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Music Canada Celebrates International Women’s Day 2020

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Every year on March 8th, people around the world celebrate International Women’s Day, and at Music Canada we’re showing our commitment to gender equality by celebrating this year’s theme of #EachForEqual. The theme draws from a notion of ‘Collective Individualism,’ and the way that our individual actions can collectively make change and help create a gender equal world. Music Canada is also celebrating the phenomenal female artists and creators across Canada and beyond, who have helped to give the world a soundtrack for empowerment. 

With a few days until the JUNO Awards in Saskatoon, Music Canada recognizes Alessia Cara as just one of those empowering Canadians. The multi-platinum singer-songwriter is set to host the 49th annual awards ceremony on March 15th. She’s a music phenomenon who maintains well over 15 million monthly listeners. Alessia is also a two-time JUNO Award winner, and the first Canadian-born artist to win the Best New Artist award at the Grammys.

Music Canada applauds organizations in the sector who have created policies and programs that have improved representation across the industry. Recognition of female artists, gender parity on boards, a commitment to safe and respectful workplaces and an industry free of harassment are positive steps that have seen real results.

“We’ve taken action to promote gender diversity on our Board of Directors, amending bylaws to allow for additional independent outside directors, and to introduce a Board Diversity Policy,” said Jackie Dean, Chief Operating Officer at Music Canada. “We have created an Advisory Council, made up of 15 exceptional and passionate individuals from a gender inclusive and diverse cross-section of the music industry. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce nominated Music Canada for the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Award, in recognition of our changes. We were honoured to be nominated for the award, which celebrates business excellence in supporting the creation of diverse and inclusive workplaces.” 

Significant progress has been made around the globe to protect and promote women’s rights. Yet, there is sadly still nowhere in the world where women can claim to have the same rights and opportunities as men, according to the United Nations. Of the world’s 1.3 billion absolute poor, the majority of this population are women. Women also receive between 30 to 40 percent less pay than men earn for the same work.

Music Canada congratulates the progress that has been made in the music industry, but recognizes there is still more to accomplish. We will continue to champion the rights of women, and we will do this while celebrating the unstoppable Canadian female artists and creators who have left permanent footsteps on the international music scene.

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Taylor Swift named 2019’s best-selling global recording artist by IFPI

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IFPI, the organization representing the recorded music industry worldwide, announced their Top 10 Global Recording Artist Chart yesterday. Taylor Swift has been recognized with the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award, as the world’s best-selling recording artist of 2019. The Award and the Top 10 chart is the only ranking to accurately measure music consumption across all formats (including streaming channels, digital and physical album and singles sales), and across all countries. It is weighted based on the relative value of each method of consumption.

Swift released her seventh studio album, Lover, in August 2019, which debuted at number one in more than 10 countries, including Canada. The album reached three million album-equivalent sales worldwide by the end of its first week of release.

“Taylor Swift is the epitome of a truly global star,” said Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI. “She continues to grow as an artist and maintains an incredibly strong connection with her fanbase, whilst continuing to evolve her sound with each album. It is a pleasure to be able to present her with the Global Recording Artist of the Year award for the second time.”

Swift was previously recognized with the Award in 2014. She joins Drake as the only two artists to earn the recognition multiple times. The Canadian rapper topped the chart in 2016 and 2018. Drake placed 8th on this year’s chart, marking five consecutive years that he has been in the Top 10.

“The ‘top ten’ showcases some of the brightest and most talented artists from around the world, from newer stars, such as Billie Eilish and BTS, to legacy acts like The Beatles and Queen,” added Moore. “This range demonstrates how people’s love of music can be continually ignited by new and diverse artists and yet endures across decades. I congratulate all the artists in the chart.”

The full Top 10 list, which was counted down by the IFPI on social media, is available below.

Top 10 Global Recording Artists 2019

1 Taylor Swift
2 Ed Sheeran
3 Post Malone
4 Billie Eilish
5 Queen
6 Ariana Grande
7 BTS
8 Drake
9 Lady Gaga
10 The Beatles

Source: IFPI

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JP Saxe receives first Canadian Platinum plaque in hometown

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Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter JP Saxe returned to his hometown of Toronto last week for a sold out show at The Drake Underground. Prior to the show, JP was surprised with a Canadian Platinum plaque by Sony Music Canada for his breakthrough hit “If The World Was Ending,” his collaboration with multi-Platinum artist Julia Michaels.

