Billboard Canada Managers to Watch returns to Canada with a special celebration this Thursday (June 11) at SOUNDSTAGE at the W Toronto, in partnership with Music Managers Forum Canada as part of NXNE. Find more details at nxne.com
Matthew Burnett (left) and Jordan Evans photographed in Makati, Philippines in 2026.Devante Browne
Company: Golden Child Recordings Inc.
Key client: Daniel Caesar
For Matthew Burnett and Jordan Evans, artist management is all about building trust in your client and putting full faith in their creative vision. The Toronto managers have been with Daniel Caesar from when he was a teenager until his global rise through a unique vision that combines their self-taught business skills and their background as creatives themselves.
From early collaborations with Caesar as record producers to becoming his full-time managers taking on stage direction, musical direction, royalty management and more, Burnett and Evans have guided Daniel Caesar from 2012 until now. Recently, they helped execute his most ambitious rollout to date, with Caesar's impromptu cross-city tour of acoustic shows in parks across Canada and the U.S. in the lead-up to his Son of Spergy album.
"Good management is understanding your client and supporting them instead of trying to change what they feel led to do," says Burnett in an interview with Billboard Canada.
"If you create an environment where you're allowing exploration, something's gonna come from it that's genuinely special," Evans adds. "There's a lot of trust required to be trusting in the ability and the intuition of the people that you work with."
Caesar is currently in Asia on his latest global tour, which will pass through seven Canadian cities later this summer. He picked up the International Achievement Award at the Junos back in March, just months after releasing Son of Spergy in Oct. 2025, which became his third consecutive top 10 album in Canada and highest U.S. debut. He appeared on the cover of Billboard and Billboard Canada after his homecoming show at the Mod Club at Billboard Canada THE STAGE at NXNE. His managers have been behind him every step of the way, leading one of the most illustrious success stories in Canadian music over the past decade.
Company: Spectacles Bonzaï
Key clients: Angine de Poitrine
Sébastien Collin is the man standing behind a duo that isn’t just Canada’s hottest band – they’re arguably the hottest band in all of global music. The rise of Angine de Poitrine has been stratospheric, which is fitting for a pair of polka dot aliens who travelled from another planet — or Saguenay, Quebec, depending on who you ask — in the pursuit of rock. It’s not easy to strategize behind a pair of microtonal math-rockers. It’s even harder if they stay completely anonymous. But Sebastien has not only made it work. He’s charted their unlikely rise to a level that the whole music industry is now watching and trying to figure out how they can do it too.
Collin hasn’t charted the usual industry path for a breakout band. He’s spent years in the trenches, touring with bands and supporting artists from the ground up with his company Spectacles Bonzaï. With 15 million views on their viral KEXP video and industry folks calling, Collin and the band have chosen to stay independent and build in their own way — on the road. They are one of the most in-demand live bands in the world right now, and vinyl plants are struggling to keep up. Spectacles Bonzaï has had to restructure itself to meet the band’s new needs — on a scale the company had never experienced before.
Many are wondering how they did it.
"There’s no secret formula or magic trick," Collin says. "The energy in a room and the crowd’s enthusiasm are often the clearest indicators of something real happening. At Spectacles Bonzaï, relationships are built on artistic respect and trust. That’s really the key: staying connected to people."
Company: Special Projects Music Co. & Locomotion Ltd.
Key clients: Yungblud
Tommas Arnby has guided the rise of one of the most in-demand rock stars in the world: Grammy-nominated U.K. star Yungblud. He's helped the artist take risks and figure out the best path for himself, because he's walked many paths himself: first as a musician in the band Subcircus, then in A&R at Sony Music, and now at Locomotion and Special Projects, global partnerships in recording, publishing and brand collaborations.
Arnby has helped Yungblud focus in on what matters first: the fans and the community. He's helped him launch YBHQ, a direct-to-fan platform with exclusive content, discounts and rewards "free from the noise of traditional social media."
Yungblud has become your favourite rock star's favourite rock star, collaborating with legends like Aerosmith, The Smashing Pumpkins, Bring Me The Horizon and the late Ozzy Osbourne. But Arnby still cares about the fans first, connecting with the people who care the most and building from there.
