The Friends of Canadian Music Award honours those who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment, on a national scale, to Canadian composers and their music.

Do you know someone who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to elevating Canadian composers and/or sound artists? Now is your chance to celebrate them! Performers, ensembles, administrators, broadcasters, journalists, teachers, composers, sound artists, or anyone else who has shown exceptional commitment are all eligible to be nominated for the Friends of Canadian Music award!

Jointly administered by the Canadian League of Composers (CLC) and the Canadian Music Centre (CMC), this award hands out a total of $4000: $2000 for the recipient, and $2000 for an early-career composer/sound artist/creator of the recipient’s choice.

Choosing the winner of the Friends of Canadian Music Award takes place in two parts: a nomination stage, and a selection stage.

To nominate someone for the Friends of Canadian Music Award, please fill out the form below. Note that the form will not save, so you may wish to complete your answers in a word processor first before copying them in:

The nomination form can be found here. Nominations are due by Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 11:59PM PST.

In the second stage of the application process, the CLC will contact nominees to request support material.

Please see the FCMA jury assessment guidelines here: FCMA 2024: Jury Guidelines

If you would like to submit your application in another format or have any particular accessibility needs that might require accommodation, please email info@composition.org. Representatives from the CMC and the CLC are available to help with any questions you have about the application process, and will prioritize dialogue with under-represented or under-served community members.

Deadline for nominations is Tuesday, October 15, at 11:59PM PST

In the second stage of the application process, the CLC will contact nominees to request support material.

Please see the FCMA jury assessment guidelines here: FCMA 2024: Jury Guidelines

Nominators may submit multiple nominations, but must create a separate entry for each. Self-nominations are not permitted. In addition, current staff and board members of the CMC and CLC are ineligible for this award.

The Friends of Canadian Music Award is committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity. Diversity in all its forms (race, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, language, physical ability, geographical location, and age) will guide the jury’s decision, as well as a consideration of past winners to help promote equitable decisions in the long-term. We particularly welcome nominees who are women, non-binary, trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, as well as those from traditionally under-represented populations.

2023 Dylan Robinson and Sherryl Sewepagaham
2022 Marion Newman and Continuum Contemporary Music (shared with Jessica McMann and Amy Brandon)
2021 Mark Takeshi McGregor (shared with Maria Eduarda Mendes Martins)
2020 Thin Edge New Music Collective (shared with Kimia Koochakzadeh-Yazdi)
2019 Quasar Saxophone Quartet
2018 Janice Isabel Jackson (shared with Sophie Dupuis)
2017 Tania Miller (shared with Carmyn Slater)
2016 Tim Brady (shared with Gabriel Dharmoo)
2015 NYO Canada (shared with Christopher Goddard)
2014 Bozzini Quartet (shared with Kyle Brenders and James O’Callaghan)
2013 Bramwell Tovey, Conductor, Composer and Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
2012 Lawrence Cherney, Artistic Director, SOUNDSTREAMS
2011 Julian Armour, music director, and Patricia Shand, academic (special lifetime achievement in Canadian music scholarship award)
2010 John Beckwith, composer, academic, music educator
2009 Véronique Lacroix, conductor, music educator, artistic director
2008 CBC Radio Orchestra, performers
2007 Christina Petrowska Quilico, performer
2006 Dr. Helmut Kallmann, music librarian/historian
2005 Joseph Petric, performer/commissioner
2004 Thomas & Isobel Rolston, music educators/artistic directors/administrators
2003 Mary Gardiner, music educator
2002 David Jaeger and Two New Hours with host Larry Lake, radio producer and broadcaster
2001 Ann Southam, composer
2000 Jon Washburn, artistic director
1999 James Dormeyer, television producer
1998 Don Wherry, artistic director
1997 Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects
1996 Jean-François Denis, promoter
1995 David Olds, broadcaster

The Canadian Music Centre is the catalyst that connects you to the ever-evolving world of Canadian musical creation through performance, education, and promotion.

The Canadian League of Composers serves composers and advocates on their behalf, fostering an environment in which their music is highly valued.

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For More Information

Call Joseph Glaser, Ontario Regional Director, 416.961.6601 x 005

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