JP shared the news with his fans on his social media channels with a photo of the couple, who initially met while writing the hit track, posing with the plaque.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

the song baby went platinum in canada ❄️🇨🇦 @juliamichaels

A post shared by JP Saxe (@jpsaxe) on

Watch the music video for the FINNEAS-produced track below.

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Miranda Mulholland named runner-up for the Globe and Mail’s Canadian Artist of 2019

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Music Canada extends our congratulations to Miranda Mulholland on being named a runner-up for The Globe and Mail’s Canadian artist of 2019!

In the article, John Doyle highlights Mulholland’s acclaimed solo album, By Appointment or Chance; the continued growth of the Muskoka Music Festival, which Muholland founded in 2017; and the galvanizing artist advocacy work she has conducted as examples of why Miranda was one of the most exciting Canadian artists of 2019.

In 2019, Mulholland was named a Global IP Champion by the Global IP Center, and spoke about artist advocacy at events in Canada and around the world, including the Folk Alliance International conference in Montreal, the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights in Geneva, at Midem and the MaMa Festival and Convention in France, and Canadian Music Week in Toronto.

The Globe named literary icon Margaret Atwood the Canadian Artist of 2019, recognizing the success of her highly anticipated book The Testaments, the success of the television adaptation of her classic novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Atwood’s book tour and philanthropic endeavors amidst a time of great personal loss following the passing of long-time partner Graeme Gibson. 

Joining Mulholland as runners-up for the Globe’s recognition include actor and director Philip Akin, film performer, writer, and director Deragh Campbell, artist and sculptor Brian Jungen, and masked country musician Orville Peck. 

Congratulations, Miranda! We are proud and grateful to have such a talented artist and strong advocate for creators as Chair of the Music Canada Advisory Council.

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2019 Gold/Platinum Year-End Recap

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Left to Right: Felix Cartal, Lights, Tyler Shaw, Grandson

2019 has proven to be another spectacular year for Music Canada’s historic Gold/Platinum program. For the fourth consecutive year, the program has experienced a steady surge in Single Award certifications thanks to Canada’s continued shift towards on-demand audio streaming, which in 2018 accounted for 60% of recorded music revenues in Canada.

In 2019, Single Award certifications increased 33% from 2018’s total, with a 38% increase in tracks receiving their first Canadian Gold certifications (40,000 units). Music Canada began accepting on-demand subscription service streams with the introduction of the Single Award in September 2016, and has since experienced a 177% increase in new tracks receiving their first Canadian certifications.

11 singles received Diamond certifications (800,000 units) this year, surpassing 2018’s total. “Old Town Road,” the breakthrough hit by American crossover star Lil Nas X, was the only single released in 2019 to receive the top certification. Post Malone, who received the most certifications of any artist in 2019, followed this with the 2019 single “Wow.” at 7x Platinum, while Billie Eilish‘s hit “bad guy” received the third highest for a 2019 release at 6x Platinum.

Toronto-born rapper Drake‘s hit “God’s Plan,” which received the highest certification in 2018 for a Canadian artist at 8x Platinum, joins The Weeknd‘s “Starboy” and Loud Luxury‘s “Body (ft. Brando)” as the highest certifications for Canadian artists in 2019, each receiving a Diamond certification for their respective tracks. The Weeknd also received the highest album certification for a Canadian artist with the 5x Platinum certifications of 2015’s Beauty Behind The Madness and 2016’s Starboy. Khalid‘s Free Spirit, Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, and Billie Eilish’s WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? were the top certified albums released in 2019, each earning a Double Platinum (160,000 units) certification.

Several Canadian artists received their first Single Award certifications including Loud, Arcade Fire, Jade Eagleson, Craig Cardiff, The Dead South, Ali Gatie, Lucky Rose, Death From Above 1979, Frank Walker, Hunter Brothers, Patrick Watson, and The Barr Brothers. 

