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Canada

TikTok is taking the Canadian government to court.
Last month, the popular social media app was ordered by the federal government to “wind down” its operations in Canada following a national security review.

“We will challenge this order in court,” TikTok said at the time.

Now, the company is following through on the promise. TikTok Canada has filed notice of application for judicial review, which is an official legal challenge to the decision.

“This order would eliminate the jobs and livelihoods of our hundreds of dedicated local employees – who support the community of more than 14 million monthly Canadian users on TikTok, including businesses, advertisers, creators, and initiatives developed especially for Canada,” the company wrote on its official website. “We believe it’s in the best interest of Canadians to find a meaningful solution and ensure that a local team remains in place, alongside the TikTok platform.”

Trending on Billboard

TikTok posted the whole legal filing on its website, which you can read here. The document breaks down the order of events, suggesting TikTok cooperated with the security review but was surprised by the abrupt announcement.

The company is requesting a court date to challenge the decision in Vancouver, B.C., one of the two locations of its offices. The other is in Toronto.

The filing calls the order “grossly disproportionate” and says it “will result in the termination of hundreds of employees in Canada and the potential termination of over 250,000 contracts with Canadian-based advertisers.”

The legal filing also focuses on the impact to those creators who use the platform, stating that the order “will cause the destruction of significant economic opportunities and intangible benefits to Canadian creators, artists and businesses, and the Canadian cultural community more broadly.”

The federal government made the decision to shut down TikTok’s Canadian operations following a review of its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd., calling the operation “injurious to national security.” Canadian users would still be able to use and access TikTok, but the company would be forced to close its offices in Canada.

The filing follows a new law in the United States that would require ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19, 2025 or face a ban in the country. – Richard Trapunski

Charlotte Day Wilson to Play Special Orchestral Concert in Toronto in 2025

Charlotte Day Wilson is preparing for a hometown concert that she calls “a dream opportunity.”

On Feb. 28, 2025, the Grammy nominated R&B/soul singer-songwriter will play a Red Bull Symphonic concert with members of the the Symphonic Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall, the home of the acclaimed Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Charlotte Day

Emily Lipson

Tickets go on sale Friday, December 13, 2024 at redbull.ca/symphonic.

Previous editions of Red Bull Symphonic in Atlanta and Los Angeles have featured Rick Ross and Metro Boomin, plus special guests including John Legend, Swae Lee and more.

It will be the first orchestral concert for Wilson, and she’s approaching it as a full vision of her current state as a musician.

“I want people to come away from it understanding the musical makeup that I have and of my sense of self within music,” Charlotte Day Wilson tells Billboard Canada over Zoom from her apartment in Toronto.

She’s still in her early 30s, but Wilson has been recording and performing for well over a decade. With two albums and multiple EPs, she has a full body of work to play from, and she’s excited to rethink it in a new context.

Her 2024 album, Cyan Blue, has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, and though Jack Rochon was the primary engineer, Wilson says the two of them made everything in the room together as “an exchange of two people producing and engineering and writing all in tandem.”

Charlotte Day Wilson’s soulful voice and songwriting chops have become a secret weapon for many renowned musicians. She’s performed and collaborated with Kaytranada, Daniel Caesar, Mustafa, BadBadNotGood and Nelly Furtado, and one of her songs was even sampled by Drake.

The Grammy recognition and the ability to do a full-scale orchestral concert feels like a mark of wider recognition in a field that can often include a lot of isolation. It also feels like a “maturing moment,” she says, which fits her mindset right now.

“It’s something I think about a lot as an artist,” she says. “In an industry that is ruthlessly obsessed with youth, how do we graduate into a next chapter of life and still maintain our integrity and relevance. That’s something I think about all the time, and it’s something I want to approach really deliberately.” – R.T.

Patrick Watson’s ‘Je te laisserai des mots’ Becomes First French-Language Song To Hit A Billion Spotify Streams

Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson has made history on Spotify.

His 2010 song “Je te laisserai des mots” is now the first French-language song to hit a billion streams on the platform.

The song, a wistful composition led by piano and strings, was first written for the 2009 film Mères et Filles.

Listeners clearly agreed that the song has a cinematic quality: it went viral in 2021 and 2022, used by thousands of TikTokers — including Justin Bieber — to soundtrack serene or sad moments in their own lives during Covid restrictions.

Watson joins Bieber and other Canadian artists like Drake, Tate McRae, Alessia Cara and Shawn Mendes in Spotify’s Billions Club. Most of the other Canadian members are major label signees with a pop-oriented sound, which makes Watson — an acclaimed indie singer-songwriter represented by Montreal’s Secret City Records — a more unusual entry into the club.

 “Je te laisserai des mots” was the most-streamed French language track both in Canada and globally this year on Spotify, while the veteran songwriter and producer is the No. 6 most popular Québécois artist on Spotify this year in Canada. He finishes alongside Quebec legends Les Cowboys Fringants and Celine Dion, pop star Charlotte Cardin and rappers Souldia and Enima.

Spotify notes that since 2019, listening to music in French has jumped by 94% on the app — which means after Watson, another Billions Club French-language song could only be a matter of time. – Rosie Long Decter

Music Business Year In Review

Taylor Swift’s orbit is so powerful, it even draws in CEOs.

That’s what’s brought Tim Leiweke, chairman/CEO of Oak View Group (OVG), to Toronto in November. Joining us in a boardroom at OVG’s Toronto office in Liberty Village while an Eras Tour pre-party raffles off tickets to the excited sounds of “oohs” and “aahs” in the next room, Leiweke says Taylor Swift Mania represents a pivotal moment for the city and its big and growing live music industry.

