Coldplay’s new Music Of The Spheres World Tour App is available to download now for iOS and Android devices via coldplay.com/app ahead of the hotly-anticipated US leg of the band’s global stadium tour, which begins in Dallas on May 6. The free app – made in partnership with SAP – can be downloaded via coldplay.com/app.
The app forms a key part of the band’s pledge to make their upcoming Music Of The Spheres World Tour as sustainable and low-carbon as possible since – according to studies – fan travel accounts for the largest part of tour-related emissions. The app allows fans to plan low-carbon travel to and from shows, with those who choose green journeys rewarded with a merch discount code.
The app will also measure total fan-travel carbon emissions so that the band can drawdown these impacts via high quality nature-based solutions such as reforestation and soil regeneration.
The app was first made available to fans before the band’s record-breaking Latin American shows in March / April. Tens of thousands of journey plans have already been submitted, with the average fan carbon footprint down around 50% from 2016/17’s A Head Full Of Dreams Tour.
Alongside the fan-travel calculator, the app also offers Coldplay-themed games and AR experiences, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, photos and videos from every show, plus Coldplay news updates and tour info.
The band will also be streaming the full concert audio of an upcoming European date exclusively via the app in a presentation powered by SAP (full details to be announced soon).
“We’re really proud of the Music Of The Spheres World Tour app,” said Coldplay. “For the past few years, we’ve been figuring out how to put sustainability at the heart of our tour. The app is a big part of that. You can use the app to figure out the cleanest and greenest ways to get to and from the concert. It also allows us to see how people have travelled to and from the shows so that we can drawdown all those emissions. You can also get right to the heart of the tour with exclusive photos, performances and behind-the-scenes access.”
“With our technology and solutions, we empower organisations worldwide to drive sustainable change,” said Christian Klein, CEO and member of the Executive Board of SAP SE. “Coldplay and SAP share a common and profound commitment to sustainability, and we are thrilled to join forces to make their tour as environmentally friendly as possible.”
Four-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, author, actress and television producer Kelly Rowland, and chart-topping singer-songwriter Lauren Spencer-Smith headline the broadcast of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection Concert – Powered by Pandora at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST on May 4. An encore presentation will happen immediately following the first airing. Fans can RSVP for free HERE.
In addition to performances from Rowland and Spencer-Smith, the concert includes appearances and remarks by Red Dress Collection celebrity alumnae Star Jones, Garcelle Beauvais, Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Christina Milian, Vivica A. Fox and Elisabeth Röhm. Each star pays homage to the Red Dress Collection’s high-fashion legacy with bespoke red ensembles while getting personal about their own lived experiences and connections to cardiovascular disease. Also woven throughout the show are emotive stories of young moms touched by heart disease and stroke.
“Mother’s Day is just around the corner – a time to reflect on the moms, grandmothers, aunts and other amazing women in our lives and what they mean to us. Many of us will also be missing the women who are no longer with us,” said Nancy Brown, American Heart Association Chief Executive Officer. “One in three women lose their lives to cardiovascular disease, which is a statistic the American Heart Association is committed to change by advancing research and encouraging all women to take care of their health at every age and every stage of life.”
The Red Dress Collection was originally founded by The Heart Truth program at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. It now serves as Go Red for Women’s national marquee event focused on increasing awareness of heart disease in women, and uniting women as a relentless force to end heart disease and stroke globally.
Universal Music Group announced an expansive, long-term partnership with global music icon The Weeknd, one of the most commercially successful and critically-acclaimed recording artists and songwriters of the last decade. The agreement further builds upon the relationship between Abel Tesfaye p/k/a The Weeknd, and UMG’s Republic Records, which has been his label home and partner since 2012 and will remain his label partner for future recorded music releases.
The new expanded relationship will see Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) administer all his future works and songwriting catalog in a new long-term deal, upon expiration of his existing commitment. Tesfaye has already proven himself as one of the 21st century’s most prolific and skilled songwriters, breaking numerous chart and sales records throughout his career. The Weeknd holds the record for the longest-charting song in Billboard history, with “Blinding Lights” achieving an unprecedented 90 weeks on the Hot 100 chart.
