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Tanika Charles Named First NMC Polaris Artist Resident

R&B singer and Polaris long-lister Tanika Charles is named the inaugural recipient of Lixar and the National Music Centre present the Polaris Artist Residency that comes with a five-day residency at Studio Bell in Calgary.

Tanika Charles Named First NMC Polaris Artist Resident

By Nick Krewen

Edmonton native and Toronto-based R&B singer and songwriter Tanika Charles is the winner of the newly established Lixar and the National Music Centre present the Polaris Artist Residency.


Charles was announced as the winner at Tuesday night's Polaris Music Prize ceremony at the Carlu in Toronto, and wins a five-day residency at the National Music Centre's Studio Bell in Calgary, with travel expenses covered by Lixar. The resulting recording will be pressed to vinyl, courtesy of Lixar.

The contest was open to all 2019 Polaris Long Listers, with Charles' album The Gumption getting the nod for this expansion of the NMC's Artist in Residence program.

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The prize also includes a performance and a party by Charles, scheduled for January 2020 with further details to be announced.

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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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