awards
SOCAN Foundation Announces Winners of Third Annual SiriusXM Black Canadian Music Awards
Recognizes Black Music Creators From Across Canada
TORONTO /CNW/ – The SOCAN Foundation is thrilled to announce the recipients of the third annual SiriusXM Black Canadian Music Awards: Adria Kain, AHI, Desarae Dee, Nonso Amadi and Zach Zoya.
The Black Canadian Music Awards were created to recognize and celebrate the artistic merit demonstrated by Black music creators of any genre. This year, SiriusXM Canada has doubled their support for the award, with the five selected winners each receiving a prize of $10,000 to support their career development
“What an honour to participate in amplifying Black creatives. So many of the submissions were incredible, making this the hardest jury process to date,” said Keziah Myers, Executive Director at ADVANCE Music Canada, and chair of the jury. “I learned of writers and composers that I didn’t know about, automatically looked up their projects, and it inspired me to think of ways to amplify them within the industry and provide more vehicles for opportunity. Congratulations to the winners!” Myers was part of the SOCAN Foundation committee that created the Black Canadian Music Awards, and she has also served as a jury member for the last three years.
This year the Awards had a record number of applications from artists across Canada, spanning a multitude of genres. Winners were selected by a jury and advisory council of prominent Black artists and industry leaders. Jury members include Keziah Myers (Executive Director at Advance), Nicolas Ouellet (Radio Host at Radio-Canada), Lord Quest (Executive Creative, Black Music at SOCAN), Marika Siewert (Recording Artist) and Wayne Samuels (President and CEO at Wired Management Inc).
“We’re so proud to help bring this program to life for a third year and to double the prize money for these incredibly talented and deserving recipients,” said Michelle Mearns, VP, Programming & Operations, SiriusXM Canada. “SiriusXM is committed to supporting Black Canadian artists and I can’t wait to see what these artists create in the future.”
Additional information on the Black Canadian Music Award recipients is below. Press photos for the five recipients are available here.
Special distinctions and awards of $1,000 are also being made to City Fidelia, Haley Smalls, Leila Day, Promise and Shreez. Press photos for the special distinction recipients are available here.
For additional information on the SOCAN Foundation and its programs, please visit socanfoundation.ca.
Black Canadian Music Award Recipient Biographies:
Adria Kain is a Toronto-based artist known for sharing raw and honest lived experiences through soulful melodies and thought-provoking lyricism. She came up through The Remix Project alongside DVSN’s Daniel Daley and Jessie Reyez. With an impressive vocal range and unique tone, the budding talent has garnered acclaim from tastemakers including Complex, Fader and CBC. Adria’s debut album, When Flowers Bloom, landed her a Polaris Prize nomination and a moving COLORS performance of her song “Only With Time“, which blew away the likes of TI, Lena Waithe, Rapsody and Joe Budden.
With a voice like “gravel on silk”, Brampton-born singer-songwriter AHI has learned to balance his instrument’s power across a colourful landscape of tightly-crafted lyrics, driving rhythms and catchy melodies, propelling him to the forefront of the contemporary Folk/Roots scene. From charting on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon, to delivering captivating performances on CBS and NPR Tiny Desk and touring internationally with Mandy Moore and Milow for his latest studio release Prospect, AHI has quickly amassed over 60M streams worldwide. The album has earned AHI his second JUNO nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year and his first-ever Polaris Prize nod, establishing him as one of Canada’s most exciting new voices.
Desarae Dee is a Toronto-based powerhouse pianist and multi-instrumentalist who has made significant waves in the Canadian music industry as an instrumental fusion artist since 2014. Known as “Toronto’s Queen of Vibes”, her passionate and meaningful sound combines a unique mixture of faith, soul, vulnerability, and divine balance. Desarae has an extensive resume that includes 21 singles and four project releases over the last eight years, regional touring, a feature on the cover of Spotify’s Fresh Finds Jazz playlist with her single “Care For You“, a feature on NPR Music’s Jazz Night On The List Spotify + Apple Music playlists with her single, “Meditation,” national and international media coverage and radio plays, and a recent Top 100 finish in the 2022 CBC Music Searchlight competition. She continues to blaze the trail in the name of instrumental music, while continuing to break barriers and forge a path for current and future Black women musicians in Canada.
Nonso Amadi is an Afro-R&B, soul singer-songwriter and producer from Nigeria. Nonso transformed into a sonic globetrotter after his move to Canada – leading him to fuse the soul and rhythm of Afrobeats with modern soft textures of R&B. With over 100 million streams to date, Nonso stands tall as a constantly evolving, textured lyricist able to translate Alte, Afro-fusion and hip-hop into his R&B-canvassed approach to storytelling, best represented on his 2019 EP Free, which features Afrobeats heavyweights Simi and Mr Eazi. Currently recording his debut album supported by Universal Music Canada, Nonso is determined to shed even more of his creative-skin.
