Radio Starmaker Fund

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Radio Starmaker Fund Annual Report

2013 / 2014

Grant Allocation By Music Industry Association

Success Fact: The Strumbellas

The Strumbellas

The Radio Starmaker Fund’s support of The Strumbellas has been an integral part of the band’s trajectory from a fledging Toronto act to recognized North American recording and touring artists. They were able to cast their audience net further by opening for Corb Lund in Ontario, touring Canada in a more enduring and penetrable way and launching their album, We Still Move On Dance Floors, in the United States on their own label. Starmaker has made it possible for them to tour vital audience-building regions across the US, in a timely fashion that might not have otherwise been attainable. They hired a reputable US radio and publicity firm, which has been able to get the band’s music to the right ears, resulting in a great foot in the door at important news outlets, as well as Americana and NPR radio. This media and promotional support is of great value to promoters, festivals and venues in the US, alleviating the burden of unsupported performances.

Summer festival marketing initiatives allowed for a wonderfully effective dovetail of online marketing, cross-promotion and social media marketing. They have been able to confidentially move from The Horseshoe to The Phoenix for their November show in their largest market of Toronto, undertaking an outdoor marketing campaign that will reinforce the album and the band. The Strumbellas’ growth as viable artists, including their Juno win, Polaris Music Prize long list nomination, Indie Music Awards win and Ottawa Bluesfest Supernova Rising Star Award is a result of their hard work and drive, as well as the support of the Radio Starmaker Fund.

Joanne Setterington
President/Manager, Indoor Recess Inc.
Label Manager, Underneath A Mountain Records

Recipient Event Territory Amount
Total $1,095,567.50
Canadian Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences 2014 Juno Awards Winnipeg, Manitoba $90,000.00
Canadian Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences 2014 Juno Awards Winnipeg, Manitoba $23,010.79
Canadian Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences 2014 Juno Awards Winnipeg, Manitoba $200,000.00
Canadian Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences 2014 Juno Awards Winnipeg, Manitoba $1,406.71
Canadian Country Music Association 2014 Canadian Country Music Awards Edmonton, Alberta $40,000.00
Canadian Music Week 2014 Canadian Radio Music Awards Toronto, Ontario $30,000.00
CIMA 2014 Music Export Initiative Various $100,000.00
East Coast Music Association 2014 East Coast Music Awards Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island $25,000.00
Festival Music House 2014 Festival Music House Toronto, Ontario $225,000.00
Festival Music House Atlantic 2014 Festival Music House Atlantic Halifax, Nova Scotia $75,000.00
Festival Music House Pacific 2014 Festival Music House Pacific Vancouver, British Columbia $75,000.00
Folk Music Ontario 2014 Folk Music Ontario Conference Toronto, Ontario $11,150.00
Halifax Pop Explosion Association 2014 Halifax Pop Explosion Halifax, Nova Scotia $35,000.00
M for Montreal 2013 M for Montreal Montreal, Quebec $15,000.00
North By Northeast Conferences, Inc. 2014 NXNE Toronto, Ontario $50,000.00
Polaris Music Prize 2014 Polaris Music Prize Toronto, Ontario $25,000.00
POP Montreal 2014 POP Montreal Montreal, Quebec $50,000.00
Western Canadian Music Alliance 2014 Western Canadian Music Awards Winnipeg, Manitoba $25,000.00

* Number of approved applications for fiscal year includes 18 Miscellaneous Funding applications as indicated above.