When it comes to music, Canada punches above its weight. Artists such as Drake, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Alanis Morissette have spent the past few decades among the world's biggest – a feat for a country that pales in population compared to its neighbor to the south. And in the boardrooms, Canadians are well represented in positions of influence.
This is evident in the Billboard Canada 2024 Power Players list, the first expansion of the Power Players and Power 100 to Canada. The list includes music executives who work on the world's biggest tours, manage the industry's most valuable song catalogs and make famous artists from around the world.
One of the country's greatest strengths when it comes to music is its cultural fluency and seemingly innate ability to globalize. As Punjabi music, K-pop, Latin music, Afrobeats and more global genres become more popular, Canadians are poised to export talent across borders and capitalize on trends that others may don't know yet.
This year's pool of submissions and nominations was extremely competitive. The Power Players list recognizes achievements at all levels, but places high awards on Canada and Canadians' breakthroughs on the international and global stage, especially those that can be clearly measured and documented.
The Leaderboard features executives from Live Nation, Warner Music Canada, Reservoir Media and more. Find the full list here.
Canada's No. 1 Power Player: Arthur Fogel
The industry icon behind many of the biggest world tours of the past year kicked off at a punk venue in Toronto.
Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour topped Billboard's 2023 Boxscore list as the highest-grossing tour of the year and one of the biggest of all time. U2's inaugural residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas redefined big stage audio and visual spectacle and became the highest-grossing residency in Boxscore history. And Madonna wrapped up her Celebration Tour with a record-breaking massive concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which was attended by more than 1.6 million people.
Arthur Fogel played a key role in all of this.
Fogel is President of Global Music & President of Global Touring, CEO of Global Touring at Live Nation. He's based at the company's headquarters in Los Angeles, but he's one of several powerful Canadian executives in their boardroom. Michael RapinoePresident and CEO of Live Nation, he is also from Canada.
And, Fogel observes, like on big stages, Canadians are overrepresented in some of the most important positions in the music industry.
“I don't think the Canadian industry gets enough credit on many levels. If you look at the artists that have come out of Canada over many years and generations, it's incredible how much talent has come out of a country this size,” says Fogel. “The same goes for the business side.”
Read a wide-ranging Q&A with Fogel in the latest digital cover of Billboard Canada.
The shortlist for the Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award has been announced
Five sensational songwriters have been shortlisted for the inaugural Billboard Canada Non-Performing Songwriter Award, presented by SOCAN.
These songwriters each had a banner year in 2023, writing memorable songs with indelible melodies that earned Grammy nominations, top chart placements and millions of streams.
They are being recognized for their work as songwriters for other artists, making an impact from behind the scenes – a first for an award of its kind in Canada.
Here are the nominees, with the winner announced at Billboard Canada's Power Players event on June 2 at the CN Tower:
Elizabeth Lowell Boland
Lowell is a singer, songwriter and producer known for her collaborations with Madison Beer, Charli XCX, Tate McRae, Charlie Puth, Lennon Stella, Hailee Steinfeld, bülow, Lu Kala and many others. With two songs on Beyoncé's critically acclaimed new album – the international smash “Texas Hold'em” and the upcoming single “Bodyguard” – Lowell has become a trusted collaborator of the legendary artist. He also wrote 'Blame Brett', the hit for Toronto band The Beaches.
Aaron Paris
Aaron Paris is a songwriter, record producer and composer from Toronto. Having worked with artists such as Ariana Grande, Kanye West, Drake, DJ Khaled, Russ, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Kali Uchis, NAV, Charlotte Cardin and more, Aaron has built a strong international reputation as a music composer and collaborator. As of 2023, Aaron has co-written over 70 major artist releases and received five Juno nominations and 2 Grammy nominations for songs he has written.
Tobias Jesso Jr.
Tobias Jesso Jr. is a North Vancouver-born, Los Angeles-based, two-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter. In 2023, he won the first Grammy Award for Songwriter of the Year for his work on releases by Harry Styles, Adele, FKA Twigs, Orville Peck, King Princess, Diplo and Omar Apollo, in addition to picking up Album of the Year for his contributions to Harry Styles Harry's house. He was also a major contributor to Dua Lipa's most recent album, Radical Optimism, co-writing several tracks, including the lead single, “Houdini.”
Jeremy Fedrick
Jeremy Fedryk – aka Sarcastic Sounds – spent much of 2023 immersing himself in the burgeoning folk-pop scene. The year was highlighted by his writing contribution to David Kushner's international smash 'Daylight', which amassed over 1 billion Spotify streams and went multi-platinum in every major market. His success continued with the release of Chance Pena's “I am not that I was,” which has garnered over 170 million Spotify streams and reached the top 20 on Billboard's alternative chart.
Ali Willa Milner
Fresh off a Grammy nomination for her work with The Knocks and Dragonette, Ali Willa Milner is part of six Juno nominations for her work in 2023. Her writing has led to nominations with Rêve, Katie Tupper and multiple nominations for Aysanabee which won two, including Songwriter of the Year.
