First, the elephant in the room. Justin Trudeau resigned as Prime Minister after a decade as leader of the country. He’ll stay on until a leadership race elects the new head of his Liberal Party. What could this period of transition mean for Canada’s music industry and arts funding? Read more:

Meanwhile…

Warner Music Group has formed another strategic partnership to elevate and develop Punjabi music in Canada.

ADA, the company’s independent label and artist services arm, announced a worldwide distribution deal with EYP Creations INC. EYP is a major management and content company in Punjabi music and is based in both Canada and India.

Canada has emerged as a global hub for Punjabi music, which is one of the fastest growing global genres. Artists including Karan Aujla, Shubh and Diljit Dosanjh have achieved chart success and set records in the country. 

Warner has been on the forefront of the Punjabi Wave, uniting Warner Music Canada and Warner Music India to launch 91 North Records in 2023. But this partnership with EYP also aims to foster the next wave of talent so that they can eventually achieve the same heights.

The new deal includes EYP’s record label, UrDebut Canada, which has helped launch new artists like Kushagra and Tanishqa, who have had songs with millions of streams in the last year. The goal, they say, is to open emerging artists to a similarly broad and growing audience of hungry international fans.

“This partnership with EYP Creations marks a strategic step in expanding WMG’s presence within the Punjabi music landscape,” says Warner Music Canada president Kristen Burke in a statement. “This alliance not only supports the growth of Punjabi music in Canada, but also opens doors for discovering and nurturing emerging talent in this vibrant community.”

EYP Creations CEO Nikhil Dwivedi says he’s excited about the potential of working with ADA and talks about the quality distribution and marketing it can open to South Asian artists in Canada.

“We are focused on nurturing young South Asian talent together through launching them at UrDebut Canada label and building them through distribution, management, live events and collaborations around the globe,” he says.

ADA has also partnered with other Punjabi music companies in recent years, including Punjabi music content aggregator, Sky Digital, and Punjabi record label, Geet MP3.

“We’re excited to bring this Punjabi music leader into the Warner Music Group family,” says Cat Kreidich, President of ADA. “Our team is looking forward to partnering closely with Nikhil and everyone at EYP Creations to mine new opportunities in the market and bring new voices into the mix.” -Richard Trapunski

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East Coast Music Association Parts Ways With CEO

On Monday (Jan. 6), the East Coast Music Association (ECMA) issued a press release stating that “the board has conducted a thorough review of our leadership and operations, leading to the decision to part ways with CEO Blanche Israël.” The change has been made ahead of the East Coast Music Awards show in St. John’s, Newfoundland this spring.

The Canadian Press reports on the “clash over the future of the East Coast Music Awards” that led to the decision. In an online petition launched late 2024, some members called for “transparency and stability” amid changes that affected the awards and its associated festival, citing a lack of clarity and consultation around applications and other “significant modifications.” Former ECMA CEO Andy McLean has been installed as interim managing director as the search for a new CEO begins.

ECMA’s stated mission is “to develop, advance and celebrate East Coast Canadian music, its artists and its industry professionals throughout the region and around the world. We advocate for our members to ensure they can sustain music careers while based in Canada’s Atlantic region.”

This year’s ECMA awards honoured folk-rockers The East Pointers with the most awards, followed by Jenn Grant, Morgan Toney, and Tim Baker. –Kerry Doole

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Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars Score The First Post-Holiday No. 1 On The Canadian Hot 100 in 2025

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars have plenty to smile about this week.

The superstar duo have landed the first post-holiday No. 1 song of 2025, topping the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 “Die With a Smile.” The sentimental ballad has had a slow burn to the top, hitting No. 1 in its 20th week on the chart, though it’s been a mainstay on the Global 200. The song also climbed to the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for the first time this week.

Bruno Mars holds both the No. 1 and No. 2 spot this week on the Canadian Hot 100, with his Rosé collab “Apt.” at No. 2. Shaboozey’s record-breaker “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is also back in the top 3, holding the third spot.

There’s also a pair of first-timers making their chart debuts. U.K. singer Chrystal arrives with “The Days” at No. 95. The minimalist dance track got a boost from a high-energy remix by rising Bristol producer Notion, as well as a feature on the popular TikTok account Jaxon’s Journey.

American psych-pop singer Chezile lands on the chart at No. 98 with the melancholic “Beanie,” a psych-pop song with hints of Mac DeMarco that has become a popular cover choice on TikTok. Chezile also had a bump from popular content creator Mr. Beast using the song to soundtrack his proposal announcement.

Claiming the final spot on the chart is Imogen Heap’s “Headlock.” She’s not a first-timer but the acclaimed singer-songwriter is getting some love for her 2005 track, which is also seeing a lot of traction on TikTok.

None of those songs are on the U.S. Hot 100 this week, in keeping with a trend of viral TikTok tracks showing up on the Canadian charts first. Heading into 2025, it looks like the app is still one of the leading career-boosters out there, though it is facing potential existential threats on both sides of the border. –Rosie Long Decter