The 46th annual JUNO Awards marks the third time the city has hosted Canada’s music awards show, which will broadcast on CTV from the Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday, April 2, 2017. Ottawa previously hosted the awards in 2003 and 2012.
“As Ottawa 2017 commemorates Canada’s incredible heritage and values, the JUNO Awards will pay tribute to this important milestone,” said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards & MusiCounts. “The Capital’s devoted music fans are proudly supportive of both their local and the national music scene, making Ottawa the perfect home for the JUNO Awards in 2017.”
“Surely there is no better way to mark Canada’s 150th anniversary than honouring the best in Canadian music, this country’s greatest cultural export,” said Randy Lennox, President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting, Bell Media.
“The 2017 JUNO Awards on CTV will be a special one as we broadcast from the nation’s capital during Canada’s sesquicentennial year,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV. “We look forward to inviting the entire country to celebrate with us in Ottawa.”
From 2007 to 2015 the JUNO Awards have created a total economic impact of almost $99 million, including $11 million for the 2012 JUNO Awards in Ottawa, $14 million for the 2011 JUNO Awards in Toronto, and $10 million for the 2015 JUNO Awards in Hamilton.
“We have so much talent in this city and we want to share your gifts, with Canada and the world,” said Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, who has also issued a challenge for the local arts and music community to begin planning an unprecedented week of music in the Capital. “Yes, we want to fill every venue, but we also want workshops, clinics and classroom programming. This is your chance to inspire the next generation of Canadian artists and contribute to the legacy of Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations.”
During a recording session in their hometown of Toronto, ON, alternative/blues-rockers July Talk were surprised with custom Gold record plaques for their 2012 debut self-titled album in an award presentation spearheaded by Sleepless Records. The band thanked their fans with the following Instagram post:
July Talk are getting set to head out on an American tour starting in Boston, MA on October 26. Recently, the band played one of their biggest shows to date, opening for Alabama Shakes at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.
The video for “Summer Dress” off the Gold-certified July Talk can be viewed below:
During a two-night stop in Montreal, QC on his headlining North American tour, Belgian singer Stromae was presented with a custom Platinum plaque by DEP Distribution for his 2013 album Racine carrée. The crossover francophone pop star performed September 28 & 29 at at Montreal’s Bell Centre and earlier in the week at Toronto’s Echo Beach on September 26,
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has announced that submissions for the 2016 JUNO Awards are open today, October 1st. Applicants can now submit their package at http://junosubmissions.ca/ for consideration. The JUNO Awards will be presented during JUNO Week, held in Calgary, Alberta, March 28th through April 3rd, 2016.
The eligibility period for the 2016 JUNO Awards is between September 1st, 2014 and November 13th, 2015. Other important dates to remember:
October 23, 2015, 5:00 pm (EST): Early-bird deadline to receive discounted submission rates
November 13, 2015, 5:00 pm (EST): Final submission deadline for ALL categories (except International Album of the Year and Album of the Year)
January 6, 2016, 5:00 pm (EST): Final submission deadline for International Album of the Year and Album of the Year
The JUNOs have also announced that for the first time, streaming data will now be considered in determining nominees in the sales based categories. This change allows the JUNO Awards to better reflect how fans are consuming music. The streaming data will be provided by Nielsen Media Research Ltd.
The JUNOs also announced that the nominees for the JUNO Fan Choice will now be determined by an equal weight of single sales, streams, and Next Big Sound data, rather than album sales and Next Big Sound data in years past.
Additionally, the JUNOs announced a change to the criteria for album submissions. Going forward, a project that is 20 minutes or has 6 unique songs will be considered a full album. In this context, ‘unique’ means no remixes, acoustic versions, or added accompaniment versions, etc.
The JUNOs also announced that The Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo and Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Group categories have been changed to Contemporary Roots Album of the Year and Traditional Roots Album of the Year, which will ensure two genres of music are not competing against each other in the same category.
The nominees will be announced on February 2nd, 2016 at the JUNO Nominee Press Conference. For full submission details, visit http://junosubmissions.ca/.
Creativity is practically flowing in the streets of Columbus: from artists and musicians to business leaders and city agencies, everyone is walking to an up-tempo beat in this city of more than 800,000.
