Mark your calendars – Music BC’s next intake of travel grants is open for applications on Wednesday, April 5th! This will be our final grant deadline for 2023, and submissions will be accepted until May 26th at 5:00 PM PST.
This intake period will be accepting applications to support initiatives that take place between April 1st, 2023, to September 30th, 2023.
Start getting your application ready in advance by reviewing our program guidelines and eligibility criteria. ARTIST GUIDELINES // BUSINESS GUIDELINES
Have more questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@musicbc.org.
Applications Open: April 5, 2023 Application Deadline: May 26, 2023 at 5:00 PM PST
Thank you to Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia for helping make this program possible.
Let’s Hear It is heading to Victoria on April 18th, in celebration of Creative Industries Week! Catch Desirée Dawson, Nicky Mackenzie and XL The Band at the Duke Saloon, all for only $10.00!
Now in its fifth year, Let’s Hear It has evolved into a platform for emerging artists from British Columbia to connect and grow their local fanbase and industry connections through live performances. The series has featured over 60 new and emerging artists from around BC, with concerts in Vancouver, Kelowna and Victoria.
Event Info:
Doors: 7:00pm / Music: 8:00pm sharp – 19+ Event
The Duke Saloon – 502 Discovery St, Victoria BC
Tickets $10 Online / $15 at the Door
Thank you to Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia for helping make this event possible.
The Western Canadian Music Awards and Industry Awards celebrate the best of artistic and music industry talent in Western Canada. Submissions for award consideration are now open!
The 2023 Awards, along with BreakOut West Showcasing, will take place in Kelowna, British Columbia, Oct 11 – 15, 2023. To find out if you are eligible, review their guidelines here.
OHSOTO’KINO Music Incubatoris a five-day artist development intensive for emerging Indigenous artists in Canada. Each year, six Indigenous artists will converge on Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre (NMC) in Calgary, AB.
Applications are open from now until April 28 to Indigenous artists across Canada.
The program includes career guidance and mentorship from Indigenous music industry leaders, sessions on professional development topics, and songwriting and performance workshops. It will run from Monday, September 11 to Friday, September 15, 2023.
Submission Deadline: April 28, 2023 at 11:59 PM MT
The Henry Armstrong Award (HAA) is a newly launched bursary and mentorship program, created to develop, elevate, and support Indigenous artists within the Canadian music industry. The award aims to provide unique opportunities for growth and development, culminating with the chosen act receiving a $10,000 bursary, along with a tailored mentorship program of professional development services. Application Deadline: May 5, 2023
HONEY JAM SUBMISSIONS OPEN Honey Jam is a non-profit multicultural artist development program, working with young emerging Canadian female artists of all cultures and representing all genres of music to provide mentoring, educational, vocal coaching, performance and networking opportunities. They are searching the country for female artists, ages 14-25 representing all genres of music for this season artist development program. Online auditions can be submitted in lieu of in-person. Submission Deadline: May 27th, 2023
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS MUSIC SUMMIT 2023 The International Indigenous Music Summit (IIMS) is a unique gathering of artists, knowledge keepers, and community builders, key invited allies and cultural innovators.This year the Summit will take place from May 31st – June 4, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario. Indigenous artists and the music industry will come together to honour tradition and forge new paths, through curated musical showcases, networking activities, panels and ceremonies. LEARN MORE
APPLY TO PERFORM AT CANADA HOUSE: REEPERBAHN 2023 CIMA is excited to be heading back to Germany for Reeperbahn 2023. They’ll once again be hosting Canada House and presenting showcases. This is a fantastic opportunity to access the 4th largest worldwide music market with Reeperbahn attracting thousands of artists and music industry professionals from across the globe. Application Deadline: June 16, 2023
ARC is an accelerator program highlighting, nurturing and sending into orbit the exciting, diverse voices that beat in BC 💫
Mikey Jose selected to showcase at NXNE 2023 in Toronto Mikey Jose has announced that you can catch his signature combination of retro soul and modern R&B/pop flair at this years’ NXNE festival in Toronto, Ontario! Official showcase dates and times are coming soon, so be sure to follow Mikey on Instagram for the latest updates! – READ MORE
Missy D and Nicky Mackenzie to perform at Phillips Backyard Weekender Hip-Hop/Rap & Soul artist Missy D and Soul/R&B artist Nicky MacKenzie have been officially announced as performers at one of BC’s favourite summer events – The Phillips Backyard Weekender! Catch them slaying the stage alongside headliners like Anderson Paak and Snotty Nose Rez Kids. – READ MORE
INDUSTRY NEWS
Blood Alley Music Hall: New 600-person entertainment venue opening in Gastown
Blood Alley and the broader Gastown area in downtown Vancouver will get a much-needed lift from the opening of a new major entertainment and music venue. – READ MORE
No-fun city no longer? Vancouver looks to build a vibrant nighttime economy
Vancouver has spent years seeking ways to address its no-fun reputation by envisioning a vibrant nightlife that spills into streets and other public areas. – READ MORE
Coachella’s Lineup Is Half International Artists — Why Is U.S. Border Policy So Hostile Toward Them?
