Province announces 2016 Ontario Music Fund recipients

Yesterday afternoon at the Rivoli, the Hon. Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the 2016 Ontario Music Fund (OMF) grant recipients, with 151 recipients receiving $14 million in grants in the third year of the program. The fund, which is administered by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), supports music entrepreneurs, record labels, managers, agents, industry trade associations, and training institutions across Ontario.

Today #Ontario announced support for the music industry https://t.co/MXrfnIa6wD pic.twitter.com/OtuNLTzpUP

— TourismCultureSport (@ExploreON) April 20, 2016

Per the release, the OMF, which was made permanent in the 2015 Ontario budget, has now supported 244 applications from 220 companies in its first three years, resulting in 1,274 full-time equivalent positions for Ontario’s music industry. More than 1.6 million people have attended events supported by the fund in its first two years, which featured performances by more than 1900 Ontario artists.

“Ontario is home to the largest music industry in Canada and one of the most diverse anywhere in the world,” said Wynne in the release. “Through the Ontario Music Fund, our government is supporting a dynamic and important cultural sector, helping to create good jobs here in Ontario while exporting our sound to the world.”

“By investing in the music industry through the Ontario Music Fund, our government has ensured that Ontario continues to be the best place in Canada for recording and performing music,” added the Hon. Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “I’m proud that through this newly permanent fund, our government will continue to create opportunities that showcase our talented artists and producers, and attract visitors from around the world.”

Success stories highlighted by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport include A Tribe Called Red, the Guelph Jazz Festival, Dine Alone Records, CP Music Group, and Phem Phat Entertainment Group. The release also notes that artists supported by the OMF have sold almost four million recordings domestically and five million internationally.