Amanda Ste-Marie started as an intern in radio, rose to program some major radio stations in Montreal and rose through the ranks to become programming manager at Stingray, one of Canada’s biggest radio companies. Ste-Marie, 34, leads the curation strategy for the Stingray Music digital platform and app, overseeing global content and creation and making sure playlists reflect the diversity of Canadian music. Listener engagement and market share have grown significantly, while Stingray’s social presence has doubled in reach. She’s a curator for some major partners, including Air Canada and TikTok, while also conducting artist interviews herself – everyone from major international stars like Hozier to rising Canadian talent like Cameron Whitcomb and Aysanabee.

Beyond her main role at Stingray, she’s also a juror for the Polaris Music Prize, the Juno Awards and Canada’s Walk of Fame Emerging Artist Program – spotlighting Canadian artists everywhere she can. She says she’s impressed by the talent that continues to emerge across the country in every genre, and she loves to be able to amplify it to bigger audiences. “I’m especially inspired by the growing visibility within the Indigenous music scene, which continues to bring powerful new voices to the forefront,” she says.