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Culture

Boi-1da Named Canada Soccer's New Music Ambassador

In the new role as National Teams Music Ambassador, the Grammy-winner OVO producer will lead creative direction for a series of anthems fundraising for youth soccer programs across the country.

Boi-1da with Canada Soccer Foundation Jersey

Boi-1da with Canada Soccer Foundation Jersey

Creo Visions

Producer Boi-1da will be scoring some wins in the studio for Canada Soccer.

The Grammy-winning Toronto artist has worked behind the scenes on some of the biggest hits coming out of the country, producing Drake since day one. Now, he's been named to a new role as National Teams Music Ambassador for Canada Soccer, the organization governing soccer at the international, national and amateur levels.


As Canada prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the "God's Plan" producer will boost the profile of the sport at home and on the airwaves.

In partnership with Infinity Records, Boi-1da will lead a new initiative, Perfect Pitch, raising funds for youth soccer programs in Canada. He will creative direct and executive producer a series of musical anthems celebrating the beautiful game, with proceeds going to the Canada Soccer Foundation.

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Boi-1da is not the only Canadian musician tapped to contribute to help craft a sound for the sport. Juno-winning engineer Hill Kourkoutis has produced a remix of the Fifa World Cup Theme 26, infusing it with the musical identity of Toronto, set to drop on March 8.

Meanwhile, Boi-1da is getting some big recognition at home for his work making global hits lately — he'll also receive the International Achievement Award at the 2025 Junos, coming up on March 30, becoming the first producer to win the award.

No word yet on which talent he'll bring in to collab on Perfect Pitch tracks, but he's got a record of working with some of the biggest names in music, like Rihanna, Eminem, Nicki Minaj and Eminem.

"Being able to combine two things that I have a deep passion for – music and Canadian soccer – has always been something that I wanted to do. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to spearhead an initiative that allows me to create a musical identity for a program that I admire," said the producer in a statement. "Everything about this moment is special."

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Charlotte Day Wilson
Jessica Foley
Charlotte Day Wilson
Concerts

CNE 2026 Bell SOUNDSTAGE Lineup: Charlotte Day Wilson, JoJo, Finger Eleven and More

As part of its partnership with NXNE and a renewed focus on live music, CNE will also welcome a special soon-to-be revealed global headliner presented by Billboard Canada on Aug. 28.

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is embracing its musical roots with a high-profile lineup for 2026.

The beloved long-running fair, baptized The Ex by Torontonians, has unveiled the full list of artists who will be headlining the newly-named Bell SOUNDSTAGE at the Bandshell to celebrate the event's 147th edition. Canadian stars like Charlotte Day Wilson and Finger Eleven as well as international pop star JoJo have been added to this year's programming, which reflects a diverse mix of renowned names and rising stars across a multitude of genres including pop, hip-hop, Punjabi music and soca, among others. They join previously announced acts like Lights, Lupe Fiasco, Shaggy and more.

This year, the exhibition is partnering with Toronto music festival NXNE, to modernize its musical programming with chart-topping artists and newer acts, and revamping the Bandshell as the Bell SOUNDSTAGE. “Music is such a massive part of who we are,” Mark Holland, CEO of the CNE, told Billboard Canada in April during his Executive of the Week interview. "Connecting everybody to that is a democratic mission that we are really invested in."

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