In just a few years, rapper Zach Zoya has become a central figure in Montréal’s flourishing music scene. Raised in rural French-speaking Québec, he learned English by listening to American hip-hop, R&B and soul music. Zoya’s passion for songwriting and performance led him to pursue a career in music. In 2019, he signed with Universal Music Canada and began collaborating with some of the country’s biggest producers for his debut EP, Spectrum, which was released to critical acclaim and several award nominations. With the 2022 release of his sophomore EP No Love Is Ever Wasted, Zach has had two consecutive Top 40 radio hits, was crowned a YouTube Trending Artist on the Rise, and received three nominations at the 2022 Gala Dynastie Awards.
About SOCAN Foundation
Founded in 1992, the SOCAN Foundation is dedicated to fostering musical creativity and promoting a better understanding of the role of music creators in today’s society. The SOCAN Foundation is part of the SOCAN group of organizations, and guided by its own Board of Directors, which consists of composers, songwriters and music publishers, and reflects the variety of concert music and popular music genres as well as the geographic and linguistic regions of Canada. www.socanfoundation.ca
The SOCAN Foundation:
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About SiriusXM Canada
Sirius XM Canada Inc., operating as SiriusXM Canada, is the country’s leading audio entertainment company. SiriusXM creates and offers ad-free music; premier sports talk and live events; comedy; news; podcasts; and exclusive talk and entertainment. SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company, as well as on smartphones and all connected devices on the SXM App. For more information, visit siriusxm.ca.
Join SiriusXM Canada on Facebook at facebook.com/siriusxmcanada, on Twitter at @siriusxmcanada, on Instagram at @siriusxmcanada and on YouTube at youtube.com/siriusxmcanada.
SiriusXM radios and accessories are available from retailers nationwide and online at SiriusXM. In addition, SiriusXM Music for Business provides ad-free music to a variety of businesses. SiriusXM is also a leading provider of connected vehicles services, giving customers access to a suite of safety, security, and convenience services including automatic crash notification, stolen vehicle recovery assistance, enhanced roadside assistance and turn-by-turn navigation.
SiriusXM Canada has been designated one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies 13 years in a row and is currently a Platinum Club Member.
SOURCE SOCAN Foundation
actors & performers
Reflecting on the 2024 Oscars: A Night of Wins, Laughter, and Fashion Statements
The 2024 Oscars: A night of wins, laughter, and elegant fashion. No mentions of past controversies, just a focus on cinematic excellence.
The 2024 Oscars night was a whirlwind of excitement, surprises, and elegance as the film industry’s finest gathered to celebrate cinematic achievements. Among the standout moments was the triumph of “Oppenheimer,” a biopic that not only captivated audiences but also dominated the awards, clinching seven accolades, including Best Picture. Christopher Nolan’s directorial prowess shone through as he claimed the Best Director title, while Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. were honored for their outstanding performances as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.
While “Oppenheimer” led the pack, “Poor Things” also made a mark with four wins, with Emma Stone’s portrayal earning her the coveted Best Actress award. The night was further enriched by captivating performances, including Ryan Gosling’s comedic surprises during his rendition of “I’m Just Ken” and the mesmerizing display of a dozen drummers in the performance of “Wahzhazhe.” The ceremony also featured memorable presenter antics, such as John Cena’s daring walk across the stage clad in nothing but an envelope.
The red carpet was ablaze with a stunning array of black, red, and metallic ensembles, showcasing the stars’ fashion prowess as they graced Hollywood’s grand event. Despite a few mishaps, like Emma Stone’s dress incident and Al Pacino’s potential oversight, the glamour and allure of the evening remained undiminished.
What truly stood out about this year’s Oscars was the absence of any reference to past controversies, notably the infamous Will Smith and Chris Rock incident from two years prior. Unlike previous telecasts, where the incident was repeatedly revisited, this year’s ceremony seemed to signal a collective move towards letting bygones be bygones. Host Jimmy Kimmel’s subtle nod to a bygone era of Oscars antics hinted at a shift in focus from past controversies to celebrating the artistry and talent that define the film industry.
As the curtain fell on the 2024 Oscars, it was evident that the night was not just about accolades and glamour but also about embracing new beginnings and a renewed focus on the magic of storytelling that unites us all. The 2024 Oscars will be remembered as a night of triumphs, laughter, and a subtle nod to moving forward—a celebration of cinema at its finest.
Source: AP
LOS ANGELES, MUMBAI, India and TORONTO /CNW/ – QYOU Media Inc., (TSXV: QYOU) (OTCQB: QYOUF) a company operating in India and the United States producing and distributing content created by social media stars and digital content creators, has announced that their QYOU USA Influencer Marketing business unit has been awarded the prestigious Drum Award in the Social Media: Media and Entertainment category for their campaign for the movie Scream VI on behalf of Paramount Pictures. The award faced stiff competition from leading social marketing campaigns including Havas (BBC Eurovision); MG OMD (Spiderman) and Wavemaker (Yellowstone: 1923). A complete presentation on the Scream VI award can be found HERE.