Bravado, UMG’s leading brand-management and merchandise company, will continue to work closely with The Weeknd & XO to expand and develop global merchandising, branding, ecommerce and retail licensing opportunities around future projects and releases.
In addition, the new agreement also covers future audiovisual projects in collaboration with Republic Records and UMG.
Few artists have so profoundly impacted global culture over the past decade as The Weeknd, with more than 75 million albums sold, and numerous chart records broken. The Weeknd’s ‘Save Your Tears’ was recently named as 2021’s best-selling global digital single by the IFPI, matching the feat achieved by ‘Blinding Lights’ in 2020, and marking the first time any artist has won this award twice, let alone winning in consecutive years. Both tracks were featured on 2020’s globally acclaimed album After Hours–an album which solidified The Weeknd’s status as a true global superstar, evidenced in part by his headline performance at the Superbowl Halftime show in 2021.
The Weeknd’s most recent album (Dawn FM), released in January 2022 through XO/Republic Records, has continued on the success path of its predecessor, breaking the Billboard Global 200 chart record, with 24 songs charting in its debut week, the most ever by any solo male artist. The album received widespread acclaim following its surprise release and has already topped charts around the world.
The launch of album was backed by an innovative campaign which included The Weeknd x The Dawn FM Experience, an immersive music special on Amazon’s Prime Video expanding the album into a groundbreaking visual experience. This followed The Weeknd’s appearance in 103.5 Dawn FM, a livestream experience which streamed exclusively on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch and in the Amazon Music app.
One of the most popular live performers, The Weeknd will embark on the global, After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour which is scheduled to visit North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East in the summer of 2022. The Weeknd recently headlined this year’s annual Coachella Music Festival alongside Swedish House Mafia.
Through his powerful music, unique visual identity and aesthetic, innovative production and creative live performances The Weeknd, continues to be renowned throughout the world to audiences of all ages, widely influencing popular culture through his music and art. In 2020, Tesfaye was named amongst the TIME 100 of the world’s most influential people.
This multi-faceted agreement marks the beginning of a new era of expanded global collaboration between The Weeknd, XO and UMG.
SiriusXM and innovative podcast content studio Audio Up today announced the forthcoming launches of two new original scripted musical podcasts, the first co-branded productions under the creative and strategic agreement between the two companies.
The two new scripted podcast series – season two of critically-acclaimed country-themed musical Make It Up As We Go and highly-anticipated new sci-fi/comedy musical series Sonic Leap – were co-produced by Audio Up and SiriusXM and will premiere on May 3 across SiriusXM audio entertainment platforms — including the SXM App, Pandora, and Stitcher — and other major podcast platforms in the U.S.
Make It Up As We Go: Season 2 continues the gripping story of ambitious young country singer Charlotte Sayles (portrayed by singer, songwriter, actor, and series co-creator Scarlett Burke), who has now made her way into Nashville’s male-dominated country hit factory to shake things up and make her fame. Burke and Audio Up Founder and CEO Jared Gutstadt, who co-created the series, both star in the show and provide original music along with acclaimed actor Garrett Hedlund, GRAMMY Award-winning producer and recording artist Shooter Jennings, music icon Nile Rodgers, GRAMMY-nominated artist Elle King, award-winning Nashville songwriter Liz Rose, Kat & Alex, Breland, Abby Anderson, and Chord Overstreet. Shooter Jennings and Elizabeth Cook, who each host shows on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country (ch. 60), have also joined the cast, with Jennings co-producing the show’s soundtrack with Audio Up’s Gutstadt. Watch the full trailer here.
