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An Easter Weekend Note To Our Readers
Today’s newsletter is shorter than normal because of the holiday, but we promise to return Monday with a full complement of news and columns.
Apr 19, 2019
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ConcertsVahishtai Ghosh
NXNE Announces 2025 Board of Advisors
Together, these advisors will help guide the festival to new heights, continuing its legacy of bringing in major artists and acts discovered right before they hit it big.
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"As we head into our 30th year, everyone at NXNE remains committed to constant learning and growing our events and how we serve our communities," says NXNE President & CEO Michael Hollett. "Having these industry leaders share their wisdom with us is a huge asset that will help us continue to refine and develop the idea of NXNE. I am deeply grateful for their support."
With a new strategic partnership with Billboard Canada, NXNE will also strengthen its industry ties, presenting Billboard Canada Power Players and Managers to Watch as well as some of the biggest names in music to share their experience and expertise. This collection of advisors shows the inroads NXNE has and will continue to have in the global industry.
Below, meet this year's NXNE Board of Advisors –their biographies, accomplishments, and in some cases, their favourite NXNE memories.
Yuri Hasegawa
Panos A. Panay
President, Recording Academy® (Grammys)
Panos A. Panay serves as President for the Recording Academy®. In his role, Panay drives business growth across the entire organization to further expand the service offerings for Academy members and the industry. With a focus on identifying new partnerships, global expansion and leveraging new technologies, he drives strategic advancement for the Academy’s objectives and fosters a culture of innovation. Prior to joining the Recording Academy, Panay served as the senior vice president for Global Strategy and Innovation at Berklee College of Music and is a fellow at MIT Connection Science. Prior to Berklee, Panay was founder and CEO of Sonicbids, the leading platform for emerging artists to connect with music promoters, resulting in over 1 million gigs booked in over 80 countries around the world. He led the company for 13 years until after its successful acquisition in 2013. He started his career as a talent agent and vice president at The Kurland Agency, booking the international tours for GRAMMY®-winning artists such as Pat Metheny, Chick Corea and Branford Marsalis. He is a public speaker at many universities and events around the world. His first book Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us About Innovation, co-authored with R. Michael Hendrix of IDEO, was released in April 2021 and was named as a business book of the month by the Financial Times.
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Favourite NXNE Memory
June is one of my favorite times of the year to be in Toronto. You really get to see the incredible amount of music coming out of the country — and especially out of Toronto. So, I’m excited to be back at North by Northeast. I haven’t been to the event in a few years now, not since before COVID. What I really love is its endurance. I love that, despite all the chaos and sadness in the world and all the changes our industry has gone through, this event still exists. There’s a sense of continuity — and for me, that’s really reassuring
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In terms of my favourite memory, it's the annual football tournaments that we used to play at BMO Field and Lamport Stadium that my company Sonicbids used to sponsor that were industry vs. musicians!
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Michelle Mearns
Senior Vice President, Programming & Operations, SiriusXM Canada
As Senior Vice President, Programming & Operations, Michelle oversees all aspects of programming and network operations, including our sports, talk, comedy and music groups. She also oversees SiriusXM’s broadcast facilities and enterprise operations. With over 20 years of experience in streaming, podcasts, digital marketing and partnership development in music and entertainment, Michelle previously led growth initiatives, strategy and content marketing at Apple (Canada). Prior to that, she led all marketing and communications activity for both Twitter Canada and Facebook Canada. She was also previously the marketing and communications lead for CBC Music, and worked on promoting artists as part of Universal Music Canada’s Island/Def Jam division.
Favourite NXNE Memory
My history with NXNE goes back to when I first volunteered with the festival in 2000. At an early age I knew that I wanted to work in the industry but had no idea how to start. Volunteering with NXNE was a great experience, and I got to see a bunch of amazing artists live. NXNE deepened my love for music and helped put me on the career path that I’ve enjoyed for the past 20+ years.