“I’m always amazed not just by her talent, but that she’s just a genuinely very nice human being,” Leiweke said. “But to me, I love Toronto. I’m happy the city gets this moment and this platform. It’s a nice spotlight, and the city always does well in the spotlight.”

OVG played a minor role in the Eras Tour coming to Toronto, arranging the sponsorship of the Canadian leg and helping out with venues behind the scenes. But her presence is a perfect chance for Leiweke to survey the company’s operations in Canada, entertain clients and make ambitious plans.

“Canada is a place where we’re going to plant the flag of this organization and watch it grow,” says Leiweke. “Our entrepreneurial spirit is high in Canada.”

OVG has broken ground on a major renovation of an as-yet-unnamed 18,000-seat arena in Hamilton, Ontario (a large metropolis not quite two hours from Toronto) set to open in 2025. A partnership with Live Nation and the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG), it’s a nearly $300-million private-public investment in the former FirstOntario Centre/Copps Coliseum building.

“You’re not gonna recognize the building when we’re through with it,” says Francesca Bodie, OVG’s Chief Operating Officer (Leiweke’s daughter), who also joins the interview with Billboard Canada. She’s excited for the different kinds of entertainment they can bring to Hamilton, from K-pop to South Asian music to boxing. “Hamilton is very diverse, and they’ve got a tremendous appetite for a variety of content. They just don’t have the venue yet.”

As it readies the new arena, which is poised to operate on a scale you’d more often see in Toronto, OVG has been increasing its presence north of the border. It’s hiring new staffers and investing in new ventures, like Departure conference and festival (formerly Canadian Music Week), and partnering with venues like Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto as part of its Canadian Alliance.

Leiweke is no stranger to Canada. He spent four years as the President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the company that owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, from 2013-2015. He even personally cut the ribbon on BMO Field, home of the Toronto FC Major League Soccer Team. He has fond memories of the city, telling stories about buying beers for fans and personally ensuring hot dog buns were toasted.

Leiweke, who is also a former CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), broke away to partner with music industry titan Irving Azoff to form OVG in 2015, initially starting with four employees and funding it with their own money. Now, Leiweke says the company has 62,000 employees and did “half a billion in sales this year.” The company manages approximately 500 facilities, and built a number of them during the pandemic, anticipating the post-restrictions boom in concerts.

The exec compares the Hamilton Arena Project to Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle when it comes to sustainability (reusing 30,000 pounds of steel by renovating instead of building from scratch) and to CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore for how the company built a splashy project in a city that many didn’t then see as a top-tier market. He also compares it to the big-budget Co-op Live Arena in Manchester for its focus on music and special acoustic treatments to get the best possible sound.

The live music industry is hot right now, especially when it comes to stadiums and arenas. That’s good news for OVG, but it’s also increased scrutiny around the most successful companies. In the United States, the Department of Justice is investigating Live Nation in an antitrust complaint that ties back to the company’s 2010 merger with Ticketmaster. Correspondence from Leiweke and OVG was used as evidence in the case, which alleges that the two companies colluded to undercut competitors. Live Nation has countered to say OVG, which is focused on venue operations and services, is not a competitor in the realm of concert promotion, and that the company’s use of Ticketmaster is above board.

In this wide-ranging interview, the first in Billboard Canada‘s new Executive Spotlight series, Leiweke gives his opinion on the legal challenge from the DOJ. He also shares why OVG is investing in Hamilton, and talks about his big dream for a national stadium of Canada.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is arguably the biggest tour of all time, but it seems like there are more mega-tours than ever before. Do you see it as a healthy market for arena and stadium concerts?

I’m also a huge fan of Coldplay, and they kind of sometimes get lost in the Swifties. They opened our building at Climate Pledge Arena in 2021, and they’ve been touring ever since. These guys have been on the road for like four years! We have Sir Paul McCartney at our building in Manchester next month, and to me that’s just another incredible story. Here’s this 80-year-old guy and he’s still in phenomenal shape. We have Springsteen doing three nights. He’s 70-something years old. I mean music is an interesting industry right now. We’ve got a bunch of young turks and a bunch of us old jerks.

It’s a healthy industry. This is still pent up demand from COVID. It’s what people have been talking about forever in our industry, which the transfer of power from recording to touring – because that’s where the money is.

Oak View Group is making a big push here in Canada with the new Hamilton arena that’s coming and then Canadian Music Week, which is now Departure. Is it an intentional push in this country?

Yes. I spent roughly four years with Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment. I very much enjoyed my time here. I was just blown away by Toronto in particular. There’s a lot of great cities in North America, but in my mind there’s not a cleaner, bigger, better city than Toronto. So when we started the new company, I told Francesca I want to focus on opportunities in Canada and I want our company to grow. There were two people when we started this Toronto office. Now, we have at least 40 or 50.

I think the largest single private investment in the history of arenas is what we’re doing in Hamilton. And part of it is just because I was from here [Toronto] for four years. This metro area has to move south. It does. [Toronto’s] metro area is not gonna go backwards. It’s gonna continue to grow. It’s gonna continue to thrive. But if you look cost of living, you look at the campuses and the colleges down there, you look at companies that are moving there, I think Hamilton is an interesting alternative. I mean, just look at the number of condos being built in downtown Hamilton.

Toronto is one of the biggest global touring markets and Hamilton is relatively close by. Is that proximity part of the appeal to build there?

I’ll tell you a story. When I first got here, one of the first things I did is I went to meet every partner. And so I went to the Ford plant [in Oakville, Ontario] to meet the people there, and I realized that plant is almost as close to Hamilton as it is to downtown Toronto. And that was the first time that I understood Hamilton, essentially. It’s like a suburb of Toronto. It’s not that far away. Where I come from, it would be like as Anaheim is to L.A.

