On Monday, the Polaris Prize revealed the winning albums for 2016’s Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, which honours Canadian albums of the past from four distinct time periods: 1960-75, 1976-85, 1986-95 and 1996-05.
The winning albums were revealed in a Facebook Live stream featuring Steve Jordan (Founder/Executive Director), Michael Barclay (Journalist), and Chris Murphy of 2015 winners Sloan. The award, which began in 2015, is described by Jordan as “our version of the Hall of Fame for some of the classic Canadian albums since 1960.”
Two winners for each era were chosen — one by public vote and one by the juries. Voting opened at the Polaris Music Prize Gala on September 19, 2016 and ended on October 17.
The 2016 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize winning albums are:
1960-1975
Public: Neil Young – After The Gold Rush
Jury: Leonard Cohen – Songs Of Leonard Cohen
1976 – 1985
Public: Rush – Moving Pictures
Jury: Kate & Anna McGarrigle – Kate & Anna McGarrigle
1986-1995
Public: Blue Rodeo – Five Days In July
Jury: Mary Margaret O’Hara – Miss America
1996-2005
Public: Arcade Fire – Funeral
Jury: Lhasa – La Llorona
In 2015, four albums were chosen through public voting, which included Joni Mitchell’s Blue, Cowboy Junkies’ The Trinity Sessions, Sloan’s Twice Removed, and Peaches‘ The Teaches Of Peaches. As was done with the 2015 winners, Polaris will pay tribute to the 2016 winning albums by selecting eight artists to create a commemorative art print inspired by the albums.
(L – R) Nick Blasko of Amelia Artists, Parliamentary Secretary for Liquor Reform Policy John Yap, the Honourable Minister Coralee Oakes, Music Canada’s President and CEO Graham Henderson, BRANDLIVE’s Catherine Runnals. Photo credit: Emir Mehinagic
Coralee Oakes, British Columbia’s Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, has announced that the government will simplify the Special Event Permit application process for music festivals, concerts, and other cultural events.
Previously, only non-profit entities could apply for Special Occasion Licenses, which allowed them to sell liquor at music festivals. This meant that music festival operators had to bring in a separate charity to serve alcohol at their events. It added another layer to the application process and was viewed as a regulatory burden.
With these changes, music festivals will be able to apply for their own Special Event Permits and enter into exclusive agreements with liquor manufacturers. The changes will also allow event promoters to enter into advantageous partnerships with breweries, wineries, and distilleries.
“These changes are the result of consultations with industry and an important step forward in our continued work to modernize B.C.’s liquor laws by cutting red tape for businesses,” said Minister Oakes. “We expect these changes will increase the number of special events held throughout B.C. and strengthen patronage of the arts in our communities.”
Music Canada President, Graham Henderson, who attended and spoke at the announcement in Vancouver characterized this policy change as a continuation of the government of BC’s commitment to music and a crucial component of a larger BC Music Strategy. Earlier this year, Premier Christy Clark announced a $15 million investment in the BC Music Fund.
“B.C. has a deep musical heritage and is home to some of the finest production facilities, artists, and labels in the world,” said Henderson. “We’re very happy to see the Province make changes that can better position B.C. to compete in an increasingly global marketplace.”
The panel discussion at Music Canada’s 2016 AGM put the spotlight on the ability of creators to earn a living in the digital age. Sharing perspectives from two of Canada’s great cultural industries, writing and music, John Degen and Graham Henderson discussed something common to all of Canada’s cultural sectors – the need for a functioning marketplace that properly remunerates creators when their work is used. John and Graham were interviewed by Kate Taylor, an expert in Canadian cultural sovereignty in the digital age.
The panel was introduced by Steve Kane, President of Warner Music Canada.
John Degen is a poet and author, and the Executive Director of the Writers’ Union of Canada. For the last two years, John has chaired the International Authors Forum, an umbrella organization for authors’ organizations around the world, with a network of around 650,000 authors. John is a long-time partner of Music Canada on issues affecting creators in Canada and an outspoken advocate for creators’ rights.
Kate Taylor is an award-winning novelist and journalist with the Globe and Mail, where she currently serves as lead film critic. Kate previously hosted Music Canada’s Global Forum at CMW 2015, where the topic was The Survival of the Creative Class.
Graham described how remuneration for creators has steadily eroded over the past 20 years, and how it’s harder than ever for a middle class of creators to earn a living from their work. Graham summarized the effect of the digital shift with a quote from Francis Gurry, Director General of WIPO, as a “seemingly avoidable and inappropriate loss of value to creators, performers and the creative sector.” Graham noted the key was that this was avoidable; it didn’t have to be this way. Wealth created by the enormous opportunities technology, which creators have embraced, brings is not finding its way to the creative side of the ledger, despite the best intentions of the lawmakers who wrote the rules currently governing the digital environment.
