Music Biz Headlines: Kennedy Centre Honours Two Canadian Icons, Artists Celebrate U.S. Midterm Results
Also: Palestinian-Canadian singer Nemahsis performs at Macklemore's Free Palestine concert and talks about getting dropped from her major label, CIMA names new board of directors & more.
David Foster (left) and Paul Anka perform during the "Hit Man: David Foster and Friends" concert at the Mandalay Bay Events Center May 9, 2009, in Las Vegas.
Leading the headlines on many fronts this week were the U.S. midterm elections. In the world of showbusiness south of the border, many celebrities and musical stars lovingly embraced the blue tsunami results.
Elsewhere, Canadian musicians remain reluctant to cross the border, SOCAN joins a live music royalty network, The Guvernment rises from the dead and artists show off their Halloween costumes.
Read these stories and more in this week's collection of music news headlines.
Canadian Music Biz Headlines
Canadians Paul Anka, David Foster Among 2026 Kennedy Center Honorees: Complete List
This marks the second time that two honorees were born in Canada and follows boycotts from some artists last year over Trump's involvement in the prestigious institution. — Paul Grein, Billboard
Nemahsis Plays Her Cover of Lorde's "Team" for the First Time at Macklemore’s Free Palestine Concert
The Palestinian-Canadian artist performed a four-song set on Oct. 30 at London's Wembley Arena and said "my existence [is] the strongest form of resistance." — Heather Taylor-Singh, Billboard Canada
CIMA Names New 2026-2029 Board of Directors
One new member, Jeremy Johnson of Birthday Cake Records, joins the slate of returning and incumbent board members guiding Canada's premier independent music trade org. — Kerry Doole, Billboard Canada
Canadian Musicians Rethink Touring the U.S.
Surging costs, political tensions and the threat of ICE raids are all factors. — Josh O'Kane, Globe & Mail
Why Stephen Harper Refused to Take a Call from Paul McCartney: From Harper’s new book
In excerpts from his new memoir, former prime minister Stephen Harper shares stories of Paul McCartney and Yo-Yo Ma. — Toronto Star
Loreena McKennitt, the Original Indie Artist, Does It Her Way
The internationally acclaimed artist from Stratford is out on a milestone anniversary tour for her album The Mask and The Mirror. — Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
Bryan Adams Berates Geographical Renamings in New Song Lake Ontario
The Kingston, Ont.-born rocker has released a new single called Lake Ontario, which appears to take shots at U.S. president Donald Trump. In August, Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. federal agencies to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” — Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
Leonard Cohen Lives On as His Son and Grandson Mark 10 Years Since Singer’s Death
Ten years after losing his father, Adam Cohen spots him everywhere. “I happen to have inherited his body type and his voice, and when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I see him,” says the 54-year-old singer-songwriter. — Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
Jess Moskaluke Makes Opry Debut as Part of CCMA’s 50th Birthday Celebration
In the lead-up to Jess Moskaluke’s childhood dreams coming true, she simply couldn’t stop crying. — Aaron Sousa, CP
SOCAN Joins GEMA's Live Music Royalty Network, One Arena
The Canadian music rights company is the first organization outside of Europe to join the network, whose goal is to provide more transparency regarding live music royalties. — Stefano Rebuli, Billboard Canada
Toronto Nightclub The Guvernment Announces Reunion Lineup With Carl Cox, Mark Oliver and More
To commemorate its 30th anniversary, the iconic venue and nightlife hotspot will reopen on Nov. 28 at Rebel with the two DJs and Toronto DJ Carlo Lio and others, to celebrate “the artists and sounds that played a pivotal role in shaping Toronto's nightlife history.” — Heather Taylor-Singh, Billboard Canada
The Canadian rapper, the Marianas Trench frontman and the breakthrough pop star will all have a role in crowning Canada’s Next Drag Superstar on the new season of the Crave-produced reality show, which premieres on Nov. 19. — Stefano Rebuli, Billboard Canada
International Music Biz Headlines
‘Dreams Do Come True’: Celebrities React as Democrats Sweep to Power In 2026 U.S. Midterm Election
Artists and actors everywhere joined the party, posting thoughts and outright joy on the historic Dems victory. And, for the Conservatives, a demoralizing defeat. — Lars Brandle, Billboard
The country trio could not have been more excited to see Republicans suffer massive losses on Tuesday night (Nov. 3) during their show in Los Angeles. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard
Celine Dion Makes Record-Breaking $125 Million Comeback in Paris
The first leg of her French residency wrapped with historic results. — Eric Frankenberg, Billboard
Universal Music Group Generated $3.90B in Q3, up 11.7% YoY – Driven by Olivia Rodrigo, Stray Kids, Ariana Grande and The Beatles
These are revenues across all of its divisions (including recorded music, publishing, and more) in Q3. That’s according to UMG‘s latest quarterly results, published on Oct. 29. — Music Business Worldwide
Can This Album Change Your Mind About the Climate Crisis?
With globe-spanning artists – including Charlotte Church doing angry electropop – the Flow project is hoping to make an impact at this month’s Cop31. — Olive Pometsey, The Guardian
As star lyricist Taupin releases a wistfully grouchy solo album, he talks about the joy of anonymity, his LA drinking gang – and owning a prize-winning bucking bull. — Alexis Petridis, The Guardian
‘Supercharged’ AI Bots Are Disrupting the Ticketing Market. The Industry Is Desperate for a Solution
RAYE and Sam Fender have both had ticket sales disrupted in recent weeks. — Thomas Smith, Billboard
Boo! — Hannah Dailey, Billboard