If you look at that old building, everyone looks past it. We saw a jewel. We did this in Baltimore where we took an old arena and no one got what we were doing there [at first]. There, we invested about a quarter of a billion. Here, we’re putting in about $300 million. But what we saw was the economy, the energy level, the kids and youth, they’re in Hamilton.

Why build in Hamilton though, and not Toronto directly?

Well, I didn’t want to take on Maple Leafs Sports, because that’s my home. I still have a very good relationship with everybody over there. We’re gonna grow our company with those people, so I’m not coming into their marketplace and competing with them. But what I knew running Air Canada Centre, now Scotiabank Arena, is they’ve got a calendar issue. They’ve got too much going on. There has to be another play. What I love about Hamilton is if there are conflicts [in Toronto], we can have the dates available at that building. But it’s also the ability to go play two nights in Scotiabank and two nights in Hamilton.

There’s lot of opportunity in Canada in general, including a national stadium. You need a national stadium.

What does a national stadium look like? What would that look like? Can you make a comparison?

Wembley Stadium in London. That’s really the inspiration and the concept. Everyone always talks about the NFL coming to Toronto. I say, you don’t understand. They are never coming here until you have a stadium first. You’ve got to find a stadium solution.

Also, I think this is actually one of the greatest soccer markets in the world. You could do 10 international games every year here during the summertime with all the big teams. The national team is also getting good and they need a place that ultimately becomes their home for the qualifications. I think Toronto FC is going to have some big games as well. They have the ability of putting some games into a big stadium. You’ve also got Live Nation building a temporary stadium in order to do concerts [in Toronto] because they’re going to do 20 a year.

So now, combine all of that into a national stadium and then add the opportunity to do NFL football. That’s a huge opportunity.

Are you talking about this theoretically, or is this something that you’re planning to do?

It’s a dream. It’s a really expensive dream. But it is a dream.

Is your strategy different from what you’re doing in the United States and in the rest of the world?

Here’s one thing I learned in Canada. I came up here thinking about open competition. We don’t want to be controlled by U.S. media and U.S. banks. And I came here thinking, well, they’re very open to entrepreneurial spirits. And then I remember the first time I walked down Lawrence Street, I think it was, and the banks were all right next to each other. I think they all talk to each other every day. And then I realized, well, wait a minute. There’s only three media companies here and they own everything. It was a learning lesson.

Michael Bloomberg always used to tell me if you want to see economic development, go out and ultimately be the first one in with a vision and then watch how many people will follow you. So, we privatized all 300 million dollars in Hamilton. That’s an amazing commitment on behalf of our partners and the company. And Live Nation, which is interesting that now they’re jumping into the facility business.

You’re partnering with Live Nation on the Hamilton arena. How does that relationship work?

Carefully. As you may know, we got dragged into the lawsuit [with Live Nation and Ticketmaster].

I get the debate on Ticketmaster and Live Nation. But guess what? They approved that merger. So now to sit there and say, you’re a monopoly. You should have dealt with it then. But you approved it. So you can’t now go back and say, we made a mistake.

When we started our company, AEG wasn’t going to do anything with us. There was still some tension [after Leiweke left the company]. They wouldn’t do our conferences. They wouldn’t do our publication [Pollstar or VenuesNow, which OVG owns]. They didn’t want to book our buildings. They wouldn’t talk to us. So if you looked at where we were as a company, it was like, hey, I don’t have a choice if I am going to survive and make a go of this company. Me and Irving Azoff, we personally put our own money into growing this damn thing. Now, I have to find somebody [to book shows] because I need content. My buildings can’t work if I don’t have content.

And so then [the authorities] come back and say, well, why didn’t you be a promoter? I barely had enough money to meet payroll. Me and Irving put $10-15 million into the company and started it up. We were doing the dog paddle.

Now you come along and you want to whack me? And the question I have is, shouldn’t we be like the gold statue winners for entrepreneurial spirit? All I’ve done is given people choices now on food and beverage companies, or facility management companies, or facility development companies. And I’m competing with all these other people. You let AEG and SMG merge. And I’m the dumb schmuck that took them on. I’m the one that went and competed with them. And by the way, I kicked their butt.

Now you penalize me? I didn’t go buy other companies out and try to eliminate competition. If you look at everything we’ve done – privatize the building in New York, privatize the building in Seattle, privatize the building in Austin – isn’t that what we’re supposed to be, entrepreneurial spirit? Shouldn’t we encourage that instead of condemning that?

But it’s like, well, anyone that’s partners with Live Nation, we’re going to get. Why? If you’ve got a problem with them, go talk to them. But at the end of the day, you’re going to penalize me, because I’m working with the only company that would return my phone calls? That’s the mindset now. And I just think it’s wrong.

Now, everybody has an opinion, and theirs counts. And so we will fight through that. But I think we’ve had a four-year stint, at least in our country, where there has been almost ruthlessness towards companies. And to me, this private-public partnership in Hamilton, where we’re putting up all the money and taking all the risk and the city ultimately gives us a long-term lease, I think that’s a good thing. But you’ve got to have entrepreneurs who are willing to take risk.

And so I think we’ve got to get back – in the U.S., but I’d say this applies to Canada, too – to encouraging competition, but celebrating entrepreneurs, and trying to encourage privatization of certain aspects of risk. I think governments should be focused on security, and education, and health, and wellness, and services. That means the private sector has to go figure out a way to build arenas. I don’t think the taxpayers should have to pay for arenas. But it means you better then find people who want to take the risk to develop them. We’ve spent $5 billion as a company. $5 billion. I think that’s a good thing. And by the way, we’re not a monopoly. We have lots of competitors.

Coming back to the arena in Hamilton, what are your hopes for the future of concerts and entertainment in the city?