All singles receiving their first #GoldinCanada certifications in 2019 have been compiled into a playlist on Spotify and Apple Music available to stream below.

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Jonas Brothers receive Platinum plaques in Toronto

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Photo Credit: Jonas Brothers / Universal Music Canada

2019 was an epic year for American pop sensations Jonas Brothers, who returned to the spotlight following the release of their fifth studio album Happiness Begins and their first major arena tour in a decade. The band played three shows at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena over the course of the tour, along with a stop at Montreal’s Bell Centre on Wednesday night. Prior to Tuesday’s show in Toronto, Nick, Kevin, and Joe were surprised with their own Platinum award plaques for Happiness Begins by Universal Music Canada, sharing the news across their social media accounts with their Canadian fans.

Happiness Begins was the brothers’ first Canadian album certification since August 2009, when A Little Bit Longer (2008) received its Double Platinum certification and Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009) was certified Platinum. Happiness Begins also features the certified hits “Sucker” (4x Platinum), “Only Human” (Platinum), and “Cool” (Platinum), which are included on the custom award plaque.

Watch the music video for “Sucker” below.

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Music Canada proud to serve as partner for APTN’s landmark National Indigenous Music Impact Study

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On November 13th, 2019, APTN published the first-ever National Indigenous Music Impact Study. This landmark report demonstrates the contributions made by the Indigenous music community to the wider music industry, as well as to the overall Canadian economy. 

“We set out to gain a better understanding of this group of professionals, and what we found is that this industry has a significant impact on the economic and social fabric of Canada,” said Jean La Rose, CEO of APTN, in the news release. “However, the industry also faces challenges, which creates many opportunities for growth. We see this study as a starting point for in-depth and informed discussions that will help the industry reach its full potential.”

“Music Canada was proud to partner with APTN on this study, which highlights the important impact Indigenous artists have on the music ecosystem,” said Graham Henderson, President and CEO of Music Canada. “As the first comprehensive study of the Indigenous music industry in Canada to date, this report is contributing to a better understanding of the Indigenous music community’s impact from an economic, social, and cultural perspective.”

The study surveyed 620 respondents from the Indigenous music community in Canada and produced key findings, including the following:

  • Indigenous music contributed a total of almost $78 million to Canada’s economy (GDP) in 2018. 
  • Indigenous music also supports more than 3,000 full time positions across Canada.
  • Annually, Indigenous musicians (including both full time and part-time artists) earn an average of $47,200 from all sources. However – like many other musicians – almost half of income earned by Indigenous artists is derived from non-music work. 
  • Companies in the Indigenous music community reported that almost half (47%) of their activities last year were related to developing Indigenous music. These activities incurred $17.5 million in expenditures directly related to music by Indigenous artists.

Notably, the study found that there is no agreed-upon definition of Indigenous music. It cannot be constrained into a single genre, as the Indigenous music community today is characterized by an immense diversity of styles and experiences.

The report concludes that the Indigenous music community is vibrant and thriving. However, the Indigenous music industry (made up of Indigenous-owned, Indigenous-directed music companies and supporting organizations) is still early in its development process – and is in need of support to achieve robust growth.

To read the full National Indigenous Music Impact Study, download the report from APTN’s website.

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Jason Mraz presented with Gold Single plaque in Toronto

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Photo Credit: Warner Music Canada

Multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Jason Mraz returned to Toronto Tuesday night for the first of two intimate shows at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre alongside indie-folk quintet Raining Jane. Ahead of the performance, Warner Music Canada surprised Mraz with a Gold plaque for single “Have It All” from his 2018 album Know., which is his first Canadian certification since 2014’s Gold album YES!. 

During this Fall 2019 run of “Evening with” shows, Mraz also visited Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver.

Watch the music video for “Have It All” below.

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Cowboy Junkies’ Margo Timmins calls out sexism in the music industry at Canadian Music Hall of Fame Ceremony

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At the inaugural Canadian Music Hall of Fame Ceremony Presented by Music Canada, which took place at the National Music Centre on October 27th, legendary alternative country group Cowboy Junkies were one of four inductees into the Hall of Fame. 

