On Thursday night, members of Toronto’s music industry came together for a fundraiser in support of the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research. The group attended a Toronto Blue Jays game and gathered beforehand at Steam Whistle Brewery for a pre-game social.
Through beer, snack, and ticket sales, as well as a silent auction, attendees raised $2,100 for the Sunnybrook charity, surpassing the $1,000 goal leading up to the event.
More than 170 tickets were sold to the Blue Jays game, which included a donation to the Downie Fund with purchase. The event was organized by Jon Box of Universal Music Canada, who hopes the event can continue again next year and surpass 200 ticket sales.
The Tragically Hip, one of Canada’s most beloved bands, and recipients of multiple Diamond, Platinum and Gold certifications, conclude their Man Machine Poem Tour this Saturday in the band’s hometown of Kingston, ON. The CBC has announced that it will be broadcasting the August 20 show live from the Rogers K-Rock Centre (located at 1 The Tragically Hip Way) across its television, radio and digital platforms.
A listing of CBC’s broadcast channels showing the concert is available here. The broadcast starts with a pre-show at 8pm EST and The Tragically Hip will begin promptly at 8:30pm EST.
Communities and businesses across Canada, as well as the US and UK, have organized viewing events for Saturday’s show. The CBC has compiled a list of places where fans can watch the live broadcast. Many viewing events are encouraging attendees to donate to cancer research foundations, including the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.
In a touching tribute, staff from Sunnybrook filmed a performance of The Hip classic “Courage” as a thank you to Gord, the band, and everyone who has donated to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research.
In an interview with the CBC, Gord Downie’s chief oncologist, Dr. James Perry, thanked fans for all of their fundraising efforts following Downie’s decision to make his diagnosis public. “I’m really thankful to all of the folks from all of the cities on the tour so far that have held fundraising events outside the venues — you know, house parties, all kinds of things have been going on.” He reportedly likened the response to the Ice Bucket Challenge of 2014 supporting ALS research.
BTS announced as 2020’s IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award recipients https://musiccanada.com/news/bts-announced-as-2020s-ifpi-global-recording-artist-of-the-year-award-recipients/ #IFPIGlobalArtistChart
#1 @BTS_bighit – @BTS_twt are officially IFPI’s Global Recording Artists of 2020! It was a historic year for the band which saw 3 album releases and multiple charts and sales records broken domestically and globally. #IFPIGlobalArtistChart
Global phenomenon @bts_bighit are officially @IFPI_org's Global Recording Artists of 2020, after a record-breaking year with multiple #1 albums & singles. BTS are the first Korean act to earn the Award, & the first winner to perform primarily in a language other than English.
#2 @taylorswift13 – After releasing not one but two surprise albums in 2020, last year’s winner Taylor Swift appears in the Top 10 for the 5th time. Written & recorded in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, both albums topped charts worldwide. #IFPIGlobalArtistChart
#3 @Drake – With preceding single Toosie Slide going straight to #1 in the US, Drake released his mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes in 2020 to great acclaim, followed by a series of high-profile collaborations. This marks his 6th consecutive year in the Top 10. #IFPIGlobalArtistChart
Toronto hip hop sensation @Drake returns to @IFPI_org's Global Artist Chart once again - earning the #3 position on the global appeal of his Dark Lane Demo Tapes mixtape & many hit singles incl. Toosie Slide - marking his 6th consecutive year in the #IFPIGlobalArtistChart Top 10
#4 @theweeknd – Kicking off 2020 with the release of one of the definitive tracks of the year, The Weeknd followed with a chart-topping album in March, plus the announcement at the end of 2020 of his now legendary 2021 Super Bowl performance. #IFPIGlobalArtistChart
From Scarborough, Ontario, to the world - @theweeknd's After Hours album & its hit singles were mainstays on charts around the world, pushing him to #4 on @IFPI_org's #IFPIGlobalArtistChart in 2020, marking his fourth career appearance on the chart and highest position so far.
#5 @billieeilish – Following her debut top 5 appearance last year, Billie Eilish returns for 2020, this time with a James Bond theme under her belt, as well as two highly acclaimed singles. #IFPIGlobalArtistChart
#6 @Eminem – Kicking off the year with a surprise album release and performance at the 92nd Academy Awards, Eminem became the first artist in history to have 10 albums consecutively debut at #1 in the US. #IFPIGlobalArtistChart
#7 @PostMalone – In April, following a postponed US arena tour, Post Malone announced a live streamed concert of all Nirvana covers. Receiving critical acclaim, the concert raised money to support the World Health Organization relief fund. #IFPIGlobalArtistChart
#8 @ArianaGrande – 2020 was a year that saw Ariana Grande collaborate with some of the biggest names in pop music, before releasing her 6th studio album Positions in October with accompanying singles topping charts the world over. #IFPIGlobalArtistChart
Music Canada