious doubt on her claims of Indigenous identity.
In January of this year, Sainte-Marie’s Order of Canada was terminated. On March 4, The Canadian Press reported Sainte-Marie issued a statement about the termination, saying that she returned the Order “with a good heart” and affirming that she is a U.S. citizen. “My Cree family adopted me forever and this will never change,” she added.
Sainte-Marie won the Polaris Prize — which is awarded annually by a jury of music critics to one Canadian album based on merit — in 2015 for Power In The Blood. She was also awarded a Polaris Heritage Prize, which honours albums released before the Prize’s founding in 2006, in 2020 for her debut solo album It’s My Way!
Now, those two awards will no longer be hers.
“Based on Sainte-Marie’s statement, Buffy does not meet Polaris Music Prize’s rules and regulations,” wrote the Polaris Prize. “Given Buffy’s statement regarding her citizenship, Polaris Music Prize will be rescinding all awards including her 2015 Polaris Music Prize and 2020 Heritage Prize,” the Prize states.
The PMP statement also acknowledges that not all Indigenous artists have access to government-issued paperwork, with the Prize asserting that this should not impact eligibility for the award.
The Prize’s eligibility criteria requires that nominees “be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, with proof of status provided through government-issued documentation, including passports, birth certificates, permanent resident cards, and/or Secure Certificates of Indian Status.”
Read the Polaris Prize and Juno Awards’ full statements on Billboard Canada .
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Canadian Vinyl Pressing Plant Promises to Absorb Tariff Costs for American Customers
An Ontario-based vinyl company has announced it will absorb tariff costs for American customers, receiving a mixed response.
As America imposes 25% tariffs on some Canadian imports (with others delayed until April 2), Precision Record Precision is committing to keeping prices stable for U.S. clients.
“We understand that recent tariff announcements may raise concerns, and we want to assure our US-based customers that any tariffs imposed by the US government on Canadian exports will be paid by and fully absorbed by PRP,” says a statement from CEO Shawn Johnson.
With manufacturing based in Burlington, Ontario, the company bills itself as one of the largest pressing plants in North America. The company was established in 2016 as a partnership between the massive Czech-owned vinyl manufacturer GZ Media and Canadian music distributor Isotope Music.
Some customers welcomed the decision, but the top comment on Instagram disagrees with the company.
“But the American clients SHOULD be paying the tariffs. Not the Canadian company. I understand the desire to not lose business but this is disappointing from a Canadian company and makes me question if I want to use Precision Pressing again thin [sic] the future,” the comment reads.
The trade battle between the U.S. and Canada, as well as persistent threats by the American President to annex Canada, have prompted uncertainty in the Canadian cultural industries as well as a wave of nationalism.
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Canadian Artists Hold the Top Two Spots on Billboard Albums Charts
Tate McRae is so close to superstardom.
The Calgary pop singer has notched her first No. 1 album with So Close To What, topping the Billboard Canadian Albums chart on the chart dated March 8. She bumps Drake and PartyNextDoor’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U to no. 2, on that Canadian chart and on the Billboard 200 — a rare occasion where Canadians have the top 2 albums in both Canada and the U.S.
It marks a major ascension for the Canadian star, who has been building her profile since her breakthrough with 2020’s “You Broke Me First.” In the five years since, McRae has evolved into one of Gen Z’s biggest singers and performers.
McRae expressed her excitement at the No. 1 debut on Instagram. “????????? Are you kidding meeeeeeee Thank you Thank you Thank you 😭’” she wrote.
McRae also has 15 songs in total on the Canadian Hot 100 this week. Her highest placement is the sultry “Sports Car,” which she performed on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. That track sits at No. 11 on the Canadian Hot 100 and No. 16 in the U.S.
Drake and PartyNextDoor, meanwhile, have 16 tracks on the Canadian Hot 100 this week, though they are not as high as in the first week. The top placed song, “Nokia” drops 5-10, and “Gimme a Hug” moves down 10-39.
Overall, it’s a big week for Canadian artists on the charts.
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