Tom Kemp
President, The Feldman Agency (TFA)
Tom Kemp is a seasoned agent and the President of The Feldman Agency (TFA), a leading Canadian entertainment company. He joined TFA in 1998 and has been instrumental in shaping its trajectory over the years. In 2019, alongside CEO Jeff Craib, Tom co-acquired the 50-year-old agency, marking a new era of growth and innovation. In recognition of his contributions, Tom was promoted to President in April 2024, taking on increased responsibility for the overall focus and well-being of the company. Tom represents a roster of acclaimed artists, including The Glorious Sons, Tom Morello, Charlotte Cardin, Jessie Reyez, Daniel Caesar, Allison Russell, and Alvvays. His deep industry expertise, sharp instincts, and commitment to artist development have been central to The Feldman Agency’s continued success and reputation as a powerhouse in the live entertainment space.
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Favourite NXNE Memory
Ludacris (2013 - Yonge-Dundas)
Sarah Cummings
Director of Radio Content, iHeartRadio & Orbyt (Bell Media)
Sarah has spent most of her life in the radio business. She started in her hometown of Chatham and for the past 25 years has worked throughout Ontario with stops in Niagara, Ottawa, Kitchener, London, Hamilton and Toronto. Sarah started in Promotions and then spent 15 years as a Radio Program Director, Format Captain & Regional Director. In 2017 Sarah became the first female Program Director for Toronto’s #1 Radio Station CHUM 104.5. In 2021 Sarah was appointed Director of Radio Content, iHeartRadio & Orbyt Media for Bell Media with a focus on the evolution of audio strategy, national brands and content & talent development. Sarah is the Vice Chair for FACTOR, a recent member of the Audio Executive Committee for Numeris, co-chair of the Program Advisory Committee for the Radio, TV & Film program at Niagara College, an avid mentor and past winner of CMW Program Director of the Year awards and was recently honoured to be part of the inaugural Billboard Canada Power Players & Billboard Canada Women in Music.
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Vinny Cinquemani
Co-President, Paquin Artists Agency
Few individuals have shaped the live music industry in Canada as profoundly as Vinny Cinquemani. Often credited with bringing Canadian artists to the forefront, Cinquemani has been instrumental in creating opportunities for domestic talent, helping them achieve recognition at home and beyond. Arriving in Toronto from New York in the 1970s, Cinquemani held executive roles at several influential booking firms — including Concept 376, Music Shoppe International, Platinum Artists and The Agency (as President), S.L. Feldman & Associates (SLFA) as President, leading SLFA to unprecedented success. In 2010, he became Senior VP, eventually transitioning to Co-President of Paquin Artists Agency in 2022 following his departure from TFA in 2021. Cinquemani has been named Canadian Booking Agent of the Year 10 times at the Canadian Music Industry Awards and twice received Performance Magazine’s International Agent/Promoter of the Year honour. In 2024, he was voted the No. 1 Agency/Agent in Billboard Canada Power Players.
Favourite NXNE Memory
My favourite memories of NXNE are: The Lumineers at the Horseshoe in 2012, Matthew Good Band at the Horseshoe in 1996, The Parachute Club and Martha and The Muffins (I don't remember the year or venue).
Dr. Charlie Wall-Andrews
Executive Director, SOCAN Foundation
Recognized by SPIN Magazine as one of the 25 most influential people in the music industry in 2025, Dr. Charlie Wall-Andrews dedicates her work to fostering inclusivity and innovation in the creative industries. Recognized with the King Coronation III Medal and named Change Maker of the Year by Women in Music Canada in 2025. As the Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation, she continues to develop national initiatives such as the TD Creative Entrepreneur Incubator to help emerging artists build sustainable careers, and the Equity X Production Program to empower women to learn music production. Holding a PhD in Management and receiving the Gold Medal for academic excellence at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Dr. Wall-Andrews is an Assistant Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. In addition to her academic pursuits, she contributes to the broader arts community as a Board Member of the Canada Council for the Arts. She serves as the inaugural Vice-Chair of Music Canada’s Advisory Council. She is also an associate composer with the Canadian Music Centre. Through leadership, research, and creative endeavours, Dr. Wall-Andrews remains committed to empowering the next generation of artists and leaders, shaping a more equitable future for the cultural sector, as well as mobilizing a productive creative ecosystem.
