The National Music Centre (NMC) today announced the 2026 recipients of the OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary, which has expanded this year to support three recipients instead of two. The growth is made possible through the continued support of TD Bank Group, a funder of the program since 2022.
The OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary recipients are traditional powwow drum group Mountain Kree from Mountain Cree Camp in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta; Ojibwe queer singer-songwriter and beadworker Larrisa Desrosiers from Couchiching First Nation in Treaty 3; and award-winning fiddle player and composer Wesley Hardisty, a member of the Dene Nation, from Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, who has played notable festivals and events including the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
Alongside the announcement, NMC is opening applications for the next edition of the OHSOTO’KINO Music Incubator. The program, designed for emerging First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists from across Canada, will take place at Studio Bell in Calgary, Alberta, from September 14-18, 2026. Applications are open until May 17, 2026, at 11:59 pm MT at studiobell.ca/ohsotokino.
The OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary gives Indigenous artists the opportunity to record in NMC’s professional studio spaces and explore its renowned living collection of rare and iconic musical instruments, with the goal of creating a commercial release. The OHSOTO’KINO Music Incubator supports emerging Indigenous artists through mentorship, career-development workshops, and live performance opportunities. Participants in both programs are selected by NMC’s Indigenous Programming Advisory Committee, which helps shape Indigenous-led programs and exhibitions at Studio Bell.
“We received a record number of applications for bursary opportunities this year. This indicates the program is gaining much traction, particularly within the traditional music community. We’re also very grateful for TD’s support in making it possible for an additional group to take part in the bursary this year. Indigenous music is truly on the rise,” said David McLeod (Minegoziibe Anishinabe, formerly Pine Creek First Nation, Treaty 4), NMC Board Member and Chair of NMC’s National Indigenous Programming Advisory Committee.
Launched in 2022 and supported by TD Bank Group, the OHSOTO’KINO Indigenous Programming Initiative has amplified the voices of Indigenous artists from communities across Canada. OHSOTO’KINO focuses on three elements: creation of new music in NMC’s recording studios, artist development through a music incubator program, and exhibitions via the annually updated Speak Up! gallery. The name OHSOTO’KINO – a Blackfoot phrase meaning “to recognize a voice of” – honours the Blackfoot people and the traditional territory where the National Music Centre is located.
The National Music Centre (NMC) has a mission to amplify the love, sharing, and understanding of music. It is preserving and celebrating Canada’s music story inside its home at Studio Bell in the heart of the East Village in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) on Treaty 7 territory. NMC is the home to four Canadian music halls of fame, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Quebec’s ADISQ Hall of Fame. Featuring musical instruments, artifacts, recording equipment, and memorabilia, the NMC Collection spans over 450 years of music history and innovation. A registered charity with programs that include exhibitions, artist development, performance, and education, NMC is inspiring a new generation of music lovers. For more information about NMC’s onsite activities, please visit studiobell.ca. To check out the NMC experience online, including video-on-demand performances, made-in-Canada stories, and highly entertaining educational content, visit amplify.nmc.ca.