Sonic Leap is the completely made-up backstory of real-life rock act Hero the Band – four Atlanta-based fraternal brothers who get sent back to 1985 to “change their future and the future of music.” The series was created and co-written by Audio Up Founder and CEO Jared Gutstadt and features original music from Gutstadt, Jeff Peters, and Hero the Band. Actor Anthony Anderson (Black-ish, Law & Order) makes his podcast acting debut in this nostalgic scripted musical series. Rap star Trippie Redd co-stars and contributes music. The series will also unlock the debut album from the Atlanta-based band, to be released on Audio Up Records. The album’s first single, “Might Find Love,” recently premiered on SiriusXM’s Alt Nation (ch. 36) in its Advance Placement new music showcase and is currently in regular rotation. Watch the full trailer here.
Gutstadt will appear on SiriusXM’s Volume (ch. 106) on May 2 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm EST for a special program featuring an exclusive interview with Debatable co-host Alan Light and the world premiere of the debut episodes of Sonic Leap and Make It Up As We Go: Season 2. The program will be available on-demand via the SXM App following the broadcast.
The stars and creators of both shows will also appear on a wide range of additional special programming across SiriusXM and Pandora, from in-studio music performances to exclusive interviews to guest DJ sets – introducing the new series to millions of listeners.
Delivering powerful riffage and remarkable vocal performances, there is no strain too much to push through for Saint John, N.B. alt-metal rockers Sonic Detour. And nowhere is this made more abundantly clear than in their new single and video, “Dolls.”
A power-metal ballad filled with introspective lyrics masked by the gritty chugs and vocal performance accommodating them, there’s an intentional attempt to redirect the listener’s interpretations of the lyrics, creating an air of mystery, while also encouraging a replay.
“I don’t like to say what any of the songs are specifically about,” lead singer Goose shares. “I want the work to stand on its own. I want to leave it open to both interpretation and misinterpretation.
“I’m just trying to make the listener feel something.
“The band writes the music, and I use that as a springboard to write the lyrics,” Goose continues. “Each piece of music has a mood, and I try to mine that for emotion. I think something that makes Sonic Detour unique is that our influences vary so widely that the music we make as a group doesn’t sound all that much like the music we listen to individually.”
With that, it’s no mystery as to how this powerhouse alt-metal band has acquired its massive, critically-acclaimed, and multi-award nominated and winning following. The only wonder here is how far high they’ll go.
Just wait until they can play live again…
Consisting of Goose (lead singer), Jason Crowley (Bass/backup vocals), Marcus Marcial (Guitar/backup vocals), Jeff Andrusyk (Drums), and Nikki Cook (Guitar/backup vocals), Sonic Detour started playing live shows in late 2019 and early 2020 which, as we know, was a terrible time to start performing live.
The waves that rocked the world didn’t stop this up-and-coming alt-metal band from rocking Canada — and the rest of the world — online, however; as such, Sonic Detour is a product of Covid-19.
Squeezing what good they could out of the situation, the band took the mandated down-time to head into the studio to produce their self-titled seven-song debut EP — and it was a good thing they did.
Sonic Detour sounds like a rusty transmission kicking into high gear. Between their latest single, “Dolls,” and their self-titled debut EP, their music is full of jagged riffs and infectious hooks — all while stretching the limits of the metal genre. Their music is unapologetically ferocious, brazenly provocative, and sometimes, even heartfelt.
With instant acclaim, Sonic Detour was nominated for a 2021 ECMA award in the Loud Recording of the Year. The band was also nominated for three Best of Saint John Music Awards: Best New Artist, Best Song for “Breathe Out,” and Best Music Video for “Rise Up” – which they won.
“Breathe Out” also went on to spend several weeks on Sackville, Nova Scotia’s CIOE 97.5 Community Radio’s Top 30 chart, and were featured on several metal shows across the country.
Skid Row and earMUSIC join forces to announce the release of the anticipated new studio album, The Gang’s All Here on October 14th, 2022. This announcement coincides with the launch of the iconic hard rock band’s Las Vegas Residency (as the Scorpions’ special guests) on March 26th, as well as the debut of their brand-new single, the title track “The Gang’s All Here.”