Favourite NXNE Memory
The best is yet to come.
Paddy Harrington
Founder & Principal, Frontier Design
Paddy is an award-winning writer and filmmaker, trained in literature and architecture. After serving as SVP Digital Innovation and Digital Creative Director at Indigo Books, and Executive Creative Director of Bruce Mau Design, Paddy founded Frontier, an independent design office that channels the expansive potential of storytelling to help people get somewhere new. For twenty years, Paddy has worked across design, advertising, research, and architecture, developing powerful stories for some of the world’s most impactful brands and institutions, including Coca-Cola, the Sacramento Kings, the Holy City of Mecca, Unilever and the Fogo Island Inn. Paddy’s work has been awarded and published internationally, and he has spoken at design conferences and institutions like Brown University, Harvard University, and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
Ralph Singh
Senior Director of Film & Television Music Placement, Universal Music Canada Publishing
Ralph Singh is the Senior Director of Film & Television Music Placement for Universal Music Canada Publishing (previously, he was the Manager of Film & Television Music Placement for EMI Music Canada for 10 years before the merger between the two record companies was completed in 2012). In this role, Ralph looks after all aspects of synchronization clearances, including pitching, obtaining approvals from artists and/or management and preparing contractual agreements. Ralph works closely with both the artists and their management companies to obtain these clearances. A big believer in Canadian music, Ralph supports indie music and does his best to pitch their music first to all music supervisors. Ralph is no stranger to the music industry spending over 30 years working in the music industry both on the royalty side working closely with publishers and in the world of pitching and placing music.
Favourite NXNE Memory
My most memorable part of NXNE was seeing Feist performing on her own. I saw her when she was part of Broken Social Scene but watching her command the stage that night, was pure magic. I do regret passing on seeing Post Malone when he was here for NXNE. I wish I can go back in time for that one.
Billy Eff
Head of Content, Rolling Stone (Canada)
Head of content at Rolling Stone Québec, Billy has over 20 years of experience in music and media. As a musician and DJ, he has performed and covered festivals worldwide, worked with M for Montréal and Mundial Montréal, and co-ran his own festival. His deep industry knowledge, global network, and expertise in underground culture make him a key advocate for emerging talent. An award-winning bilingual writer, Billy Eff is also deeply involved in the Montréal restaurant and nightlife scene.
Favourite NXNE Memory
2014, for its absolutely stacked line-up (and getting to discover the lore of the Queen/Spadina McDonald's).
Sonali Singh
CEO, Ripple Effect Studios
When it comes to the career of superstar Punjabi musician and actor Diljit Dosanjh, Sonali Singh is there every step of the way – from management to business, A&R to tour managing. Together, they made history this year. Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati tour was the largest North American tour from a Punjabi music artist, including a reported 215,000 attendees and a gross of more than $27 million USD. That North American leg opened and closed with massive stadium shows in Vancouver and Toronto, with the former becoming the biggest ever Punjabi concert outside of India. While staying involved in every aspect of the performances, Singh and Dosanjh were never afraid to dream big, and it paid off in a big way.
Vahishtai Ghosh
Project Manager, AMG
Vahishtai is a project lead at award-winning nonprofit Arts Help, and a project manager at Billboard Canada, where they oversee large-scale initiatives at the intersection of arts, culture, and social impact. With an academic foundation in history and formative roots in the cosmopolitan city of Mumbai, they bring a global, incisive and inclusive perspective to every project. A passionate advocate for equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-oppression, Vahishtai centres the voices and experiences of those historically pushed to the margins. As a non-binary person of colour, they are committed to reimagining creative spaces, believing firmly that the music industry — and the arts more broadly — must be by all and for all, with room at the table for every narrative.
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