A 2015 Writers’ Union study titled Devaluing Creators, Endangering Creativity found that, taking inflation into account, writers are making 27% less than they were making in 1998 from their writing, while 45% of writers say they must do more to earn a living now. John confirmed that trends in Canada are happening all over the world. The conditions under which creators work are becoming increasingly difficult. Globally, there has been a 27-29% decline in authors’ income.
Regarding the current Canadian cultural policy review, titled Canadian Content in a Digital World, the panel agreed the goal for creators is to have a functioning marketplace in place. John called the review a golden opportunity for a necessary conversation about “fair trade culture,” so that people who “only identify as consumers of culture understand just what underlies the value of the product that they’re buying.”
Graham also spoke to the shape he hopes the review will take. “For us, what would be epic, would be a meaningful review of the rules that were put in place in the late 90s, and the rules that were put in place in 2012, to take into account this new reality; the reality that we have no middle class,” he said. “It increasingly looks like a lottery and if you win the lottery, you win an enormous amount of money, and everybody else is struggling. I think the question we have to ask Minister Joly and the government is – is creation a profession, or do they think its a hobby? And if you think it’s a profession then they have to, and we have to, stand up for the rights of creators to be paid appropriately.”
The full video of the panel can be viewed below.
For more photos from the Annual General Meeting, visit our photo album on Facebook.
At Music Canada’s 2016 AGM, our Executive Vice President, Amy Terrill, provided an update on what was a busy year for the organization. Music Cities are a red-hot topic worldwide. Municipalities and regions continue to look to the power of music to grow their economies, attract tourists and skilled workers, and increase quality of life.
An interesting trend of the past year was the “growing understanding that Music City development is an important component of community economic development,” said Terrill, describing how our Music Cities work is being embraced by the International Economic Development Council, national and Ontario BIA associations, and other international associations, such as the UCLG, a congress of global and regional leaders.
Since launching The Mastering of a Music City at Midem in 2015, Graham Henderson and Amy Terrill have been invited to speak on the research and best practices described in the report in numerous cities around the globe, and the list continues to grow.
In the past year, chambers of commerce were defined as a particularly powerful ally in the Music Cities movement. As the voice of business in their communities, chambers have the opportunity to carve out a leadership role in leveraging music as a driver of employment and economic growth, beyond its long-acknowledged cultural and social benefits. At the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s AGM in September of 2016, Music Canada launched the Music Cities Toolkit, a custom designed guide for chambers to activate the power of music in their city.
Amy established “best practice” as the theme of her remarks, noting Music Canada’s continued efforts to identify, meet and share best practices in Music Cities research, and in all of the work we do.
Matt Masters, a Calgary-based songwriter, event producer, and new Program Leader of the Alberta Music Cities Initiative provided a video update on Music Cities progress in the province, and Andy McLean of the East Coast Music Association (ECMA) shared updates from the Atlantic region and the newly formed partnership between Music Canada and the ECMA.
At Music Canada’s 2016 Annual General Meeting, held Oct 18 at Revival in Toronto, we were privileged to have the Honourable Eleanor McMahon deliver opening remarks to our guests.
Minister McMahon was introduced by Shane Carter, President of Sony Music Canada, who noted the passion for music she has shown since being appointed Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport in June of 2016.
The MPP for Burlington is a booster of music education, and believes her own musical training helped her to be a better politician.
“I took vocal lessons right up into university…music was everywhere in our home,” said the Minister. “And singing with others, whether in our church choir, or around a campfire taught me the value of personal expression, creativity, discipline and craft, as well as harmony and teamwork.”
“Having the opportunity to express myself through music was integral for me to understand who I was growing up, and who I am today,” said Minister McMahon.
It was the first opportunity for many in attendance to meet the Minister, who spoke with guests including Universal Music Canada recording artist Alx Veliz, who would later perform at the event.
Minister McMahon speaks with Universal Music Canada recording artist Alx Veliz
In her remarks, she addressed the connection between culture and the economy, saying “our culture and our economy are inextricably linked.”
“Our government recognizes the many opportunities for the province’s music scenes to build up our cultural sector and our economy, to mobilize Ontario’s wealth of talent, our state-of-the-art production facilities, the wide range of venues, and vibrant festivals, with the aim to make it Canada’s largest – and one of the world’s most diversified music jurisdictions.”
