Following a celebratory inaugural year for the Women In Music Canada Honours, which took place this past March, WIM Canada is thrilled to open nominee submissions for the 2024 Honours. “Canada is brimming with incredible women and gender diverse music innovators,” says WIM Canada Executive Director, Robyn Stewart. “The 2024 WIM Canada Honours program will elevate incredible leaders, their projects and their successes, all wrapped up in an incredible night of networking, comradery and great music.” Nominees can be submitted through WIM Canada’s application form by the deadline (Monday, December 11, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET).
Submissions may be made by the prospective honouree or another Canadian colleague. Only one submission is required to be considered. If multiple submissions are received for the same person, they will be combined to one submission for the jury review. Visit here for further eligibility guidelines. Submissions will be curated into a long list of nominees, selected by an appointed jury of music industry creators and professionals. The final honourees will be determined from the long list by a finalist jury. Individuals are invited to share their expertise as a juror for this year’s Honours program – applications can be found here.
The WIM Canada Honours program was designed to celebrate and support women and gender diverse Canadian innovators and creators who have outstanding success in their field in the eligibility year (December 2022 through December 2023 for annual based categories). Categories include: Artist of the Year, Change Maker of the Year (formerly Distinguished Leader), Entrepreneur of the Year, Excellence in Live Music, International Leader of the Year, Organization of the Year, the Career Achievement Honour (formerly the Trailblazer Award), and the Women in Music Canada Rising Leader (formerly the Honour Roll), which will honour up to five women and gender diverse industry members or artists who are on the rise. Two new categories will also be added for 2024 – Change Maker of the Year and Artist of the Year – which will be selected by the shared results of open voting for WIM Canada Premium Members and the jury. Reflecting on her 2023 Distinguished Leader Award (presented by Tunecore), ADVANCE Music Canada Executive Director, Keziah Myers says, “Admittedly, I was totally surprised to receive the award, as there are just so many women in leadership, across the music industry, that I look up to daily. It is an immense honour to stand among those remarkable leaders and I am humbled by this recognition. Canada has incredible women in leadership, and I hope to continue in the path that they have forged before me. Let us continue to support and celebrate women in the music business, so that their brilliance and leadership may continue to inspire generations to come. This honour reminds me that collective force, and collaboration yield immeasurable impact. Thank you to Tunecore and WIM Canada for seeing the potential that exists when barriers are broken, and opportunities are given to all.” Envison Management + Production Founder and President, Ryhna Thompson adds, “While recognition has never been the motivation for my work, receiving the Trailblazer Award (in 2023) has certainly made me feel seen. Being seen has encouraged me to continue believing in and building new ways forward. It has added fuel to my desire to lend my voice in support of a next generation of innovators, creators and change makers.” Read about all of 2023’s honourees
The recipients of the 2024 Honours will be revealed on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 during a reception dinner and showcase held in Toronto, ON. Stay tuned for more details and ticket information. The WIM Canada Honours program is generously supported by Ontario Creates. About Women in Music Canada Women in Music Canada (WIM Canada) is a registered non-profit organization and one of the largest music industry associations in Canada.
The organization is dedicated to fostering gender equality in the music industry through the support and advancement of professionals and creatives at every stage of their career. The goal is to strengthen the social-economic balance of the music industry by providing professional development, support and resources for our community. Women in Music Canada hosts educational, career development and networking events alongside broader programming initiatives, industry engagement, research and advocacy to serve the needs of our diverse community. Our panels, seminars, webinars, workshops and performance serve to educate, empower, and celebrate women contributions to the music world, and strengthen community ties. Women in Music Canada acknowledges that we are on the traditional territory of many nations throughout Canada, specifically our headquarters in the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands. We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories, we acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past, and we dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.