What to know
- Honey Jam has announced the 18 emerging artists selected for its 31st annual showcase on Aug. 20 at Toronto’s TD Music Hall.
- The performers represent Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland after being chosen through auditions.
- Beyond the showcase, participants will receive mentorship, industry workshops and career development opportunities over the coming year.
- Honey Jam founder Ebonnie Rowe, recently appointed to the Order of Canada, says the program is about supporting artists throughout their careers.
The 18 female artists selected from across Canada, who will be performing at the 31st annual Honey Jam showcase Aug. 20 at Toronto’s TD Music Hall, were announced tonight (July 13) at the Allied Music Centre.
They all auditioned for judges, either in person or by online submission.
They are: Rianna Jones, Mars Aspen, Sonaali, Oh Alice, Nicole Glazunov, Maya Gamzu, Silver Fae, Aiyana, Tea Valentina, Dayana, Perswasian, Evie Marsten, Posic, AHSIA, Saraphina Knights, Freya, Jessica Spurrell, and Miranda Carlin. Read their bios by clicking on their names here. They hail from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario (many from Toronto).
Tickets are on sale for $25 all in. Proceeds from tickets sale help support the non-profit artist development program.
Guest performers are Feura and Getchnah, and DJs Killa Kels and Mrii. The evening will be hosted by CBC’s Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe.
But Honey Jam is much more than a curated concert of new talent. As founder Ebonnie Rowe, who was just appointed to the Order of Canada for her three decades of charity work mentoring and developing female artists in a safe space, is much much more than a one-night concert.
The 18 artists will have one vocal performance session with legendary vocal coach Elaine Overholt who has worked with Honey Jam for 20 years and whose resume includes names like Shawn Mendes, John Travola and Queen Latifah. They will also receive one-on-one consulting with platinum-selling producer and songwriter Rob Wells, who has worked with Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber. There will be panels with Elevate Higher author and artist Tara Lord about mental health for creatives, and hip hop artist pHoenix Pagliacci, formerly of the Sorority, part of a career advice workshop. Rowe will also take the artists on a visit to Sony Music Canada and the Canadian Music Reproductions Rights Agency (CMRRA). There will likely be other educational and networking opportunities over the next year.
“Honey Jam is a forever sisterhood,” said Rowe onstage. “We promote encourage and support the artists throughout their careers. They come to us often for advice, for letters of recommendation. We have to follow and amplify all the amazing things that they’re doing, and we also love when they return to be volunteers, mentors, panelists, and, also, when we can offer paid opportunities to them, as well.
“My hope for all of the, we call them the newbie artists, who, yes, we want you to learn about publishing and management, and sync, and royalties, and all of the things, and that’s all great knowledge, but also want you to be good human beings. I want you to represent yourselves well, and I want you to represent Honey Jam well.
“I want to say don’t let someone else’s beauty become your insecurity; your future is monitoring your current life choices,” she continued. “Think about the things that you’re doing, the decisions that you’re making, the people that you’re surrounding, yourself with. We’re here to support you. I’m here to scold you, as well. I told you, I’m not trying to be your friend. But we want you to succeed.”
Not all the artists were in Toronto for the reveal, but the ones that were took to the stage and sang “Shine” by British soul singer Cleo Sol.
Then rock artist Feura, one of the Honey Jam alums performing at the August showcase, went onstage to offer some advice to the newbies.
“I know when I was in your seat, I’d never performed with a band before,” they said. “This was my first really big live opportunity outside of an open mic, and I have to say you’re gonna go through this process, and you’re gonna be like, ‘It’s a whirlwind’…You’re gonna have [all this information] stuffed in your brain. And then you’re gonna look back a year from now and go, ‘Holy, I didn’t realize how amazing this opportunity was until coming out of it. ‘ So, my advice to all of you right now is truly take it in.
“I think everyone in this room can agree working in arts industry, that you get out of it what you put into it, right? And the harder you are willing to work for what you believe in, and what you want, those are the people who are gonna make it.”
The event was capped with a lengthy Q&A with former TikTok music lead, global product public policy Erin Lowers, conducted by Hot House Songs’ founder and executive Vivian Barclay.
Lowers, who had been in the music business for more than 15 years, starting as a journalist, then working for Manifesto festival, before entering the tech world at YouTube and Tik Tok, had this advice for the young artists. “I’m a big fan of throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks,” she said.
“Something that you may not have thought was your jam is gonna be it. I never thought I would work in a product policy role. I never thought I would work in tech. I thought I was gonna be in journalism forever… Don’t be so quick to actually choose what you want to do. You’ve got to explore; you’re young; you can do whatever you want. And then feel what is right for you as you move through your career.”
Honey Jam was founded in 1995 and has become one of Canada’s best-known artist development programs for emerging female musicians. The annual showcase has helped launch the careers of numerous Canadian performers while providing mentorship, networking opportunities and industry training.
Earlier this year, founder Ebonnie Rowe was appointed to the Order of Canada in recognition of her decades of work supporting and mentoring women in the Canadian music industry.
Note: Karen Bliss was one of the in-person judges.