“The Gang’s All Here” is an oath of triumph, exploding with powerful energy that makes us hunger for more. It is the logical next-generation leap of the band’s trademark sound that stomps out new ground — with singer Erik Grönwall (formerly of H.E.A.T, one of the best frontmen of this or any hard rock era) joining the family.
Produced by GRAMMY Award-Winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, a world-renowned producer (Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice In Chains, Halestorm, Evanescence) and long-time fan, Skid Row are ablaze. They are re-energized, kicking their sound way up to modern Hard Rock Royalty.
“We are beyond excited to release this record. It has been a long time in the making and a lot of hard work has been put into it by the band and our producer Nick Raskulinecz. The addition of Erik has lifted the songs to new heights.
Add all this to the fact that we start our world tour in Las Vegas with the Scorpions residency this Saturday at Zappos Theater makes it easy to say that Skid Row is going to have a great year,” state Rachel Bolan and Snake Sabo.
Skid Row, the New Jersey kids with punk and metal attitude, were determined to conquer the world and quickly became a household name, releasing some of the biggest and most successful hard rock albums of the 80s and 90s. Back when MTV was everything, the multi-platinum act crashed TV and radio worldwide with hits like “18 and Life” and “Youth Gone Wild”, peaking at #1 on the US Billboard charts with their second album, Slave To The Grind.
“The Gang’s All Here” is available now. The Gang’s All Here, the album, is available October 14th, 2022.
The Gang’s All Here Tracklisting
1. Hell Or High Water
2. The Gang’s All Here
3. Not Dead Yet
4. Time Bomb
5. Resurrected
6. Nowhere Fast
7. When The Lights Come On
8. Tear It Down
9. October’s Song
10. World’s On Fire
Featuring Ojibway Elder Dr. Duke Redbird and Indigenous artists Twin Flames, NY Times and BILLBOARD charting band Sultans of String have released their collaborative new single, “The Power of the Land.”
The orchestral version of the song is the latest to land from the multi-award-winning and JUNO-nominated group’s most recent album, 2021’s Sanctuary — an 11-track offering featuring a broad range of incredible talents from the USA/Canada, many of whom arrived as recent immigrants and refugees, and essential Indigenous voices.
The potent and poetic single soars with interwoven vocals of Indigenous spoken-word artist Duke Redbird and married Ottawa folk duo Twin Flames. The poem is by Duke, who is an Ojibwe Elder from the Saugeen First Nation in Southwestern Ontario, and is performed by Sultans of String with Duke and Twin Flames — comprised of Chelsey June, Métis (Algonquin Cree heritage) from Ottawa, and Jaaji, Inuk and Mohawk from Nunavik and Kahnawake.
“I heard Duke recite that poem years ago,” Sultans of String frontman Chris McKhool says. “I was so moved that I introduced myself to him after the performance and said, ‘Have you ever thought about putting this to music?’”
Fast-forward three years — to the day — when McKhool realized he had finally written the right backdrop for Redbird’s stirring words. “It was just one of those beautiful moments where I realized those lyrics might work perfectly.”
Redbird explains the genesis of the original poem: “It’s essential that we understand that nature is our survival and survival is nature. Money and power have interrupted the power of the land and, until we understand that nature is the real economy and the economy is nature, and that’s the only way we’re going to survive, is if we take care of our mother, the earth. And money and power, it doesn’t really have a place in the healing associated with what needs to be done as the climate changes and the earth retrieves her sacredness and plants it in our minds and our bodies.”
Like most of the collaborations on Sanctuary, “The Power of the Land” came to life in the studio with Sultans of String and their guests composing and creating together. But no matter how they began, they all ended the same: with all the artists recording together at Jukasa, a world-class recording facility on the Six Nations reserve between Toronto and Buffalo.
“We knew we had to do it this way,” McKhool stresses. “We couldn’t make an album of deep collaborations and do it long-distance. Having everyone in the room at the same time made it extremely challenging, both from a logistical and technical standpoint, but the results certainly made it worthwhile.”