What surprising thing do more than half of the acts booked at the 2023 Coachella festival have in common? Unless they comply with burdensome, expensive, and exploitative administrative requirements, they would be barred from entering the United States to perform, and would have 30% of their payment siphoned off at source. – READ MORE
Music Licensing Talks with Twitter Stall Under Elon Musk Leadership, Says Report
A new report suggests Elon Musk’s cost-cutting measures at Twitter have impacted music licensing talks. In December 2022, the platform was sued for a failure to pay a $1 million invoice for a software contract that doesn’t expire until 2024. The lawsuit alleges that the now Musk-led Twitter intends to stiff the company on more than $7 million in future payments. – READ MORE
Arabic Music Is on the Brink of a Global BreakthroughThanks to the rise of platforms like TikTok and the breakdown of traditional music-industry gatekeeping, a new generation of Arab artists is reaching a worldwide audience on their own terms. – READ MORE
Spotify’s $100 Million Diversity Fund Has Started Slowly
In its first year, a fund set up to promote diversity in music and podcasts has spent less than 10% of the money on that work. – READ MORE
SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK
Sejal Lal is a violinist, singer, and songwriter from Surrey, BC. Sejal’s music is heavily influenced by classical, folk, jazz, South Asian, soul and R&B music. Along with developing solo material, Sejal is one half of longstanding R&B-soul duo Laydy Jams, with Missy D, through which she has performed at numerous festivals, including Indian Summer Festival, the UN Women Delivers Conference, Rifflandia, the Vancouver Coastal Jazz Fest amongst others.
She continues to study violin, songwriting, voice, and improvisation with her teachers, violinist John “Adidam” Littlejohn, respected multi-instrumentalist Davinder Hundal, and vocal coach Carla Chambers.
In September 2022, Sejal’s original composition for Langston Hughes’ poem “Fulfillment”, was included in an exhibit at The Morgan Museum and Library in New York, featuring the work of Ashley Bryan and Langston Hughes.
Sejal is passionate about using her music to explore the intersections of social and environmental justice, radical intergenerational joy, and building connections through communities she’s part of.
Sejal is a South-Asian-descent settler from Surrey, and currently living on the traditional and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh & səl̓ilwətaʔɬ peoples.
Reach out to info@musicbc.org if you would like to include an upcoming application or funding deadline.
ROLLING DEADLINES
FACTOR:Live Performance, Industry Events, Collective Initiatives – Showcase Production for Artists from Official Language Minority, Collective Initiatives – Showcase Production for Export-Ready Artists, Comprehensive Artist, Comprehensive Music Company, Business Travel, Marketing & Promo for Non-FACTOR Funded Sound Recordings, Songwriter Development, Sponsorship, Video
SOCAN:Travel Assistance, Professional Development Assistance, SOCAN Foundation Relief Fund
Canada Council:Travel, Residencies, Professional Development for Artists, Research and Creation
This project is funded in part by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters. Ce projet est financé en partie par FACTOR, le gouvernement du Canada et les radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada.