If you think about arenas, they’re a point of destination that brings the entire community together. And as we’re proving again with Taylor, music moves people. It’s the one thing that unites us and always brings us together. If the arena can be a symbol of rejuvenation and renovation in Hamilton and we can get people pumped up, other developers are going to jump in and other projects are going to get built. There’s a chain effect, and that’s fantastic.

This story was originally published by Billboard Canada.

Swifties are trying to get last-minute tickets as Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour heads to Vancouver tonight (Dec. 6)  – but resellers are beating them to the punch.
With demand sky-high for the final shows on the massively popular Eras Tour, Taylor Swift released a batch of unique ‘no view’ tickets (which offer fans a view of the screens beside the stage but not the stage itself) for her three upcoming Vancouver dates this week at just $16.50 per ticket.

As Swifties rushed to Ticketmaster to wait in large queues for the chance to hear (but not see) their favourite star, resellers were scooping up the cheap tickets.

Trending on Billboard

Before they knew it, the Ticketmaster drop had ended and many of the ‘no view’ tickets were now on StubHub – for thousands of dollars, as fans posted on social media.

Some lucky fans did manage to score the no-view tickets. But the massive resale markups of $16.50 tickets are another indicator of just how hard it is for actual Taylor Swift fans to get into the Eras Tour.

Many fans have gone through several rounds of attempts at securing tickets through Ticketmaster or ticket giveaways, spending hours waiting in queues and scouring social media for ticket tips.

Meanwhile, Vancouver is preparing for its Taylor Swift era, altering a local sign to read: Swiftcouver.

The Eras Tour concludes in Vancouver with three performances December 6-8, 2024.

[more]

Kendrick Lamar’s ‘GNX’ Debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart

Kendrick Lamar has claimed a new No. 1 album in the home country of his biggest rival.

GNX, K-Dot’s surprise sixth studio release, arrives in the top spot on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, dated December 7.

But unlike in the U.S., Lamar didn’t manage to hit No. 1 on the Canadian Hot 100.

Gracie Abrams holds onto that spot with “That’s So True” for the second week as the Eras Tour (where she’s performing as Taylor Swift’s opening act) rolls into Vancouver this week from Dec. 6-8.

Kendrick Lamar is still well represented at the top of the Canadian Hot 100, though. His sleek slow jam “Luther” featuring SZA is at No. 2, and “Squabble Up” – which claimed the No. 1 spot south of the border – is at No. 3.

Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” meanwhile, drops to No. 5, indicating his record-setting run might really be done.

Those are strong numbers for Kendrick Lamar in Drake’s home country, even if the Compton rapper hasn’t hit the same highs as in the U.S. just yet.

Lamar will be taking his GNX on the road next year on the Grand National tour, with two Canadian date in Drake’s hometown, at the Rogers Centre stadium on June 12 and 13 with SZA. 

[more]

Les Cowboys Fringants, Charlotte Cardin Most Streamed Québécois Artists on Spotify in Canada in 2024

As individual Spotify Wrapped graphics take over social media feeds, the streaming giant has shared some insightful Canadian Wrapped data.

Spotify shared the top Québécois artists streamed in Canada, with rock group Les Cowboys Fringants taking the top spot, followed by Charlotte Cardin and Céline Dion.

Les Cowboys were very active this year following the 2023 death of frontman Karl Tremblay and the outpouring of support from Quebec fans showing their immense influence in the province. The new full-length Pub Royal debuted at No. 3 on the Canadian Albums chart. The group also won big at the ADISQ Awards, taking home wins for Author or Composer of the Year and Song of the Year.

Charlotte Cardin in No. 2 comes as no surprise, given the pop singer-songwriter’s international breakout following 2023’s 99 Nights. Cardin also won the first Woman of the Year award at Billboard Canada Women in Music this year.

Céline had a huge streaming moment following her comeback performance at the Paris Olympics, spiking her own catalogue as well as Edith Piaf’s. The soundtrack to her documentary I Am: Celine Dion also charted on the Canadian Albums chart, bringing back some of her immortal hits.

Canada Most-Streamed Québécois Artists

Les Cowboys Fringants

Charlotte Cardin

Céline Dion

Souldia

Enima

Patrick Watson

KAYTRANADA

Alexandra Streliski

Simple Plan

Men I Trust

[more]

FACTOR Canada says it has fallen victim to serious cyber theft.
Court filings by the music funding body, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings, reveal claims that $9.8 million was stolen from a Scotiabank account earlier this year. 

FACTOR distributes millions in funding to thousands of artists and music organizations in Canada — last year, the organization dispensed $50 million. Now, it’s alleging that an amount equivalent to nearly a fifth of that annual distribution was transferred by a cyberthief to a numbered company.

James Campagna, shareholder for said company, then allegedly transferred $9.4 million to a cryptocurrency-owned account and converted the funds into crypto.

Trending on Billboard

Today (Nov. 29), a hearing took place at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on the matter.

In a statement on the foundation’s website titled “FACTOR’s Response to the Scotiabank Cybertheft: The Facts,” the company clarifies its side of the story that was reported on in the media and says that it aims to “defend the baseless allegations being made by Scotiabank against our systems and staff.”

“It is true that FACTOR has been a victim of a significant financial crime that occurred on June 12, 2024, by way of a one-time fraudulent wire from our Scotiabank account on ScotiaConnect in the amount of $9,772,875.33,” the statement reads.

But the response from FACTOR adds new details to the story, particularly in regards to Scotiabank’s involvement.

The organization says it reported the crime to law enforcement on June 14, but that Scotiabank “has acknowledged it has never reported this financial crime to law enforcement.”

The statement also asserts that the money transfer was 300x larger than any transfer previously made from that account, “with no alerts to FACTOR of this highly unusual, suspicious, and illegal activity.”