This single is co-produced by the multiple award-winning team of bandleader Chris McKhool and 2021/2022 JUNO nominated engineer John “Beetle” Bailey. The beds were recorded on First Nations land at the Indigenous-owned Jukasa Studios. Founded by Ohsweken’s Kenneth Hill & Jerry Montour, Jukasa Studios is a multi-million dollar studio created for world-class and developing artists to make music in surroundings rich in spirit and tradition. The legendary 8072 G Series Vintage Analog Console which spent 12 years of its life in studio 3 at Abbey Road Studios in London England, was purchased and moved to Jukasa Studios in 2009. Overdubs and mixing were done at The Drive Shed with John “Beetle” Bailey and mastering by Harry Hess at HBomb Mastering.
Sultans of String are 3x JUNO Award nominees and 4x Canadian Folk Music Award winners. They recently celebrated their 10th anniversary as a band, crisscrossing North America and UK, and performing at many taste-making forums such as JUNOFest, Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Birdland in NYC, and California’s hip music scene — including the San Jose Jazz Festival.
They have sold out Koerner Hall three times (Toronto’s Carnegie Hall) and performed with Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton Symphony Orchestras. Sultans of String were recently recorded live on BBC TV, Irish National Radio, and internationally syndicated shows including SiriusXM in Washington DC.
At the core of the band’s sound is Chris McKhool’s (Jesse Cook, Pavlo) bold and fiery fiddle, melded seamlessly with founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté’s (Jesse Cook) rumba rhythm- together their musical synergy created Sultans of String’s signature sound – the intimate and playful relationship between violin and guitar. Added to this rich foundation are bass master Drew Birston (Chantal Kreviazuk), and Cuban percussion master Rosendo Chendy Leon (Alex Cuba).
Following their award-winning 2020 album, Refuge arrives Sanctuary — a release that highlights the extraordinary contributions of those that have arrived here from around the globe, as well as global talents who’ve long been ambassadors for peace, the band shares.
“The true inspiration behind this album is the incredible artists we get to collaborate with,” McKhool says. “We learn so much from these diverse voices, and each one of them is so personally inspiring. As Ahmed Moneka, an artist and refugee from Iraq says, ‘Love is the main reason for a great future,’ and we are so privileged to be able to collaborate with so many incredible voices on this project.
“Each one of us has a remarkable story to tell, and we are excited to share the beauty of these collaborations with you — featuring special guests from First Nations, Turkey, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Greece, Syria, Mexico, Portugal, Cuba, and Sudan.”
Toronto’s INNR CIRCLE delivers a rewarding new wave dream pop encounter with invigorating 808 rumbles and driving punches in his newest single, “Uncut Gems.”
Featured on the 2022 five-track EP, HAZED + AMUSED, INNR CIRCLE traverses a sea of emotion across “Uncut Gems”, exploring romantic desolation and loneliness — packaged into a sultry yet commanding vocal performance.
Influenced by the open-ended freedom that the B-Side of a record offers to musicians, the song is a collision of genre-bending dream pop with elements of neo-soul infused throughout — giving the whole production an otherworldly, ethereal soundscape. So expansive, in fact, is the production, that the Toronto-based artist gives audiences plenty of room to come to their own reflections, all while experiencing INNR CIRCLE’s own inner dialogues.
It’s all par for the course for the breakthrough alternative-pop and R&B solo artist with a profound passion for music production, composition, and exploring vulnerable and illuminating concepts in his catalog. Drawing inspiration through life experiences and his own self-reflections, INNR CIRCLE uses music as a catalyst for both self-healing and communicating with his listeners.
“A lot of my music is inspired by what has occurred in my life — from relationships, trials, and tribulations with my introspection about who I think I am and past events that have either affected me positively or negatively.
“My ideas behind my music vary from depressing things to things that make me elated to meditate over. I try my best to be as honest and real as possible. I find being open with my words helps me connect with more people and shows that I’m just as human as they are.”