During the Independents’ Day Festival,a local music, arts and food experience located in the East Franklinton neighbourhood, the city’s newest cultural hub, I participated in a discussion about an effort to build a Music City. The “How To Build A Music City” initiative has been spearheaded by the Columbus Songwriters Association but has quickly gained the support of the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the city’s tourism agency, Experience Columbus, as well as roughly 100 volunteers. Signs look promising that the initiative will soon receive city funding. At the helm is organizer Joey Hendrickson, who leads the initiative with passion and drive, and a willingness to learn from other cities.
While the initiative is in its early days, some of the program ideas that have broad appeal in the community are live music venue support, honouring “Columbus Sound” and history, a music tech incubator, and an annual music conference.
Columbus impressed me with its investment in creative spaces, a key component for a successful Music City. While that hasn’t translated yet into the much aspired-to music tech incubator, or live music venue support, the city has definitely figured out how to leverage public-private partnerships in order to stimulate creative growth. The East Franklinton area is a case in point. Once a rundown area of the city, just a short walk from City Hall and the State Legislature, East Franklinton is now brimming with creativeactivity.
I toured two large factories, one that has been converted into artist studios, event and performance spaces and a restaurant. The “How to Build a City” event was held in this building, immediately followed by a music performance.
The second factory has been renovated to house what is apparently the largest “makerspace” in the U.S. – The Idea Foundry. The Idea Foundry consists of more than 20,000 square feet of space divided into work areas by discipline, including woodworking, metalworking, blacksmithing. It has over 200 members who pay a monthly fee to use the machinery and tools, and who also gain access to lower priced workshops and training.
Each of these co-op spaces was created with a combination of public and private investment; according to Hendrickson, this is typical of Columbus’ approach to revitalizing neighbourhoods, and has earned the city muchrecognition.
With built-in affordable living and working spaces for artists of all descriptions, East Franklinton seems less likely to fall victim to the often-quoted sequence of gentrified neighbourhoods that we reference in The Mastering of a Music City: rundown area; artists and musicians come in, make it ‘cool’; rents go up and artists and musicians can’t afford to stay there any longer.
If the How to Build a Music City initiative is predicated by this same balanced approach, I am confident it will be very successful.
Diamond-certified recording artist Michael Bublé was among the list of 2015 Canada’s Walk Of Fame inductees announced today at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, ON. Along with Bublé, the 2015 inductees include actors Wendy Crewson and Lorne Greene, author Lawrence Hill, athlete Silken Laumann and Hockey Night In Canada broadcasters Don Cherry and Ron MacLean.
Also honoured at this year’s ceremony will be 17-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-platinum recording artist Shawn Mendes, who will receive this year’s Allan Slaight Honour, which recognizes young, inspirational Canadians who have achieved international success in the music industry.
“Our mission at Canada’s Walk of Fame is simple – to celebrate Canadian excellence, and to inspire the next generation,” said Melanie Hurley, CEO of Canada’s Walk of Fame. “This year’s inductees truly represent this mission, and the legacy they are creating for Canada is something we should all be proud of.”
Tickets for inductees ceremony on November 7, 2015 at Toronto’s Sony Centre are on-sale now. The televised special will air nationally on Global December 17 at 8pm ET/PT.
Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport has announced plans for a province-wide consultation to help develop Ontario’s Culture Strategy, which will outline a vision for arts and culture in the province for years to come.
Ontario is seeking input from across the province, and inviting Ontarians to share their feedback by:
Attending one of the town hall discussions happening between October 13th and December 3rd
Joining the online conversation at the Culture Talks website
“Ontario’s cultural landscape has evolved and it is important that government priorities reflect this. That’s why I am proud that our government is developing the province’s first-ever culture strategy,” said Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “I look forward to hearing from Ontarians about what they value about arts and culture in their lives and what culture means to them. This is an opportunity for the province to take a fresh look at how it invests in arts and culture, to build our vibrant sectors and to enrich our diverse communities.”
The cultural strategy will reflect what is important to all Ontarians and will be guided by the following principles:
Creativity and innovation
Quality of life and economic development
Diversity and inclusiveness
Respect for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples
Public value and accountability
The province’s release notes that culture is one of Ontario’s fastest growing economic sectors, generating approximately $22 billion of Ontario’s GDP, and supporting more than 280,000 jobs. The release states that Ontario is home to more than 58,000 artists; nearly twice as many as any other province. The release also notes that the province’s film and television production supported more than 44,000 direct and indirect jobs, and that Ontario’s music industry is the largest in Canada. .