To excite new and existing fans of SCREAM, Paramount tapped QYOU to generate mass awareness, engagement and anticipation for Scream VI via a large scale, short form video campaign on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube featuring top creators, custom creative and in-house production. The campaign featured unique creative executions that all funneled into the overall campaign creative, “Ghostface Unleashed” in which the film’s recurrent character was “unleashed” on NYC to terrorize unsuspecting creators. Overall, the entire campaign generated 17.5M+ views, 1.9M+ engagements, a 10.83% Engagement Rate (ER) and 145K+ clicks directly to the ticketing site, resulting in an overall Click-Thru-Rate (CTR)of 2.48% which comes in at nearly 3x the platform benchmark of .87%. In its opening weekend, Scream VI was #1 at the Box Office, setting a franchise record with a $67M debut at global box office with 42% of the audience in the key 18-24 demographic.
2023 has delivered a stellar list of 23 different awards garnered by both the QYOU USA (9) and Chtrbox India (14) influencer marketing business units representing a variety of overall company campaigns and individual accomplishments. Most recently Chtrbox received the accolade of being named “Agency of the Year” at the 2023 Entrepreneur India awards.
The influencer marketing and creator economny continues to experience unprecedented growth. Goldman Sachs has already predicted that it will generate $480 Billion in overall spending by 2027. Sprout Social recently published a report estimating that the Influencer Marketing industry is set to generate $21.2 billion worldwide in 2023 up from just $1.7 billion in 2016. Data Bridge Market Research has projected that the industry will experience a compound annual growth rate of 32.5% from 2022-2029.
Glenn Ginsburg, President of QYOU USA, commented, “We could not be more proud of the stellar work done by our US and India teams and we believe the recognition we have received is a testament to that amazing work with the help of our terrific partners. The profound importance of the creator economy in marketing top brands and products while generating true engagement at scale has become an essential component of the media landscape. We see a bright future ahead for our overall business as we continue to grow the list of blue chip partners that want to leverage our expertise.”
About QYOU Media
One of the fastest growing creator-media companies, QYOU Media operates in India and the United States producing, distributing and monetizing content created by social media influencers and digital content stars. In India, under our flagship brand, The Q and on connected TV, via channels Q Kahaniyan, Q GameX, Q Comedistaan, Sadhguru TV and Bollywood Hungama we curate, produce and distribute premium content across television networks, VOD and OTT platforms, mobile phones, smart TV’s and app-based platforms. In addition, QYOU has numerous additional content destinations, apps and gaming platforms engaging over 125 million Indian households weekly. Our influencer marketing company, Chtrbox, has been a pioneer in India’s creator economy, leveraging data to connect brands to the right social media influencers. QGamesMela is a recently launched casual gaming business leveraging access to the large audience enjoyed by Q India products. In the United States, we power major film studios, game publishers and brands social media marketing efforts on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube via custom content creation, media and creators/influencers. Founded and created by industry veterans from Lionsgate, MTV, Disney and Sony, QYOU Media’s millennial and Gen Z-focused content reaches more than one billion consumers around the world every month. Experience our work at www.qyoumedia.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SOURCE QYOU Media Inc.
LONDON, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Popular instant messaging app, imo, has collaborated with The Game Awards (TGA) to become its Global Distribution Partner. This partnership will allow imo to broadcast the 2023 ceremony in Los Angeles worldwide on December 8, 2023, at 12:30 am GMT.
The Game Awards is an annual award event that honours the achievements in the video game industry. It brings together game players, developers, and notable popular culture icons to celebrate and showcase gaming as a challenging, immersive, and inspiring art form. This year, an advisory board of top game publishers and platforms will guide the event, which 5,000 special guests and industry insiders will attend.
Past TGA ceremonies have featured famous faces like Gal Gadot, Christopher Nolan, Keanu Reeves, Vin Diesel, Al Pacino, Jason Schwartzman, Jack Black, Margot Robbie, and Tom Holland. This year, Game of the Year nominees are Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
imo users can access the live stream by clicking a dedicated banner in the ‘Story’ section on the homepage or the Voice Room. They will enjoy an immersive 3-hour broadcast of the prestigious ceremony. “We feel honoured to be The Game Awards’ Global Distribution Partner and bring this exciting event to our community. We will continue to enhance our services and bring new and exciting features to our community,” said Mehran Kabir, Business Director of imo.
“We aim to reach more audiences, so we’re thrilled to welcome imo users,” said Geoff Keighley, The Game Awards CEO and Host. He added, “We want people to see gaming as an inspiring, immersive, and challenging form of entertainment.”
Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram have also signed to distribute The Game Awards 2023 globally.
Know more about this event at https://imo.im/blog/imo-partners-with-The-Game-Awards-2023-for-worldwide-live-streaming-en?lang=en&force=true.
Download imo for free at https://imo.im/.
About imo
imo is a global instant communication platform aiming to provide the most convenient, interactive, and fun way for people to connect. Through accessible audio and video communication services, imo connects over 200 million users in 62 languages across more than 170 countries and regions around the world. imo has been empowering people with the ability to connect over miles and boundaries between them.
SOURCE imo
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