If the funds aren’t recovered swiftly, there’s reason to be concerned that artists — who rely on FACTOR funding for recording, music video production, touring and more — could be affected. 

More on this story as it develops – Rosie Long Decter

Drake Tells Interviewer to Turn Off The Weeknd and Put on Blink-182

Drake’s got a lot of enemies right now.

After Kendrick Lamar released his new album but before news broke of Drake’s two different legal actions against his parent label Universal Music Group and Spotify, the rapper joined Quebecois streamer xQc for a livestream on Kick on Sunday (Nov. 24).

You never know what Drake will say with a live mic, so many fans tuned in to see if he’d have words about the Kendrick beef or any other hot topics. Between confirming an upcoming Australia tour and giving an update on his collaborative album with PartyNextDoor, he also threw some subtle shade at his former friend The Weeknd.

As his song “Starboy” started playing, Drake quickly told xQc to “switch that one off.” When the host asked him why he doesn’t listen to it, he answered “we’re real 6ixers, we don’t listen to that.” He told him to turn on Blink-182 instead. “I want to hear that real sh-t,” he said over the sounds of “Dammit.”

The Weeknd was born in Scarborough, Ontario, a district of Toronto, a.k.a The 6ix. The Weeknd began his career affiliated with Drake, but the two have had their own long-simmering beef. The Weeknd was spotted in the audience at Kendrick Lamar’s “Pop Out” concert on Juneteenth, which included performances of all of the rapper’s diss tracks and multiple performances of the scathing “Not Like Us.”

Former Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan was also at that concert. That clearly upset Drake, who called him out on a recent game broadcast. Evidently, he still has beef with The Weeknd too.

Drake didn’t address Kendrick or his new album by name, but did reference Kendrick and his “false accusations” indirectly. “You need facts to take me out, fairy tales won’t do it,” he said. –Richard Trapunski

Michael Bublé is set to host the 2025 Juno Awards, which will be held March 30 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia – just 6 miles from Bublé’s hometown of Burnaby, British Columbia.
Bublé also hosted the Junos in 2018, the last time they were held at Rogers Arena, as well as in 2013, when they were held at Brandt Center in Regina, Saskatchewan.

“I could not be happier bringing The Juno Awards home to Vancouver for 2025,” Bublé said in a statement. “The Junos are such an important part of the Canadian music industry, and being able to host for the second time in my hometown makes this night mean even more to me. I’m excited to be surrounded by all the amazing talent we have from coast-to-coast this March.”

Trending on Billboard

Bublé is the latest in a long line of Canadian superstars to host the show, which is Canada’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards. Others include Paul Anka, Burton Cummings, Celine Dion, Anne Murray, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, Nelly Furtado, Drake, Bryan Adams and Sarah McLachlan.

Bublé, who will also perform on the show, is 15-time winner at the Juno Awards, which are voted on by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). He has also won five Grammy Awards, all for best traditional pop vocal album. He has amassed four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200.

The 54th annual Juno Awards, produced by Insight Productions (a Boat Rocker company), will broadcast and stream live across Canada from Rogers Arena in Vancouver on March 30 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Music’s YouTube page. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday Nov. 29 at 10 a.m. PT and start at $70.85 (including tax plus fees) and will be available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.ca/junos.  

Canadian Music Week is undergoing a major identity shift.
For the first time since 1982, the music festival and conference will have a new name: Departure. The newly-christened Departure Festival + Conference will take place from May 6-11, 2025.

Loft Entertainment and Oak View Group (OVG) bought the festival from retiring founder Neill Dixon this year. They announced the changes in a cocktail reception on Tuesday (Nov. 12) at the festival’s new Toronto headquarters, Hotel X.

“Departure honours where we’ve come from and celebrates where we are going,” said Kevin Barton, executive producer at Loft Entertainment. “We’re creating a launchpad that opens doors to deeper, more inclusive conversations and showcases the richness of Toronto’s cultural scene, celebrates Canadian creatives, and welcomes global artists.”

In speeches and a fireside chat, Barton along with Loft co-founder Randy Lennox and chief operating officer Jackie Dean joined OVG Canada president Tom Pistore to share the new vision for the festival.

Trending on Billboard

Lennox and Barton pointed to the ambition of the event, which will expand to include comedy, tech and food in year one — plus film, fashion and other subjects in the near future. They will take big swings, which might mean they may have misses along the way, they acknowledged.

This year’s festival will include a songwriter showcase, comedy performances, food trucks, and a new app and digital infrastructure.

The goal with Departure is to expand and modernize, they said, while honouring the history of Canadian Music Week. Next year, they will honour CMW’s former leader Neill Dixon with a lifetime achievement award.

Comedian Russell Peters opened with his own less rehearsed speech, and shared his hopes for the festival. He’s both a comedian and a DJ, but says he and his friends had avoided CMW in the past “because it was soup — full of crackers.” He joked that the festival’s idea of diversification was Kardinal Offishall and that’s it.

Barton stressed an inclusivity mandate and said they have been meeting with different equity-seeking communities in the Canadian arts industry. Over 160 languages are spoken in Toronto, and the goal is to represent that multiculturalism.

Pistore said Departure is part of the Denver-based Oak View Group’s expanded footprint in Canada, which includes new hires and a $280 million project to transform an arena in Hamilton, Ontario. There is an ambition to be bigger, “but rooted in a Canadian foundation.”

The response on social media and at the industry event was mixed. Some were optimistic for the long-running conference to change and evolve and provide a bigger platform for Canadian artists. Others hoped that the new ownership, including the American Oak View Group, and removal of “Canadian” from the name, will not sacrifice the Canadian identity or the focus on the homegrown industry.

Karan Chahal is a music and business lawyer and agent at LSC Law. A former musician and engineer himself, he now works with independent artists, especially in Punjabi music, including producer Deep Jandhu.