The Ontario Government has indeed displayed recognition of the value our music sector brings to the province. The Minister referenced the formulation of Ontario’s Culture Strategy, which per the Minister “commits the government to continue to build Ontario as a leading North American center for music production and performance,” and OntarioLiveMusic.ca, which promotes Ontario’s live music events. Minister McMahon called the Ontario Music Fund “something truly unique in Canada,” a leveraging of talent and economic opportunity that other jurisdictions are now looking to replicate. The Ontario Music Fund has resulted in “1,274 full-time equivalent jobs, supporting events attended by 1.6 million people, while giving a platform to more than 1,900 Ontario artists to show the world what they do best,” remarked the Minister.
Music Canada’s President & CEO, Graham Henderson, thanked Minster McMahon for her remarks, adding how great it is that she has displayed a belief in the power of music to change society, a belief no doubt shared by many in the room.
Music Canada’s 2016 AGM with (L-R) Warner Music Canada President Steve Kane, Music Canada’s Executive Vice President Amy Terrill, The Honourable Minister Eleanor McMahon, Sony Music Canada’s President Shane Carter, Music Canada’s President and CEO Graham Henderson, and Universal Music Canada President Jeffrey Remedios.
Below is the full video of Minister McMahon’s opening remarks.
For more photos from the Annual General Meeting, visit our photo album on Facebook.
Amy Terrill, Music Canada’s Executive Vice President, has been appointed to Canadian Music Week’s (CMW) 2017 Co-Chair Committee. The seven-member committee is made up of music industry veterans representing the publishing, broadcasting, live music, music technology, agent, and label sectors.
“I’m in such great company on CMW’s Co-Chair Committee – what an honour! CMW and Music Canada have forged a very successful relationship over the years which has included putting together some very inspiring programming. I am excited to build on this partnership in 2017 in my role on the Co-Chair committee,” says Terrill.
For more than a decade, Music Canada has sponsored CMW’s Global Forum Networking Breakfast, an annual event that brings the global music community together to discuss topics affecting the industry. In 2016, the Global Forum recognized individuals and organizations who are using music to make the world a better place. Laura Hassler, Founder and Director of Musicians without Borders, delivered a terrific keynote address titled “War Divides, Music Connects: Using Rock for Reconciliation.”
During 2016’s conference, Music Canada, IFPI and CMW presented a day-long international creative economy summit inspired by, and named after, Music Canada and IFPI’s pivotal report, The Mastering of a Music City. The summit featured speakers and music cities experts from Canada, the US, UK, Germany and Denmark. Austin, Texas was a focal point of the summit, and the report, due to its incredible music economy, where music tourism accounts for almost half of their US$1.6 billion economic output. Toronto and Austin formed a Music City Alliance in 2013 to promote mutual growth opportunities between governments and industry.
CMW 2017 will run from April 18-22 and over 800 bands will perform at more than 40 venues in downtown Toronto. The festival will also host the first Austin-Toronto showcase, featuring premier talent from both cities. The showcase is an outcome of an Austin-Toronto Alliance Summit, where industry leaders met in Toronto in June of 2016.
150 representatives from chambers of commerce across the country took part in a Music Cities workshop conducted by Graham Henderson yesterday at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Annual General Meeting in Regina.
Henderson unveiled a Music Cities toolkit that Music Canada custom-built for the CCC’s network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, in all regions of the country.
The toolkit was designed to provide chambers of commerce with a roadmap and guide to activate the power of music in their communities. It describes potential roles for the chamber as follows:
Catalyst – as the leading voice of business, acting to enhance economic prosperity and quality of life, the chamber can act as a catalyst to stimulate the Music City discussion
Advocate – convene a music policy task force to identify municipal policies and regulations that are hampering the creation, production and promotion of music
Operator – develop a proposal for the chamber to act as a music office/officer
Trainer – provide training to entrepreneurs within the music community
Promoter – host and amplify music events, celebrate the music history in your community
“We are so pleased that Music Canada has partnered with us and shared their excellent work in this space with the chamber network as a tried and tested economic development tool,” said Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
“We are extremely pleased to be able to work with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce whose pan-Canadian network makes it an ideal partner to spread the thinking behind and the benefits of adopting the Music Cities model for your community,” said Graham Henderson.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, has announced the beginning of consultations on Canadian Content in a Digital World. The consultation functions as a review of the Heritage department’s cultural funding programs and regulatory structures (Joly has repeated that “everything is on the table” in this review) and will seek to determine how the government should support the creation, discovery, and export of Canadian content.
