By David Farrell
Members of the Tragically Hip were honoured on Dec. 03 for their ongoing humanitarian efforts by Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Notable is the fact that in 2002, The Tragically Hip was first inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame under the Arts & Entertainment pillar. In 2022, they were recognized again for their Humanitarian efforts. Recently, the band donated over $50K to the music industry charity, Unison Benevolent Fund which provides emergency financial funding to music entertainment workers.
Eleven others were inducted into the Walk of Fame at the gala, including Indigo founder Heather Reisman and Juno award-winning R&B singer Deborah Cox.
Canada's Walk of Fame gala will air on Dec. 17 on CTV.
– While the CAB was critical of the CRTC’s just-released commercial radio policy review, Music Canada’s viewpoint is quite the opposite. In a statement released yesterday afternoon, organization CEO Patrick Rogers stated, “We appreciate the Commission’s work as radio continues to be an important way for Canadian artists to connect with their fans. We look forward to helping them modernize the definition of Canadian content to ensure it reflects not only how Canadians make music today but how they find success on radio and in streaming (and) we applaud the Commission for maintaining current Canadian content regulations,” even as “we would have liked to have seen a higher play requirement for plays by emerging artists.” He added that a “5% requirement will act as an important tool to help ensure the next generation of great Canadian talent is heard. Lastly, we support the Commission's efforts to help create an environment where music from equity-deserving and sovereignty-affirming groups can grow in that it is done so in ways informed by the voices from those communities.”
– Dani Oliva, a transgender, Canadian artist advocate, speaker, music attorney, and co-founder of the Indigenous, LGBTQ-owned Alt Eden imprint, has been named the new VP of Business and Legal Affairs at Venice Music–the one-stop for indie distro and artist services shop co-founded by American music manager Troy Carter last year.
– Anne of Green Gables is taking a break after an eternity of summer season performances at Charlottetown’s Confederation Centre for the Arts. After 57 years, the CCA has announced the musical will be performed every other year rather than annually. The musical adaptation is Canada's longest-running musical, having been performed annually from 1965 through 2019. The pandemic closed it for the years 2020/21. In March 2014, the show was officially recognized as the world's longest-running annual musical theatre production by Guinness World Records. – Wikipedia, NYT’s
– Korean software developer and venture capital firm Animoca Brands, the parent company of The Sandbox gaming metaverse, has acquired a majority stake in Pixelynx, a music metaverse gaming platform company founded by Joel Zimmerman aka deadmau5, and Richie Hawtin, aka Plastikman. The investment follows recent reports that Animoca is launching a US$2B metaverse fund for developers.
“Pixelynx is one of the new wave of companies that are paving novel pathways for the music industry amid a major technological shift from centralized to decentralized ownership,” said Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, in a press release.
Inder Phull, CEO of Pixelynx, commented: “Animoca Brands has established itself as a dominant player in building the shared vision of an open metaverse. This deal marks the beginning of a new era in the music industry in which Web3, gaming, and transmedia content will unlock new formats, revenue streams, and business models that support artists, fans, and labels.” – Games Beat, MBW, Animoca Brands
– CARAS and MusiCounts announced today the appointment of its new members joining the 2022-2023 Board of Directors. Joining the board for the 2022-2023 term are:
Adam Burchill: Head of Sports and Gaming, North America, TikTok
Dr. Julie Nagam: Chair of the History of Indigenous Arts of North America (Assistant Professor and Curator) at the University of Winnipeg
Kate Purchase: Senior Director, CEO Platform, Office of the CEO at Microsoft
Mark Harrison: Founder, The T1 Agency
Outgoing board members are Bruce Allen, Christina Litz, Ron Zifarelli and Mark Cohon, whom the Board thanked “for their dedication and service.”
The Complete List of the 2022-2023 Board of Directors and Officers:
Chair/Executive Producer – Julie Adam
President & CEO/Executive Producer – Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/JUNO Awards
1st Vice-Chair – Shane Carter, President, Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc.
2nd Vice-Chair – Kristen Burke, President, Warner Music Canada
Secretary - Melissa Bubb-Clarke, Vice President, Music & Live Events Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Alexandra Bellamy – Managing Director, Head of Assurance and Advisory Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Erik Hoffman – President, Toronto Live Nation
Helen Britton – President & CEO, Management Six Shooter Inc.
Jeffrey Remedios – President & CEO, Universal Music
Jennifer Dettman – Executive Director, Unscripted Content CBC
Miro Oballa – Partner, Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland LLP Entertainment and Media Lawyers
– MusiCounts, Canada’s leading music education charity, is to honour award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) with the 2023 MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award, presented by CST Foundation. Drew is being recognized for his “philanthropic contributions to music education in Canada and his integral role in expanding MusiCounts’ instrument grant programs from exclusively schools to include community groups across the country.” He will be presented the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award at the Juno opening night awards on March 11. In honour of Drew’s efforts to support youth music education, $30,000 worth of MusiCounts Band Aid Program instrument grants will be awarded to Canadian schools in 2023.
– Culvert Music MD Albert Zgarka (scion to father Dominique) has teamed up with longstanding friend and photographer Mike Mangov to launch FOC Foods, a boutique brand that is fast becoming known for its salt-cured chillies in oil and peach fermented hot sauce that retail for $12 a pop in a network of 65 and growing trattorias and food emporiums in southern ON. Fallingbrook Market and Café in the city’s trendy Beaches East is one of the shops peddling the foodie faves to a notable number of former music biz execs.
– Jamelia Campbell has joined CARAS as Sr. Manager, Marketing & Communications. She leads the marketing and communications department on the brand team headed by VP Andrés Mendoza. Campbell was a publicist with Sony Music Ent. for six years and earlier worked at The Orchard as an account management and marketing manager. She is currently the publicist for ADVANCE and sits on the organization's advisory board and the board of Women In Music Canada.
– With a show-stopper of a show in London’s West End and cued dates in NYC and Auckland, Canada’s four tenors, now known as The Tenors, are on course to sanctify Santa with another tra-la-la across mainstream Canada under the banner of A Season of Miracles. The opera buffa culminates with performances at the NAC (18th) and Roy Thomson Hall on the nigh- before-the-night-before Christmas.
– A hearty, if rather belated, congrats to John-Michael Erlendson, who has received the Arnold Edinborough Award in recognition of his volunteer contributions as the general manager and president of SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival. Every year, Business / Arts brings together arts and business leaders from across Canada to celebrate lasting partnerships and exceptional service to the arts
– Earlier, we mentioned that Tom Williams was convalescing at Toronto’s Sunnybrook hospital after an unprovoked knife attack. Things were looking pretty dark there for a time, but he’s pulled through and started to message on Facebook and even sent us a bedside photo that showed he’s been reading David Baldacci’s Dream Town. Of course, during his recuperation, his former business partner Al Mair was less fortunate and for whom we all hang our hats in sadness.