"Go where the initial love comes from," he advises. "Over-invest in those markets and connect the dots later. Yungblud’s earliest fans were in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Australia — so that’s where we focused. The U.K. (his home country) and the U.S. came much later."
He also has a major dedicated fanbase in Canada, where Arnby will accept the International Manager Award at Billboard Canada Managers to Watch on June 11.
Company: Weston & Leona
Key client: SadBoi
For Santasha Cato, artist management is as much about building culture as it is building careers. The Toronto-based manager and creative executive has helped develop SadBoi into one of Canada’s most distinct emerging artists, creating a universe that stretches across music, visuals, live performance and fan community.
Working closely across strategy, creative direction, touring, partnerships and marketing, Cato has helped guide SadBoi’s rise from underground buzz to international recognition. At 26 years old, the artist has been making music for nearly a decade and has found a genre-defying sound rooted in the global sounds of her Toronto upbringing.
Over the last year, that included performances at Wireless, Rolling Loud Vienna, Dour Festival and Yardland Paris, along with back-to-back Juno wins in 2025 for dance recording of the year and 2026 for rap album of the year. Together, they’ve also built a devoted fanbase known as “The Crybabiez,” rooted in emotional honesty, Caribbean identity and alternative pop culture.
"With Canadian artists specifically, we often grow up influenced by so many cultures and sounds at once, which can become a real advantage if embraced authentically," Cato says. "Rather than chasing trends or trying to fit into one market, I believe in leaning into what makes the artist distinct, whether that’s their background, perspective, sound, visuals, or personality and building a world people want to be part of... We built everything from the ground up."
Santasha Cato (left) and Sadboi
Company: A Sapphire Inc.
Key client: Eestbound, Casper TNG
Ron Nizamov’s work in music management has focused heavily on the systems behind artist growth. Through his Toronto-based company A Sapphire, he's spent nearly a decade working across artist management, digital strategy, rights administration and business development, helping artists build on creative momentum.
Nizamov is the manager of producer Eestbound, who was part of a 2025 Juno win with Snotty Nose Rez Kids and their album Red Future. Even bigger has been his work alongside Casper TNG, one of the year's biggest breakthroughs.
“Seeing the groundwork translate into real-world results has been incredibly rewarding,” he says, following the breakout success of “The Market" and his subsequent signing to Universal Music Canada. The song has gone gold, charted on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and brought the Toronto rapper to new industry heights after years in the underground.
For Nizamov, artist development starts with structure before scale. “The biggest mistake I see artists make is trying to go global before they've built a real foundation at home,” he says. “Momentum is much easier to scale when the foundation is already built."
Ron Nizamov (left) with Casper TNG
Company: Thunderhaus Management Inc.
Key client: Tia Wood
Tara Barnes has built Thunderhaus Management Inc. into a company rooted in artist development, cultural storytelling and long-term career building. Over the last year, Barnes helped guide a major breakout period for Sony Music Canada-signed Indigenous R&B singer and songwriter Tia Wood. That included performing alongside Shawn Mendes in Vancouver, earning multiple Juno nominations, recognition from SOCAN and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and the 2026 Inspire First Nations Youth Award.
“My proudest achievement has been watching our artists reach career-defining moments while staying true to who they are,” Barnes says. “Seeing those moments happen has been incredibly rewarding because they reflect years of relationship-building, creative development, and believing in artists before the industry fully catches up.”
Barnes believes artists break globally by leaning into individuality, not trying to fit a music industry formula. “Audiences connect to identity and authentic storytelling, not geography or pre-packaged music,” she says.
Tara Barnes (right) with Tia Wood (middle)
Company: GOOD PEOPLE ONLY
Key client: Good Kid
Crispin Day isn’t just managing artists, he’s building the infrastructure around them. Alongside Good Kid, the Toronto-based manager, producer and entrepreneur has quietly assembled an independent ecosystem designed to give artists more ownership over how they grow.
Good Kid is one of Canada’s fastest-growing indie rock bands. Day has worked as both manager and producer for the group, helping guide them from online momentum to sold-out U.S. headline tours, a Juno nomination for breakthrough group of the year, performances at Reading & Leeds and Lollapalooza and a debut release that surpassed one million streams within 24 hours of release.