The emotional journey INNR CIRCLE has been through is a metamorphosis that many people can relate to. Often productions like “Uncut Gems” are beneficial to those looking to overcome their inner struggles and get over a burdensome hump in their lives. The vulnerability put forth throughout the entirety of “Uncut Gems” and HAZED + AMUSED is commendable.
Not to mention, the song is an absolute stomper.
A boundary-pushing dream-pop composer with a knack for sultry storytelling, INNR CIRCLE has garnered a solid international following debuting his music on Valentine’s Day in 2020. Since then, he has been committed to composing hard-hitting productions that resonate within his growing fan base while creating a personal outlet for himself.
INNR CIRCLE’s newest project, HAZED + AMUSED, is a five-song collection exploring his take of contact highs people experience when meeting new people and falling in love.
“This EP was inspired by a few things. My veneration for marijuana, falling in and out of love, and the concepts and or ideology of love. What it feels like, how it can hurt, how it can heal, how it can last, and how it can all end as fast as it started.
“Music is a cathartic experience for me — like therapy. I’m not a very social individual, so getting my thoughts on paper helps me see more of who I am and who I can become.
“Pain can either drown you in sorrow or give you some of the best art you will ever create; fortunately for me, I didn’t drown. Anything you want in life can be achieved if you work hard enough on it.”
New wave icon/synth pioneer Howard Jones has just released the first track from his forthcoming studio album; “I Believe In You” is available now via streaming services. Click here to access. Of the inspirational new song, Jones commented, “’I Believe In You’ was the first song I wrote in lockdown. I noticed that a lot of people were losing confidence and suffering from a lack of contact and support from each other and I wanted to put out a message of encouragement. I believe in you and your amazing potential! I recorded a nightingale singing his little heart out from my studio window and it felt like he was sending me a message…keep your spirits up! That’s what you hear on the outro of the track…let those bad weather clouds go shimmering by!”
Jones’ forthcoming album, DIALOGUE, is set for release this summer. DIALOGUE is the third album in a trilogy of electronic releases from Jones with multi-media project ENGAGE coming out in 2015 and studio album TRANSFORM out in 2019. In support of DIALOGUE, Jones will hit the road in June for a headlining tour with his full band/electronic set-up. Along with Howard, the four-piece band is Robin Boult (guitar), Nick Beggs (bass/chapman stick), Robbie Bronnimann (keyboards/electronic wizardry) and Dan Burton (keyboards/drum pads). The DIALOGUE tour features special guest alternative music legend Midge Ure.
Electronic music pioneer Howard Jones has been a constant presence on the international touring scene for the past three decades, playing live in a number of different configurations including intimate solo shows and dates with his full high-tech band set-up. His most recent album is TRANSFORM. Released in 2019 to critical acclaim, TRANSFORM features several collaborations with electronica luminary BT (half of All Hail The Silence). Of the album, Paste avowed, “TRANSFORM is remarkably consistent to Jones’ lush brand of synthpop…a balance of what is familiar and what is innovative, new magic from old spells” while Pop Matters declared the album to contain “dazzling synth sounds, catchy melodies and introspective and life-affirming lyrics – but with a contemporary feel”.
Howard Jones first burst upon the contemporary music scene in 1983, with his very English songwriting and pioneering synthesizers. His first two albums HUMAN’S LIB and DREAM INTO ACTION were worldwide hits. HUMAN’S LIB reached #1 in 1984 in the UK and featured the hits “New Song,” and “What Is Love?” In 1985, Jones released the follow-up, DREAM INTO ACTION, which quickly became a Top Ten Platinum album in the United States and featured the smashes: “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life In One Day,” “No One Is To Blame,” and “Like To Get To Know You Well.” Howard Jones has sold over 8 million albums worldwide and continues to make new music and tour the world. Jones recently performed on NBC’s top-rated morning and nighttime shows respectively, Today and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. His ubiquitous hits can be heard in such high-profile television series and films such as “Stranger Things,” “Breaking Bad,” “Watchmen,” “The Carrie Diaries”, “Superstore” and “Bumblebee”.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced today that acclaimed Inuk singer-songwriter, and three-time JUNO Award winner, Susan Aglukark, will be recognized with the 2022 Humanitarian Award Presented by Music Canada. Renowned for her unique blend of Inuit folk, country and pop music, Aglukark is being honoured for her long-standing dedication to improving the lives of children and youth in Northern Indigenous communities. In 2012, she started the Arctic Rose Project, which received charitable status in 2016 and became the Arctic Rose Foundation. The organization supports Northern Inuit, First Nations and Metis youth through the creation of Indigenous-led, arts-based after school programs, as well as other engaging cultural and creative projects. Today, the Arctic Rose Foundation operates in three communities across Nunavut.