The province also announced the creation of the Culture Strategy Advisory Group, comprised of seventeen members of Ontario’s cultural industries, from various backgrounds including music, dance, theatre, fine arts, documentary film, museums, literature, and more.
There’s nothing quite like catching your favourite band at an outdoor music festival, but the real headliners are the hundreds of hard-working skilled tradespeople preparing the grounds before you and the artists arrive. With the launch of their new Tune In Trade Up! campaign, the Ontario College Of Trades aims to attract prospective tradespeople looking for a new and fulfilling adventure in the music industry.
Highlighting the tradespeople behind Republic Live’s WayHome and Boots & Hearts festivals in their new promotional video, the College showcases the benefits of earning a skilled trades certificate for carpenters, electricians, chefs, equipment operators, and more. The video features interviews with The Road Hammers, For Esme and Cross Dog, who stress the importance and appreciation for the trade work that gives them a stage to play on.
View the Tune In Trade Up! video below and click here to learn more about how you can work towards making next summer’s music festivals rock!
Music Canada was thrilled to welcome many of our members, friends, and industry partners to our 2015 Annual General Meeting, held on September 24, 2015, at the Lula Lounge in Toronto.
Among the program highlights, the AGM featured a conversation with Toronto Mayor John Tory and Music Canada President & CEO Graham Henderson. Entitled ‘Toronto’s Music City – View from the Top’, the discussion centred on Toronto’s role and reputation as a Music City, and how the City, community, and local music industry can continue to foster this reputation.
Video: Toronto’s Music City – View from the Top: in conversation with Mayor John Tory
Next, Henderson delivered the Year-In-Review, which underlined the importance of collaboration and partnership within our industry.
After noting the growth in Canada’s digital music market, helped by the launch of new streaming entrants in the market, Henderson highlighted the Ontario Music Fund, which was made permanent in Ontario’s most recent budget bill. “Thank you Premier Wynne and Minister Coteau for seeing the economic value in Ontario’s booming music sector,” said Henderson. The success of the Ontario Music Fund has sparked interest across the country, explained Henderson, pointing to the Fertile Ground report commissioned by the National Music Centre and completed by Music Canada last fall, which provides recommendations for leveraging the potential of Alberta’s music sector. Henderson then announced that Music Canada is undertaking a study on British Columbia to make similar recommendations to their provincial government.
At the federal level, Henderson noted a major win in the budget bill with term extension for sound recordings. Noting that these recordings would otherwise fall into the public domain during the artists’ lifetime, the unprecedented success on term extension brought Canada in line with international standards.
Henderson also congratulated the Unison Benevolent Fund on reaching their $1 million fundraising target this year, making the fund operational. Music Canada is proud as an organization, along with our label members, for the role we played in investing $250,000 for the fund. Henderson then recognized our matching partner, Slaight Music.
Video: 2015 Year In Review
Continuing on the Music Cities theme, the AGM featured a panel entitled ‘Music City Strategies from the Ground Up’ with three panelists from across Canada who shared insight to the strategies and programs they are using to grow the music sector in their home regions.
Moderated by Amy Terrill, Music Canada’s VP of Public Affairs, the panel featured:
Andrew Vincent, a singer-songwriter, researcher, and creative consultant from Ottawa, ON. He is the co-author of Connecting Ottawa Music, an Ontario Music Fund-supported project profiling Ottawa’s music industries that was released in Spring 2015. He is currently serving as the interim Executive Director of the newly formed Ottawa Music Industry Coalition, a not-for-profit dedicated to promoting growth in the city’s music industries.
Mark Garner, Executive Director for the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area in downtown Toronto. Over the past decade he has increasingly focused on the revitalization and development of urban downtowns, playing an integral role in catalyzing on economics, neighbourhoods, social innovation and incubators. The DYBIA boasts a Music Strategy that looks at the deep history of music in downtown Toronto, programming His ideas and approach have been acknowledged by numerous awards and by being emulated in other communities.