Chahal has been attending CMW for years, and credits it as one of the most important conferences in Canada. He especially appreciated last year’s edition, which included a spotlight on India’s music industry and Punjabi music in Canada, he says.

“It’s an amazing platform, because everyone there is there for the same reason: music,” he says. “The music industry in Canada is still growing, and artists need support. There’s so much incredible talent here, and CMW is a spot where the artists, the labels, the agents can gain those relationships in the industry.”

Chahal’s hope is that Departure’s expanded focus into other areas will not dilute the support for music, specifically.

“I think we need more eyes on it, we need to grow it. More strategic individuals getting involved is only going to help,” he says. “I just hope we aren’t going to lose what it initially stood for, and will uphold the duty to support the culture.”

Rudy Blair is an independent music journalist and interviewer who has been covering Canadian Music Week for nearly 30 years. Over the past few years, he’s also worked for the festival under Dixon as a conference host.

Blair says the new name will take some getting used to, but he thinks the growth can only be a good thing.

“We always have to move forward, and as long as it shows respect for what came in the past, change is a good thing,” he says. “Moving forward, looking at things differently, presenting things differently, that always needs to happen. Departure is part of that evolution.

“The mandate from day 1, 42 years ago, to 2025 is the same,” he continues. “It is all about fans, artists, educating people, and making sure the rest of the world knows that Canada has some of the best talent in the world. As much as they’re looking at other things, I hope they keep the dream Neill (Dixon) had, which is promoting Canadian talent.”

This story originally was originally published by Billboard Canada.

After 18 years on Canadian airwaves, MTV Canada is preparing to go off the air on Dec. 31. The decision to shutter the specialty channel was confirmed by Bell Media, with a company spokesperson citing “changing audiences” on specialty TV as the reason for the closure.
MTV Canada launched in 2006 as part of the CTV network, and the channel offered viewers a Canadianized version of the MTV brand, one that has had a huge international impact. MTV Canada’s programming provided a mix of reality TV, music content, talk, lifestyle and pop culture-oriented documentary programming.

Many of the channel’s most popular shows were talk and reality-based, airing The Hills and Teen Mom. MTV Live, launched in March 2006, launched the career of co-host Dan Levy. The flagship half-hour variety show ran for six seasons, and won a Gemini award for Best Talk Series.

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Now best known as the co-creator and co-star of hit Emmy-winning Canadian TV comedy Schitt’s Creek, Dan Levy would gain prominence in Canada co-hosting, co-writing and co-producing the MTV Canada ratings hit The Hills: After Show (later just The After Show) with Jessi Cruickshank.

The channel later become increasingly dependent on such American reality shows as Floribama Shore, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation and Caught In The Act: Unfaithful in its programming, and by the end was playing multiple hours per day of the comedy reality clip show Ridiculousness.

South of the border, the MTV brand has also suffered in recent years, with owner Paramount Media Networks, shutting down MTV News and pulling down its website’s online archives in May 2023, as part of a massive round of layoffs at Paramount. 

MTV Canada’s name and branding was used under a licensing agreement with Paramount Global. Unlike MTV channels in the United States and internationally, the channel was restricted in its ability to carry music programming until 2015, due to conditions in the channel’s license issued by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Those restrictions meant that, unlike its international counterparts, MTV Canada never employed the “Music Television” tagline. As a result, in terms of music programming, the channel struggled to compete with the homegrown and much-beloved MuchMusic channel, which is also owned by Bell Media.

Anthem Entertainment & Wax Records Announce New Creative Partnership

Anthem Entertainment and Wax Records are joining forces.

The independent music company and record label have announced a strategic creative partnership, one they state “is designed to revolutionize the artist development process.”

The Anthem-Wax partnership seeks to remove barriers between songwriters, producers and artists, and give them the tools and resources to create together. That includes initiatives like international song camps to connect people across diverse genres, in-house studio spaces and dedicated writing rooms. These resources are designed to facilitate a higher volume of music and effective market readiness.

Anthem Entertainment is a big player in publishing and licensing, with a stable that includes hit songwriters like Chantal Kreviazuk and Timbaland. The company has a massive catalog of songs, an infrastructure featuring robust creative and executive teams, and creative spaces in Toronto and Nashville. Anthem recently sold its Production Music Group to Slipstream, a deal that included noted production music agency Jingle Punks and added over 650,000 tracks to Slipstream’s catalog.

Since starting in 2009, Wax Records has built a roster headed by platinum-selling artists Alyssa Reid, Shawn Desman and Virginia to Vegas along with bülow, Conor Gains, Blitz//Berlin and more.

The partnership expands the scope of both companies.

“I’m thrilled to welcome the Wax team — and their exceptional roster of artists — into the Anthem family,” says Anthem CEO Jason Klein. “Jamie [Appleby, Wax Records President and Head of A&R] and Ron [Morse, Wax Records CEO] have built an extraordinary label, with a creative and agile approach to artist discovery, development, and marketing that transcends conventional limitations. This partnership will allow Wax to elevate their outstanding work with additional resources and infrastructure, and introduce an exciting new creative pipeline for Anthem’s songwriters.

“The possibilities for global success with this partnership are limitless.”

Anthem and Wax tout the partnership as “an evolution of the music business” and a key to artist empowerment as well as a key to opening doors internationally.

“The global music marketplace is an ever-changing adventure,” says Wax’s Jamie Appleby. “Through countless hours of dedication and hard work, we strive to cultivate a vibrant entrepreneurial culture that supports and provides globalization opportunities for our community. We are excited for the next evolution of Wax Records, and have tremendous admiration for Jason and the exceptional team at Anthem. This new venture will expand our ongoing commitment to our incredible artists, venture partners, and sub label groups.”

