Canadian Music Week is back in 2021 with a virtual conference and festival now scheduled. The 2020 edition of Canada's largest music industry gathering was a victim of Covid-19 and the pandemic lockdown. Ongoing restrictions prevent the traditional format of the event, but the virtual conference set for May 18-21 will still include networking sessions, breakout rooms, one-on-one meetings, Q&A sessions, exhibitors, and more.

The list of music industry heavy-hitters who will participate is an impressive one. In alphabetical order, they include:

Brittney King Rock – President, 10k Projects

Carianne Marshall – Co-Chair & COO, Warner Chappell Music

Chris Blackwell – Island Records Founder

Debra Rathwell – EVP of Global Touring at AEG

Desmond Child – Grammy winning producer, songwriter

Ethan Millman – Writer Rolling Stone

Gail Mitchell – Executive Director, R&B/Hip Hop, Billboard Magazine

Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault

Ian Montone – Founder Monotone Management Inc.

Kevin Liles – Co-Founder & CEO, 300 Entertainment

Lawrence Mestel – Founder & CEO, Primary Wave

Mauricio Ruiz – 8 Til Faint Management, Co-Manager, Jessie Reyez

Merck Mercuriadis – Hipgnosis Music Fund

Michael McCarty – CEO, Kilometre Music Group

Michael Huppe – President & CEO, Sound Exchange

Natalia Nastaskin – CCO, Primary Wave

Nile Rodgers – Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer

Portia Sabin – President, Music Business Association

Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk – Hit singer/songwriters

Rob Stevenson – Partner, 300 Entertainment

Ryan Press – President, A&R, U.S., Warner Chappell Music

Sam Hollander – Songwriter, producer, hitmaker

Shirley Halperin – Executive Editor, Variety

Suzy Shinn, Hit Producer and engineer

Wendy Ong – President, TaP Music

Register for the conference here

The Canadian Music Week Festival will also proceed, in virtual form. To watch live-streamed shows, register for free here.

CMW Festival Submissions 2021 are now open here, with a deadline of April 25. The submission fee is $99 (plus HST), and includes one free general admission to the virtual CMW Conference whether you are accepted or not.

Also held in conjunction with CMW is the 20th anniversary of the Independent Music Awards (The Indies), to be livestreamed from the El Mocambo in Toronto on May 21.

More CMW info here.