It’s been a monumental year for Paquin Artists Agency (PAA), a division of the Paquin Entertainment Group and one of the leading full-service agencies in North America. Under the steady hand of Co-Presidents Julien Paquin and Vinny Cinquemani, the company acquired the Canadian division of the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) in June, boosting the PAA artist roster to over 250. Veteran APA agents Ralph James and Jack Ross were installed as Senior Vice Presidents at PAA. Julien Paquin also spearheaded partnerships with Loft Entertainment, Action Entertainment Collective, Care Of Management, Blue Crane Agency and more. A partnership with Preste has given them inroads into the Quebec market, while they also expand into Nashville and other areas of the U.S. Cinquemani oversaw many successful Canadian tours by acts on the PAA roster in 2023, following a blockbuster 2022 Bryan Adams tour (34 cities, $17.9 million gross) and an Offspring/Simple Plan trek (21 cities, $4.17 million gross). Hit 2023 tours by PAA artists included Big Wreck (20 cities), Alexandra Stréliski and, in a triumphant return, Amanda Marshall (18 dates).

Feldman Agency is making a major impact in Canadian touring, booking top Canadian talent including Shania Twain (top female country tour of 2023 with “Queen of Me”), Sum 41, Daniel Caesar, Feist, Alvvays and more. Orville Peck, whose live shows have grown from 200 to 10,000 cap rooms in a matter of years, headlined Toronto’s Budweiser Stage while Tokyo Police Club set a record by selling out four consecutive nights at History. The agency is also making smart moves beyond working with solo acts or bands — Himmelfarb booked author Rupi Kaur’s sold-out world tour, while the agency also signed Canada’s Drag Race: The Official Tour. Other major moves include signing R&B star Jessie Reyez, Grammy-winner Allison Russell, and Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello. Feldman also got into the venue business, launching a new 8,000 capacity open-air venue in Toronto called The Bowl.