In her acceptance speech, Cowboy Junkies’  lead vocalist Margo Timmins used the band’s moment of celebration to put a spotlight on the issue of sexism in the music industry, and issue a call for change. 

“I know we would all like to think that a boys’ club does not exist in our industry, but just look around you,” said Timmins. “Even tonight, there are 10 inductees, and one woman. And with my count, after tonight, there will be around 100 men and 10 women in the Hall of Fame. That’s not right.”

Timmins took the opportunity to encourage those in attendance, many of whom are leaders in the Canadian music industry, to take action to correct this long-standing imbalance. 

“I know that there are many men and women in our industry who struggle every day to create change, and to you I give you my respect and my support,” continued Timmins. “But there are also many women and men who think that with time, things will become equal and all will be well eventually. And perhaps they’re right. But what I say to that is, if you are thinking in this way, you have to remember, as we wait, the next generation of talented and creative women will be asked or allowed to join our industry by going through the side door — the way that women have entered the world of men for centuries, and it’s just wrong. So all I ask is that you people who are here, who are so powerful, you lead our industry, to think about it. And that somehow we have to bring in more women. Allow our daughters to know that if they want to be riggers, sound engineers, lighting techs, they can do it and they can join us on the road.”

Watch Cowboy Junkies’ Margo Timmins powerful acceptance speech at the Canadian Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

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Music Canada Congratulates Ontario Chamber of Commerce OBAA 2019 Winners

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November 15, 2019, Toronto: Music Canada was honoured to attend the 2019 Ontario Chamber of Commerce gala as a finalist for the Ontario Business Achievement Award (OBAA) for Diversity and Inclusion. This award recognizes business excellence in supporting the creation of diverse and inclusive workplaces.

“Music Canada is honoured to receive recognition as a finalist for the Diversity and Inclusion award from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce,” said Graham Henderson, Music Canada President and CEO. “As a leading voice in the music industry, we believe it’s important to take concrete actions to show our commitment to the principles that define us, and those principles include diversity and inclusivity. We also want to recognize the exceptional work of the award winner Danby Appliances, and all of the incredible OBAA nominees who are each helping to move the needle forward and enrich each of our workplaces, businesses and communities.”

Music Canada brings together the voices of its major record label members, Universal, Sony and Warner, to build a healthier and more robust music ecosystem throughout Canada. A thought-leader within the music ecosystem, Music Canada has taken concrete actions aimed at improving diversity and inclusivity within its governance and initiatives. 

Recent accomplishments by Music Canada include amending its bylaws to allow for two additional seats on its Board, which were filled by independent directors. A Board Diversity Policy was also instituted, which aims for Board composition of at least 40% women. And in 2019, Music Canada created an Advisory Council, comprised of 15 exceptional and passionate individuals from a diverse cross-section of music industry stakeholders with a variety of skills and experience. The Council and Music Canada’s consulting artist advocates continue to provide candid perspectives and insights which shape the organization and its activities. 

In addition, Music Canada seeks opportunities to work with other organizations to promote inclusivity in the music ecosystem. As a partner in the “Allies in Action” event at the 2019 JUNOS Awards, Music Canada showcased initiatives and programs within the music industry that make positive change in relation to diversity, inclusion and safe workplaces.

“Canada is home to some of the best music in the world. It’s truly a privilege that we get to advocate on behalf of the musicians and businesses who create that great music,” said Henderson. “And we believe that it is important that the diversity of the music ecosystem is reflected in our organization and our initiatives. That belief, together with the support of our innovative members, Universal, Sony and Warner, and the efforts of our exceptional staff, is the heart of our success.”

“This recognition is incredibly meaningful, but our work is not done,” said Jackie Dean, Music Canada Chief Operating Officer. “We will continue to advocate for greater representation on boards of directors in our industry and to create opportunities for artists, including those from underrepresented groups, to speak to their experiences.”

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Erica Meekes
Music Canada
emeekes@musiccanada.com
(416) 462-1485

 

About Music Canada
Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that represents the major record companies in Canada:  Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada. Music Canada also works with some of the leading independent record labels and distributors, recording studios, live music venues, concert promoters, managers and artists in the promotion and development of the music cluster.

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