The JUNO Awards and Slaight Music have announced the return of The Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class artist development program. Submissions for this year’s Master Class are now being accepted through to June 30 at 5 p.m. ET.

This opportunity will recognize three talented Canadian artists or groups – as selected by the Super Jury – that are ready for the next step in their careers. The program aims to provide each participant with “essential tools, unique opportunities, and priceless connections” to amplify their careers and to help them on their journey to the JUNO Awards stage. The Master Class includes a week-long customized artist development program co-developed with Canada’s Music Incubator at Coalition Music. Taking place in Toronto, this development program provides hands-on mentoring, education, skills training, development, networking, and collaboration opportunities. Submissions are free and require an active CARAS Academy Delegate endorsement.

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Contributed by Byron Pascoe, Edwards PC, Creative Law

Being a musician is a business. One way to increase your likelihood of having a sustainable career as a musician is through the support of a record label, including things like recording funds, distribution, and promotion.

Resources such as Canadian Musician are great to help artists attract label attention, discover what the labels are looking for from artists, and find an optimal fit for the artist-label partnership. If you have what they’re looking for and they’re the right partner for your needs and aspirations, you’re that much closer to signing on the dotted line.

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The third annual CBC Music Festival kicked off the summer with a bang as thousands of fans of Canadian music were treated to a stack billed and some hot sun on Saturday.

Hey Rosetta! closed out the day at the TD Echo Beach site near downtown Toronto, but before that fans made trips between the two stages (stopping at food trucks in between) to see Alvvays, Tanya Tagaq, The New Pornographers, Tokyo Police Club, Maestro Fresh Wes, John River, Terra Lightfoot, and more.

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Canadian Musician writer Samantha Everts & photographer Mark Matusoff braved the sweltering heat on Saturday, May 28th, to take in the CBC Music Festival at Toronto’s Echo Beach. Check out Sam’s thoughts & Mark’s shots.

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A lineup of celebrated guitar players and Canadian talent performed at Massey Hall on May 27th, 2016 as a tribute to late blues legend Jeff Healey. Canadian Musician’s Hal Rodriguez was onsite to take in the magic that was Healey’s 50th Celebration. Photos by Mark Gommer.

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This Friday, May 27^th, at Massey Hall in Toronto an incredible line-up of Jeff Healey’s friends and peers will take the stage in celebration of what would have been Healey’s 50^th birthday.  Fans are encouraged to join this celebration of the life and legacy of the legendary, Canadian music icon and one of Toronto’s favourite sons – Jeff Healey.

All proceeds from this event are being donated to World Eye Cancer Hope. World Eye Cancer Hope is a charity designated by the Jeff Healey Estate that does amazing work with childhood retinoblastoma – the same cancer that took Jeff’s sight.

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The 2016 CBC Searchlight Contest winner was revealed Sunday night during a televised special on CBC Television… and the winner is Desirée Dawson from the Vancouver area. Dawson beat out the other final four contestants: PEI’s Dylan Menzie and Ontario’s Andi and popular vote winner Teo Milea. The final winner was decided by a celebrity panel of Dallas Smith, Sarah Blackwood off Walk of the Earth, and Maestro Fresh Wes.

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Slaight Music will present Unison Jam 2 on Thursday, June 16^th. This exceptional night of Canadian music comes back to The Phoenix Concert Theatre and features a dozen celebrated Canadian artists sharing their talent, their music, and the stage with one another—all while supporting the work of the Unison Benevolent Fund.

“In 2015, the first Unison Jam was a celebration of having raised over one million dollars, and a chance to announce the activation of Unison’s emergency financial relief program for music industry professionals in crisis,” says Catharine Saxberg, Unison co-founder and Chair of the Board. “But it was clear by the end of the night, from both the artists and the audience, that Unison Jam had so much more life in it!”

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As good as the conference and festival programming was at CMW 2016, one of the key benefits of events like it has little to do with said programming. I was reminded of that during this year’s edition.

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Canadian Musician contributor Samantha Dotson had her camera out on May 6th, 2016 for iHeartRadio Fest. A highlight of Canadian Music Week 2016, the event featured a stacked lineup with the likes of Jocelyn Alice, Scott Helman, Coleman Hell, Shawn Hook, X Ambassadors, and Tegan & Sara.

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