Simple Plan, Ralph James, Graham Henderson Among Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Award Honorees

Karen Bliss
·5 min read
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The Canadian music industry was out full force last night (March 22), jammed into a room at Toronto’s Kool Haus to honor three Hall of Fame inductees, a humanitarian and an assortment of companies and individuals from labels, managers, agents, radio, venues, retail, and, yes even journalism.

The 32nd edition of the Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards, considered the most important night of recognition for those who work in the Canadian music industry, included 48 awards, five of which were special honors: Rock band Simple Plan, which has donated more than a $1 million through its Simple Plan Foundation, was given the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award. Ralph James, one-time member of the rock band Harlequin and now the president of The Agency Group Canada, became the first agent inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame. Music Canada president Graham Henderson, a tireless advocate for music creators, was inducted into the Music Industry Hall of Fame; one-time child prodigy musician Colin James, whose career now spans more than 25 years, received the Hall of Fame honor; and John Donabie, a 47-year broadcasting vet, was bestowed the Allan Waters Broadcast Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Other awards included The Air Canada Centre Major Facility of the Year (cap. Under 8000) bestowed on Kingston, Ontario’s K-Rock Centre; Digital Music Streaming Service of the Year to SiriusXM; Club Venue of the Year to Toronto’s Horseshoe; Promoter of the Year to Live Nation; Management Company of the Year to Arts & Crafts; Booking Agency of the Year to The Agency Group; Festival of the Year to Montreal’s Osheaga, Music Publisher of the Year to Warner Chappell; Canadian Independent Record Label of the Year to 604 Records; Major Label of the Year to Universal Music; radio trailblazer Betty Serlin The Rosalie Award and Victoria Duffield the Nielsen Soundscan Emerging Artist Award. (See the full list of winners below).

To try and keep things moving for the notoriously long awards show — last night from reception to end took five hours — as dinner was served most of the award winners names were read out with no opportunities to collect the award or give onstage speeches. That time was allotted to the special achievement/hall of fame awards instead.

While in recent years the Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards and Gala Dinner was held onsite in the massive ballroom at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, this year Canadian Music Week president Neill Dixon moved it from the new host hotel for the conference, the Marriott, to the downtown live music venue.

Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Award Winners

Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award
Simple Plan

Rosalie Award Recipient
Betty Selin

Nielsen BDS Cutting Edge
93.7 jr FM

Nielsen Soundscan Emerging Artist Award
Victoria Duffield

Allan Waters Lifetime Achievement Award
John Donabie

Music Industry Hall of Fame
Ralph James

Music Industry Hall of Fame
Colin James

Music Industry Hall of Fame
Graham Henderson

In the Category Independent Record Store of the Year
Zulu Records – Vancouver

In the Category Digital Music Retail Service of the Year
Itunes

In the Category Digital Music Streaming Service of the Year
SiriusXM

In the Category Mass Merchant/Retail Chain of the Year
HMV Canada

In the Category Canadian Independent Distributor of  the Year
Fontana North

In the Category Station of the Year (News/Talk/Sports)
680 News Toronto (ROG) -92*

In the Category Station of the Year (Multicultural)
CHIN – Toronto

In the Category Station of the Year (Country)
Country 105 ñ Calgary

In the Category Casino/Specialty Venue of the Year
Niagara Fallsview Casino Niagara Falls

In the Category Recording Studio of the Year
Metalworks Recording & Mastering Studio

In the Category Music Director of the Year Small Market
Jeff Winskell 99.9 Sun FM – Kelowna

In the Category Program Director of the Year Small Market
Mark Burley 99.9 Sun FM ñKelowna

In the Category Station of the Year Small Market
106.1 The Goat – Lloydminster

In the Category Station of the Year Secondary Market
Kool FM – Victoria

In the Category Program Director of the Year Secondary Market
Brad Gibb FM96 – London

Sennheiser Music Director of the Year Major Market
Lochlin Cross  100.3 The Bear – Edmonton

On-Air Talent of the Year Secondary Market
Robin & Brian Kool 107.3 – Victoria

On-Air Talent of the Year Major Market
Roger Darren & Marilyn CHUM Toronto

Music Director of the Year Secondary Market
Anna Zee  Q104  Halifax

Station of the Year (HOT AC)
CHUM FM – Toronto

Station of the Year (MAINSTREAM AC)
98.1 CHFI Toronto

Station of the Year (CHR)
Kiss 92.5 – Toronto

Station of the Year (CLASSIC GOLD)
Q107 Toronto

Station of the Year (ROCK)
Sonic 102.9 – Edmonton

The Allan Waters Young Broadcaster of the Year
Amanda Logan 104.5 CHUM FM

Club Venue of the Year
Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto

Festival of the Year
Osheaga – Montreal

Booking Agency of the Year
The Agency Group

Promoter of the Year
Live Nation

Music Journalist/Blogger of the year
Karen Bliss

Management Company of the Year
Arts & Crafts

Canadian Independent Label of the Year
604 Records

Promotion of the Year
Swap Your Wife for a New Life AMP 90.3 Calgary

Major Label of the Year
Universal Music Canada

Performing Arts Centre of the Year (capacity under 1,500)
Vogue Theatre – Vancouver

Performing Arts Centre of the Year (capacity over 1,500)
Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Vancouver

The Air Canada Centre Major Facility of the Year (capacity under 8,000)
K Rock Centre – Kingston

The “Air Canada Centre” Major Facility of the Year (over 8,000)
Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

Program director of the year (major market)
Al Ford  Sonic102.9 – Edmonton

Music publisher of the year
Warner Chappell

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