What to know
- Women in Music Canada hosted its fourth annual Honours at Toronto’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre, recognizing artists, executives and organizations advancing equity in the music industry.
- Career Achievement Awards went to Simone Denny, Patti-Anne Tarlton, Sharon Hinds, Ava Kobrinsky and Sarah Lutz for their lasting impact across music, media and live events.
- Rising Leader awards highlighted the next generation of industry changemakers, including Laurie Chouinard, Kentya Kurban, Jalyssa Mills, Amber Still and Katy Venneri.
- The ceremony followed WIMC’s inaugural global summit, a three-day event at Allied Music Centre that brought together more than 70 speakers from 11 countries.
The Women in Music Canada Honours Thursday night at Toronto’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre provided encouragement and acknowledgment for women and gender diverse persons working in an industry long dominated by men, and needing a safe environment to lift each other up.
The awards, now in their fourth year, took place a day after WIMC’s inaugural global summit, a three-day panel-packed event at Allied Music Centre, featuring over 70 speakers from 11 countries and attended by almost 700 people in person and online.
The pre-announced Career Achievement Award recipients were “Superstar,” “Broken Bones” and Queer Eye theme singer Simone Denny; Live Nation Concerts Canada vice-chair, Patti-Anne Tarlton, a trailblazer and mentor; Sharon Hinds, another trailblazer, in radio, currently manager, All IN, Rogers Sports & Media; folk music festival founder Ava Kobrinsky, and Looters heavy metal marketing, promotions and publicity builder Sarah Lutz.
Following in their footsteps, the five Rising Leader Recipients were Laurie Chouinard of indie label CULT NATION; indie promoters Kentya Kurban and Jalyssa Mills – BAMMY Fridays; Do Me Nice; Amber Still, executive director, Polaris Music Prize; and Katy Venneri, senior director, events & artist relations,Canadian Academy of the Recording Arts & Sciences (CARAS), which presents the Juno Awards.
“I stand here deeply humbled, profoundly grateful,” said Hinds during her acceptance speech. “This moment represents perseverance, purpose, and the power in believing you belong, even when you don’t see yourself always reflected in the room.
“Throughout my career in radio, I’ve learned that music is powerful, and access to leadership is transformational…I accept this honour not just for myself, but for every woman building her path in this industry. To the next generation of women in music, your voice is not an accessory; it is an asset. Your leadership is not optional; it is essential.”
The other categories all featured nominees with the winner of each announced on stage:
- Artist of the Year: Elisapie
- Change Maker Of The Year: Bass Coast Festival and Good Night Out – Stacey Forrester, Andrea Graham and Liz Thomson
- Entrepreneur of the year: Wednesday Management’s Laurie Lee Boutet (The Beaches, Valley, Alex Porat, Venbee)
- Excellence In Live Music: Four Chords and the Truth Inc. – Andrea England
- Excellence In Sound Production: Hill Kourkoutis
- International Leader Of The Year: Miranda Mulholland – Letters to the Future
- Organization Of The Year: Manitoba Music.
Interspersed between the trophy presentations were performances by veteran DJ Mel Boogie, and rising stars Billianne, Annabel Oreste, and Simar. CBC’s Saroja Coelho hosted the night.
There were many inspiring speeches and truthful nuggets.
Said Kourkoutis, “This room is proof that, if the space does not exist, create it.”
Denny, now more than three decades in the business, said, “When I started, there were not a lot of women that looked like me. There were not a lot of Black women in Canada doing it. There weren’t curvy girls doing it. But I believed in me. I knew that I had a talent, and I knew that I had a voice, and I knew I had something to give and contribute to the Canadian music industry, and it has been an honour to represent Canada, of course nationally, but internationally as well.
“And I just want to take this opportunity to thank the board, WIM. I wish I had you guys when I was starting out. And to thank all the people that speak in rooms for me before I enter.”
WIMC, which had a short-lived predecessor in the 1980s called Women In the Music Business, spearheaded by the late Linda Dawe, was launched in 2014 by Samantha Slatterly, and has grown to have 11 regional chapters across Canada, includingYukon, with over 2,300 members.
“We’re training entrepreneurs, and we’re supporting people in the middle of their career,” WIMC’s executive director Robyn Stewart said at the top of the show. “We aren’t going to see sustainable change until we also train leaders and help advance people working in management roles to executive roles.”
