$14 Million in Grants from Ontario Music Fund Announced
Recipients of the 2016 Ontario Music Fund were announced on April 20, 2016 at the Rivoli in Toronto. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Michael Coteau, and Ontario Media Development Corporation Chair Mark Sakamoto were on hand for the announcement. In total, $14 million was dedicated to 151 music industry recipients. Originally launched as a three-year project in 2013, the OMF was made permanent under Ontario's 2015 provincial budget.
The Ontario government reports that the OMF has been responsible for creating 1,274 full-time music industry jobs, while facilitating live music events for the benefit of over 1,900 artists and 1.6 million audience members in Ontario.
At the April 19 press announcement, Premier Wynne noted the significance of the Rivoli as a music venue with 35 years of history in Ontario, and emphasized the importance of preserving Canadian music economies where local artists can develop and thrive.
“Ontario’s creative industries contribute billions of dollars to our economy and support over 200,000 jobs. The Ontario Music Fund is helping us to build an even stronger music industry in the province and to ensure that our music continues to reach global audiences," says OMDC Chair Mark Sakamoto.
The top 2016 grant recipients, in order of funding, were:
- Universal Music Canada ($900,000)
- Arts & Crafts Productions ($575,000)
- Dine Alone Music ($575,000)
- Warner Music Canada ($550,000)
- Sony Music Entertainment ($500,000)
- CIMA ($425,000)
- Ole Media Management ($375,000)
- Six Shooter Records ($300,000)
- Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall ($275,000)
- Last Gang Records ($250,000)
The government notes that – as a result of OMF support – Ontario musicians have been able to sell nearly four million recordings in Canada and five million around the world since 2013, strengthening the domestic economy and promoting Canadian culture internationally.
To read Ontario's official press release and see a full list of recipients, click here.