Toronto is preparing for a new era.
Taylor Swift will bring her behemoth Eras Tour to the biggest city in Canada for six sold-out shows in November. But Torontonians know all too well that major concerts can lead to bad traffic downtown. The city has announced that to help those shows run more smoothly, there will be a ‘Limited Activity Zone’ around the Rogers Centre stadium during the two weeks of Swift-mania.

Planned work in the zone — like construction or filming — will be limited to off-peak hours and will require express permission from the City of Toronto, though emergency work will be allowed.

The zone covers a sizeable area of Toronto’s downtown and will aim to keep traffic flowing as roughly 240,000 fans attend Taylor Swift’s performances. The affected industries shouldn’t be too worried though — the zone will only be in place for a fortnight, from Nov. 11 to 25.

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The ‘Limited Activity Zone’ isn’t the only infrastructural adjustment needed to account for Swift’s superstardom. Rogers revealed last week that it just completed an $8 million upgrade to its 5G network at the Rogers Centre, so fans can livestream the enchanting spectacle in real-time — or just text their friends, which can be tough during service overloads at major events.

The route from Rogers Centre north to Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square, where City Hall sits, will also be renamed Taylor Swift Way for the month. Signs will designate the new name, guiding fans into the ‘Limited Activity Zone’ where Swift will take the stage.

The city is anticipating a major financial boost from Swift’s visit, with over $250 million in economic impact projected.

Taylor Swift performs in Toronto from Nov. 14-16 and again from Nov. 21-23. –Rosie Long Decter

Slipstream Acquires Anthem Entertainment’s Extensive Production Music Portfolio

Music licensing platform Slipstream has announced that it has acquired the production music portfolio of Toronto-based music rights company Anthem Entertainment.

The acquisition of Anthem Production Music Group includes three major brands: Anthem’s production music agency Jingle Punks, independent production music library 5 Alarm Music, and U.K.-based independent production music publisher Cavendish Music. The net result is the addition of over 650,000 tracks to Slipstream’s catalog.

Slipstream says the acquisition positions it as “the largest global independent music licensing platform.”

There are long and close connections between the principal players involved. Slipstream was founded in 2021 by CEO Dan Demole and chief revenue officer Jesse Korwin. Demole was the co-founder of Jingle Punks and former president of Anthem Production Music Group, while Korwin served as managing director of Jingle Punks.

“This acquisition is a homecoming for us,” says Demole. “Jesse and I built both Jingle Punks and Slipstream on the foundation of making great music accessible to every type of creator. We now have an unprecedented opportunity to build on the success of both brands while leading the next wave of innovation in music licensing. With this vast catalog and our tech-enabled platform, we’re not only the largest independent player in the space, but also the most innovative.”

The expanded platform will serve a diverse client base, from individual content creators and small businesses to global brands and enterprises. Slipstream said the acquisition is in line with its goal to streamline music licensing across TV, film, advertising, gaming, social media and brands.

Anthem Entertainment will make an investment in Slipstream as part of the transaction. Anthem Entertainment CEO, Jason Klein, who is one of Billboard Canada’s 2024 Power Players in the Publishing category, commented: “Anthem’s focus since my appointment in January 2023 has been on building its core music publishing and recorded music divisions, while considering the best path forward for our production music businesses.”

“This sale to Slipstream has placed Jingle Punks, 5 Alarm and Cavendish Music back in the familiar and capable hands of proven leaders in the production music and technology space. Dan and Jesse already know these businesses and have a unique vision for their future as part of Slipstream. Our belief in them as leaders and their vision is the reason we have also chosen to invest in Slipstream going forward.”

The New York City-headquartered Jingle Punks has long maintained an office in Toronto, alongside branches in Santa Monica, London, Sydney and Melbourne. – Kerry Doole

Billboard Canada Parent Company AMG Acquires Major Stake in Music Festival NXNE

Artshouse Media Group (AMG) has acquired a major stake in Toronto music festival North By Northeast (NXNE).

The media company — which publishes Billboard Canada, Billboard UK and Rolling Stone Quebec and also owns Arts Help, Waveland Canada and the Climate Library — will own 50% of the long-running festival. The acquisition begins a long-term partnership, starting with NXNE’s landmark 30th anniversary edition from June 11-June 15, 2025.

“This partnership with NXNE comes at an exciting time for both Billboard Canada and AMG. As NXNE marks its 30th anniversary, we are aligning our shared goals of elevating artists and engaging music lovers,” says Amanda Dorenberg, CEO of Billboard Canada and AMG. “Together, we’ll amplify the festival’s impact, providing artists with a broader platform to reach audiences and creating new ways for fans to discover fresh talent.”

Michael Hollett will continue as NXNE’s president and CEO, while Barbara Hefler serves as managing director.

NXNE launched in 1995 and quickly established itself as the heart of Toronto’s live music scene. Originally formed in partnership with Austin’s SXSW, it evolved its own identity for recognizing and showcasing emerging talent in the early stages of international success. Artists from Lizzo to Daniel Caesar, Feist, Grimes, The Beaches, Mac DeMarco, Haviah Mighty, Sam Roberts and Billy Talent have played critical NXNE showcases at breaking points in their careers.

The festival has also been responsible for some legendary headlining shows from acts including Iggy Pop & The Stooges (one of the biggest free shows ever in downtown Toronto at Yonge-Dundas Square), Vince Staples, the Flaming Lips, The National, Post Malone, Tyler, The Creator and many more.

The collaboration with AMG and Billboard Canada will grow the festival’s reach in its landmark 30th anniversary edition with new co-produced programming and activations to be announced soon.

Artist applications are open now at nxne.com. 2025 venues will include The Garrison, Drake Underground, Collective Arts brewery and more, plus a new official festival headquarters at The Theatre Centre on Queen West.