Presented annually, the Humanitarian Award recognizes philanthropic efforts from Canadian artists and industry pioneers who have made a meaningful impact on social welfare around the world. Past recipients include Bryan Adams, Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan, and The Tragically Hip. Aglukark will receive this year’s award at the JUNO Opening Night Awards Presented by Ontario Creates on May 14, live-streamed via CBCMusic.ca/junos.
“It is an honour to receive this award, and a privilege to have had the opportunity to help create safe spaces for Northern Inuit and Indigenous youth to explore their own potential and forge cultural connections through Indigenous-led programs,” said Aglukark. “I am proud of the work our team at the Arctic Rose Foundation has achieved so far, and look forward to expanding our footprint across the North to bring more culturally-grounded, adaptable programming to young people and help engage, support and inspire them in all aspects of their lives.”
“Susan’s unwavering passion and dedication to the Arctic Rose Foundation is truly inspirational,” said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards. “From improving food security to decreasing gaps in education, Susan has dedicated her life to tackling some of the most pressing issues faced by Northern Indigenous communities. We are so delighted to commemorate all of her philanthropic achievements at this year’s JUNOS.”
Born in Arviat, Nunavut, Aglukark grew up with no musical influences to draw from and her early years in Ontario were spent learning the ropes while performing on local stages. Her early writing was a series of songs drawn from the one thing she knew: a life of uncertainty. Twenty-five years and nine albums later, she is now right where she belongs: singing, songwriting and falling in love with the creative process. Aglukark’s 10th album, The Crossing, is set for release on April 29.
In 1995, Aglukark became Nunavut’s first ever JUNO Award winning Inuk singer-songwriter, taking home two awards including ‘Best New Solo Artist’ and ‘Best Music of Aboriginal Canada Recording’ for her album Arctic Rose. That same year, she released her second album This Child, and its first single “O Siem” became a Top 10 hit in Canada. Her impressive list of accolades includes several honorary Doctorate degrees, receiving The Order of Canada in 2005 and the Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award in 2016. She has also performed in front of some of the world’s most influential people including Queen Elizabeth II, Jean Chrétien, Brian Mulroney, Nelson Mandela, Billy Graham and The Countess of Wessex.
For Aglukark, art has played a significant role in her healing journey and in the rewriting of her narrative. She believes it plays an important role for Indigenous youth dealing with identity issues. She is founder and program developer of the Arctic Rose Foundation, and also sits on the Board of Directors for the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation and the Hnatyshyn Foundation.
The goal of the Arctic Rose Foundation is to support Northern Inuit, First Nations and Metis youth, promote emotional and mental wellness, and connect them with their culture through intentional and adaptable arts-based programming. Through these programs and partnerships, youth are given a safe space, an emotional outlet, and access to Indigenous leaders, role models, employment opportunities and mentorship to help them deal with the existing structural inequities and barriers that are faced in the North. When a need is identified and a program does not exist, the Arctic Rose Foundation will develop one with the assistance and participation of respective communities.
The 51st annual JUNO Awards and JUNO Week will be hosted in Toronto from May 9 through May 15, culminating in The JUNO Awards Broadcast, produced by Insight Productions, on Sunday, May 15 at Budweiser Stage, live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally on CBCMusic.ca/junos.
