In Canada: Live Music Association Urges Ontario to Modernize Its Live Music Policies

The Canadian Live Music Association has ideas for investment in the live music scene in Ontario.

According to the organization, “key elements” of the province’s current policy — specifically the Ontario Music Investment Fund (OMIF) and Experience Ontario (EO) — are “not fully keeping pace” with the ever-growing landscape of the province’s music industry.

In a 2026 budget submission, submitted by Erin Benjamin, the homegrown live music organization’s president & CEO, is presenting three priority recommendations for the provincial government to modernize their policies, which can help to “unlock jobs, boost visitor spending, tax revenue and cultural competitiveness” while creating opportunities for Ontario’s artists to continue to elevate their careers.

“Our budget submission is about supporting our CLMA members — the venues, festivals and promoters who make live music thrive — while unlocking opportunities for artists and driving music tourism across Ontario and beyond,” Benjamin tells Billboard Canada.

“Live music is one of the few places where Canadians still gather to tell our own stories, in our own voices, in real time. The investments we’re proposing recognize that live music infrastructure is cultural infrastructure — supporting community, creativity, and a distinctly Canadian cultural presence that connects cities and regions across the country.”

Ontario, and especially Toronto, has become a major market in the global live music industry.

Concerts attract millions of attendees annually, boosting the economy. In the CLMA’s first-ever Hear & Now report, they found that the Canadian live music industry contributed $10.92 billion in GDP, generated over 101,640 jobs and contributed over $3.7 billion in tax revenues nationally back in 2023.

But the CLMA says that the Ontario Music Investment Fund (OMIF) isn’t keeping up. After a nearly $8 million reduction in 2019, the fund pours approximately $7 million into the industry, highlighting a significant disparity between what the live music industry is bringing in and the resources that are being distributed. In addition, they found that only around 24% of the fund is allocated to live music activities.

Read their full plan here.

Jessie J Plays Acoustic Set for Small Handful of Fans in Toronto After Cancelling Show Due to Snowstorm

Jessie J turned a concert cancellation into an unforgettable night for a few lucky fans.

On the weekend (Jan. 25), the British singer was set to play a show at Danforth Music Hall in Toronto. But amid the city’s record-breaking snowfall, she decided to cancel the show.

“I don’t feel comfortable having people risk their safety for the show,” the artist, born Jessica Cornish, wrote in a statement shared to Instagram stories. “I just can’t imagine how people would get home in the dark with the weather like this.”

At the time of posting the message, she was “currently standing in the venue,” and noted that “getting here wasn’t safe and the snow’s only getting worse.” According to her statement, all tickets will be refunded.

She followed with video clips of her reacting to the snow from her hotel window, and a teary-eyed phone call with her management floating the idea of cancelling.

“I just don’t think it’s safe for people to travel out in this weather,” she explains in the video. “I would rather lose the money than the people that have spent their hard-earned money to come to the gig. I also don’t want to put my own crew at risk.”

The footage then shows Jessie J performing a small acoustic set for the crew and the small handful of fans who arrived at the venue before she broke the news of the cancellation.

“My decision to cancel yesterday wasn’t quick or easy,” she writes in the caption, providing more insight into her decision to forgo the concert. “They closed the metro at 7pm last night after I cancelled so even if people had got their safe it would have been almost impossible to get home.”

She continues: “The heartbeats I am singing to is the one guy who was waiting in the snow when I arrived at the venue, or joined him shortly after I got there and I wanted to make them feel like their journey wasn’t wasted,” referring to the name of her fanbase and while calling it “an intimate show.”

Read more here.

Nicole Bell Named New Head of YouTube Canada

Nicole Bell has been appointed Head of YouTube Canada.

As of Feb. 2, Bell will step into the role, where she’ll oversee the platform’s content, creator and viewer initiatives, while taking the lead on national business operations. That includes support of creators from emerging voices and artists to some of the country’s biggest media outlets.

The position was previously held by Billboard Canada 2025 Power Player Andrew Peterson, who has moved into the role of head of creator economy ecosystem at YouTube.

YouTube reportedly undertook an extensive recruitment process of both internal and external candidates before selecting Bell, a homegrown talent.

Bell joined the company as the Canadian head of communications in 2016, before moving up to global communications lead three years later. She most recently led global reputation & responsibility communications, where she directed the worldwide strategy for YouTube’s economic impact reports, AI responsibility, public policy, alongside news and learning video verticals.

“Canada is home to some of the most innovative and influential creators in the world. It’s also home to some of the finest journalism, most exciting sports content, and groundbreaking musical artists,” Bell says. “These are entrepreneurs building legacies and trusted news companies finding new audiences.”

During her 10-year stint, Bell has blended both the business and creator-driven sides of the platform. She says she’s looking forward and focusing on how creators are shaping the future of media and entertainment.

“I’m stepping into this role with a deep sense of responsibility and a sharp focus on what’s next,” she says. “I want to foster a digital ecosystem that is as responsible as it is inspiring, and to ensure Canada remains at the forefront of the global digital economy.”

Notably, Bell has worked with homegrown and international talents, such as Lilly Singh and Asap SCIENCE. YouTube’s Canadian presence has been instrumental in boosting the country’s wide array of artists, too, including The Weeknd, Karan Aujla and yung kai.

Read more here.