The 30th anniversary edition will celebrate the festival’s rich history and the big acts who have played over the decades, while staying committed to its “Listen to the Future” tagline and its commitment to always looking for the next big thing in music.

“We want to meet and exceed NXNE’s ‘glory days’ as a citywide, community-engaging discovery festival,” says Hollett.

A big year for k.d. lang is getting even bigger.
After celebrating her legacy with an induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and a reunion with her original band The Reclines for the first time in decades, the celebrated Canadian singer has inked a new publishing deal with Reservoir Media. The deal includes her future works and partial catalogue.

“It is an absolute thrill to partner with Reservoir!” says lang in a statement. “Golnar [Khosrowshahi] is a force of nature and understands me as an artist. I am deeply inspired and have utmost confidence in this creative partnership.”

Golnar Khosrowshahi, the founder and CEO of Reservoir (and one of the leaders on Billboard Canada‘s 2024 Power Players list), is Canadian herself and understands the iconic status k.d. lang holds in the country and beyond.

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“As a Canadian, I am particularly proud to be working with k.d. and her manager, Steve Jensen, and I’d also like to thank Bruce Roberts, our very first Reservoir songwriter, who introduced us to k.d,” she says.

Golnar Khosrowshahi, k.d lang & Rell Lafargue

Reservoir

Already revered as a queer pioneer within country music and a collaborator to musical legends including Tony Bennett, Roy Orbison, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt and Loretta Lynn, lang has been embraced by a new generation in recent years.

She’s charted on the Billboard Hot 100 twice, with her yearning 1992 hit “Constant Craving” and a showstopping 2010 Vancouver live version of fellow Canadian Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah.” Originating in the early ’80s in Alberta as part of the burgeoning “cowpunk” scene, lang has never stopped evolving, even appearing on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums Chart in 2021. And she’s won many accolades, including the Order of Canada, four Grammys, four awards from GLAAD and much more.

Reservoir Media is used to working with legends and amplifying their catalogues for modern audiences. Last year, the company was responsible for bringing seminal hip-hop group De La Soul’s much-missed catalogue back to streaming and back onto the charts. Reservoir also signed a publishing deal with Joni Mitchell in 2021, right before her moving comeback.

But while lang’s deal with Reservoir includes some of her past work, it’s also about the future – which shows a trust in her continued success beyond her achievements.

“It never gets old when a legendary artist like k.d. lang decides to call Reservoir her home. Her incomparable voice and music are a gift to the world,” says Khosrowshahi. “We look forward to helping her share those gifts with new audiences and supporting her as she steps into the next chapter of her career.”

This article was originally published by Billboard Canada.

It’s official: Shaboozey has made history. His country hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has broken the new record for most weeks atop the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.
On the chart dated Oct. 19, 2024, the song claims the top spot at No. 1 for an unprecedented 20th week, surpassing a record previously set in 2019 by Lil Nas X’s Billy Ray Cyrus-featuring “Old Town Road.”

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This is the first time a song has held the No. 1 spot for 20 weeks or more in the history of the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, which launched in 2007. “A Bar Song” first hit No. 1 in the week of May 11, 2024, and has actually spent 26 cumulative weeks on the chart. It was briefly knocked out of the top spot by Eminem’s “Houdini” and Morgan Wallen and Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” but has otherwise dominated from summer to fall.

With “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” setting the new record, here’s an updated leaderboard for most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.

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Most Weeks Spent at No. 1 on the Canadian Hot 100Weeks, Title, Artist Billing, Peak Date

20, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey, 5/11/202419, “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus, 4/20/201918, “As It Was,” Harry Styles, 4/16/202216, “Despacito,” Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber, 5/27/201716, “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran, 1/28/201716, “I Gotta Feeling,” The Black Eyed Peas, 7/4/200915, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, 1/28/202315, “Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars, 1/10/2015

Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is also making history on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, this week tying the record for the second-longest rookie reign at 14 weeks. But the Virginia artist’s song hit No. 1 in Canada first and has reigned for longer. He acknowledged that feat onstage at a headlining concert at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall last month, when Billboard Canada presented him a plaque for his No. 1 hit. “Y’all did it first!” he said triumphantly to the Canadian crowd.

In a Billboard cover story, Shaboozey talks about the whirlwind last few months. He’s been making music for a decade, but had a major breakthrough this year after appearing as a guest star on Beyoncé’s culture-shifting Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé and Shaboozey subsequently made history as the first two Black artists to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart consecutively with “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” but “A Bar Song” has surpassed the songs on Cowboy Carter for Canadian chart dominance.

Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” is also notably a country song from a Black artist who seamlessly shifts between sounds. Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song” quotes from J-Kwon’s 2004 rap hit “Tipsy” and unites listeners of different genres in its themes of drinking through everyday economic hardships, getting heavy airplay on a variety of different radio formats in Canada. To put this historic feat into perspective, 20 weeks would also set the record for most weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where Lil Nas X currently still reigns with 19 weeks. On that chart, which has existed for 66 years compared to Canada’s 17 years, only five songs have occupied the No. 1 spot for more than 15 weeks.

It’s difficult to predict if any songs have the power to knock Shaboozey out of No. 1 on the Canadian Hot 100 in the near future. Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” continues to hold down the No. 2 spot and did briefly surpass Shaboozey this summer. Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” has stalled at No. 3 for a number of weeks, while Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars’ duet “Die With a Smile” has continued a slow climb into the top 5 and this week sits at No. 4. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” currently holds No. 5, and previously peaked at No. 3.

So how many weeks will Shaboozey hold the No. 1 spot on the Canadian Hot 100? Only time will tell.

This story originally appeared on Billboard Canada.