Thom Bennett, a professional musician/producer/recordist/instructor based in Edmonton. He performs regularly around Western Canada and beyond with a plethora of artists including A/B trio, MIXTAPE, Ann Vriend, Jesse Peters and dozens of other artists. When not maintaining his busy gigging schedule he splits his time between producing and engineering records for local artists at Sanctuary Studios, session studio work, accompaniment work, teaching and composing music. Thom has created the ELM (Edmonton Live Music) Initiative involving with the support and help of key stakeholders in government and the music industry in Edmonton. Its aim is to reinvigorate Edmonton’s live music scene through an innovative economic stimulus plan that involves the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.
Video: ‘Music City Strategies from the Ground Up’ panel
Following the panel, Henderson introduced a new tradition at the Music Canada AGM with the creation of the President’s Award, which recognizes an organization or individual outside the music industry that has had a significant impact on the music industry. The inaugural recipient of the award was Mark Garner of the Downtown Yonge BIA, which has created an action plan to stimulate music performance, creation, education and celebration in the downtown core of the city. Their music strategy builds on the rich music history in downtown Yonge in order to create an environment where music can succeed now and in the future.
For more on the President’s Award, visit our blog.
To close out the day, Warner Music Canada President Steve Kane introduced Modern Space, a five-piece Toronto-based band that recently signed with Warner Music Canada. The band delivered a high energy performance of songs from their upcoming debut EP.
For more photos from the Annual General Meeting, visit our photo album on Facebook.
We were thrilled to welcome many of Music Canada’s members, friends, and industry partners to our 2015 Annual General…
Yesterday we had the pleasure of not only coming together with our peers in the industry for the Music Canada AGM, but to host a number of wonderful speakers on the subject of Music Cities. Since the release of our report The Mastering of a Music City in June 2015, we have passionately pursued this subject around the world, learning from our colleagues in more than 40 cities. Yesterday it was especially special to talk about what Toronto is doing at home, with our own “music-friendly mayor” and champion of the music city: Mayor John Tory.
In last year’s municipal election, Mayor Tory had a music platform that included tourism, enhanced live performances and festivals, and a standalone music office. Now, nine-months into his term, many of those things have become a reality in a short period of time. In a candid conversation with Music Canada President and CEO Graham Henderson, Mayor Tory spoke about the strides we’ve made so far, what’s next, and what inspires him in his vision of a music city.
We asked whether he remained optimistic about continuing to see this music platform develop – he looked to his trip to Austin, saying: “I stand here more committed because I’ve now seen another place where they made this a success – and we aren’t going to be Austin. We’re different. But I’m encouraged…and I think we’ve got to put our energy…with perhaps getting some more help behind making some of this stuff happen.”
Looking at Austin, he realized that “when the city is fully committed to all aspects of music, and the performance of music, and to the attraction of musicians to the city…they got great things done…It had gigantic economic benefits for the city that went way beyond the jobs created by the music industry and spoke to the whole question of the attraction of global companies, technology companies and so on.”
This is a vision he has for Toronto: seeing the same kind of support rallied around music in the same way as we have done for film for the past 30 years.
According to the Mayor, “we have all of the ingredients here” to build this. He elaborated, saying that the music industry is further ahead of where film was 30 years ago, but that we haven’t yet fully pulled together the industry and the infrastructure. He committed support from the government, saying they could provide support “by way of helping to make opportunities available, helping to showcase, helping to facilitate things, helping to modernize regulations, and secondly, helping by sort of getting out of the way.” In recognizing the ongoing struggle against bureaucratic red tape, he said “if you’re really committed to being a music city, you have to put your money where your mouth is.”
His determination was clear – “I’m very determined at the end of 4 years…when my term happens to be up, that we can look back and say: we actually got something done here, moving us towards what we are in film, and what we can be for sure in music…It starts with yes, the regulatory framework that is better defined and better accommodating of music, but it also starts with an administration that…says we’re going to find a way to say yes as opposed to automatically saying no. And I think that’s going to be big and…start to come next year with the plans people have to do bigger things. They’re going to be a little bolder because we’ve got to be bolder, we have to find places to do bigger and more things…it’s all part of building a great city.”
Diamond-certified recording artist 
Music Canada