The new consultation was preceded by a summer-long pre-consultation which was completed by nearly 10,000 Canadians. This pre-consultation was used to shape the current consultation, which, according to its guiding principles, will:
Focus on respecting citizen choice and supporting creators in making great, compelling content;
Reflect Canada’s incredible diversity in the content that is produced and support the production of news information and local content that is credible and reliable; and,
Drive social and economic innovation by forging strong links between creativity, economic growth and social resilience.
According to the ministry’s release, Minister Joly will host in-person discussions with representatives from a variety of cultural sectors across the country to receive comments on topics covered by the consultation. Canadians will also have the opportunity to comment on social media and through discussions within their own communities.
For artists and musicians—and all creators—these consultations represent an opportunity to make their voices heard. You can participate in the consultation online here.
Today, IFPI released new consumer research from Ipsos that provides insights into music consumption trends around the world. Ipsos studied thirteen markets, including Canada. Internet users aged 13 to 64 were asked to comment on how they engage with music.
According to this research, Canada stands out as lagging behind other major markets in the consumption of music and adoption of paid services. However, 2015 sales stats released by Music Canada in April show explosive growth in premium subscription services, largely as a result of new entrants into the Canadian market.
Here are the key global highlights according to IFPI with Canadian comparisons:
“Paid audio streaming is growing: 71 per cent of internet users aged 16-64 access licensed music. Paid audio streaming services are growing in popularity, especially among under 25s. One-third of 16-24 year olds now pay for an audio streaming service.”
In Canada, only 2/3 (64%) of internet users engage with licensed music.
Audio streaming consumption continues to lag behind in Canada where only 27% of consumers are using audio streaming services, indicating an opportunity for significant further growth. However, 11% are paying for it (as opposed to using free audio streaming services) which is up from 2015 (9%), a 22% increase. Globally, the 2016 numbers are 37% and 18% respectively.
Markets like Mexico (64%) and Sweden (61%) stand out as leading the conversion to audio streaming, and in each of these 4 in 10 consumers are paying for streaming.
“YouTube is the most used music service: 82 per cent of all YouTube visitors use it for music. More people use YouTube to consume music they already know than to discover new content.”
Not unlike other markets, YouTube usage is very high in Canada. 86% of internet users in Canada used YouTube in the last 6 months for any content with 76% reporting using it for music related content. Most of those users (85%) accessed YouTube for music they already know, rather than to discover new music. The report concludes that free video streaming is mainly being used as an alternative to paying for music, as 49% of music video streamers do so mainly “because it’s free.”
“Copyright infringement remains a significant problem: more than one-third (35 per cent) of internet users access unlicensed music content. Infringement is changing, with half (49 per cent) of 16-24 year olds using stream ripping services to download music.”
Access to piracy continues to evolve in Canada as well with more consumers choosing stream ripping over downloading (cyberlocker/peer to peer). Almost one third of all consumers (27%) continue to access unlicensed content. Half of all 16-24 year old consumers report stream ripping.
“Young people are highly engaged with music, with 82 per cent of 13-15 year-olds listening to licensed music and the majority willing to pay for music.”
In Canada, 13-15s are far more likely to access licensed audio services (55%) and one quarter of them (25%) choose paid streaming. Half of all 13-15s access pirated music (49%) with downloading (40%) and stream ripping (44%) receiving close to equal attention.
“Smartphones are moving towards replacing computers as the most used device for music consumption, especially in developing countries. Users of paid audio streaming services are particularly likely to listen to music on a smartphone.”
The Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) is seeking input from Canadian music companies, such as labels, management, and publishers, as well as entrepreneurial artists, for a new study on music export activities. The study is designed to gather comprehensive evidence on the costs for Canadian artists touring internationally, as well as the costs of launching an artist, song, or brand in foreign markets. The study also aims to clarify the return on investment in terms of jobs, economic impact, and other relevant measures, from the successful export of Canadian artists and music products.
CIMA hopes to gain a better understanding of:
What export activities are undertaken by Canadian music companies;
The strategies behind those export activities;
Key international markets for Canadian music; and.
How much these activities cost.
The timing of this study coincides with the Canadian government’s nation-wide consultation, Canadian content in a digital world, on how it can best support Canada’s cultural industries in the modern era. CIMA is hoping that Canadian independent music is strongly represented in the consultation, with the end goal of increased funding for music companies and their artists to support export activities.
The survey takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete, and closes September 16. Each completed survey will also be entered to win a VIP pass to Canadian Music Week 2017 in Toronto. The results of the survey will be published in fall of 2016.
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