Good Kid are known for the fan community they've built online to break out entirely on their own terms. The team is staffed entirely in-house and uses AI and sophisticated analytics to give them the tools usually only available to major label artists. “Watching talented, diverse people rally around a manager-led, independent vision has been the most rewarding part,” says Day, who did it all while parenting a newborn. "Don't 'trust the process,'" he says. "Either trust the people or dictate the process."
For Day, success comes from patience and building real fan connection over time and never taking anything at face value. “Persistence. Patience. Focus on consistent growth over time,” he says. “Track ‘t-shirts and tickets’ — they’re the compass steering you towards high intent fans.”
Crispin Day and Good Kid
Company: Awesome Productions & Management Inc.
Key clients: Dylan Sinclair, DijahSB, Jordon Manswell, 646yf4t
Jermayne Clayton has built his career around long-term artist development while also investing heavily into the next generation of managers, creatives and music entrepreneurs coming up behind him.
As president of the management division at Awesome and head of A&R at Sincerely Yours, Clayton works with a roster that includes much-loved R&B and hip-hop artists Dylan Sinclair, DijahSB and up-and-comer and 646yf4t (brother of Daniel Caesar) and producers including Jordon Manswell. Beyond management, Clayton also serves as vice chair of Music Managers Forum Canada and sits on the FACTOR board, where he advocates for artist-first and entrepreneurial perspectives across the industry.
One of Clayton’s proudest recent achievements was launching the Awesome Cup Award alongside Remix Project, a bursary designed to support young managers building their businesses. “The goal is simple: give the next generation the resources and guidance we had to fight for,” he says.
For Clayton, artist development starts with protecting individuality. “The world doesn't need another generic playlist artist,” he says. “They want what's distinct.”
Company: Camp Music Inc.
Key clients: Ruby Waters, The Terrys
Riley Kirkwood and Logan Kearns are the co-founders of Camp, home to artists including breakout rock artist Ruby Waters and The Terrys. The pair have experience on the live side of music and The Beat Academy, helping connect producers with opportunities in international markets.
Today, they help artists build careers that can grow sustainably beyond a single moment or campaign. Their approach is rooted in long-term development and creating opportunities that feel aligned with the artist’s identity, and helps build meaningful growth on an independent level.
Kirkwood believes breaking artists internationally requires investing directly into new audiences and experiences. “My key is not being afraid to travel and bring the artist to these places,” he says. “It’s not cheap but we look at it as an investment.” His advice to emerging managers: “Trust your gut. It got you this far.”
For Kearns, the key to being a good manager is empowering artists to stay in control of their music without giving up the keys for momentary gain. "Don't rush to take the first deal that comes your way," he says. "Take time to develop a real business around your clients and encourage building ownership around catalogue. It will pay off in the long term."
Company: Watchdog Management
Key clients: Hilary Duff, Boy Golden, Mother Mother
At Watchdog Management, artist development stretches far beyond music releases alone. Across touring, merchandising, fan engagement, logistics and long-term strategy, Sarah Fenton and Roya Abdi help oversee the operational and creative ecosystems behind some of the biggest artists in Canada and the world.
Watchdog is the company behind one of the year's biggest comebacks, with Hilary Duff currently on a major tour with sold-out venues across North America. It's also guided the success of Boy Golden, who's had a huge year bolstered by a long-leading No. 1 hit on the Billboard Canada Airplay charts.
Fenton, Watchdog’s vice president and general manager, has been with the company since 2004, helping guide artists including Duff, Mother Mother, Peach Pit and Corb Lund across touring, marketing, merch, audience development and global strategy. Abdi, meanwhile, oversees day-to-day management operations for both emerging and established artists, including breakout Warner Music Canada artist Jade LeMac, while managing complex touring, scheduling, VIP and e-commerce programs.
Fenton points to her work helping launch Duff’s return to music as one of her proudest achievements of the last year, while Abdi says she is most proud of “the overall trajectory of my career and the growth I have experienced in a relatively short period of time.”
For both managers, growth comes from consistency and long-term thinking. “Think globally,” Fenton says. “Meet as many people as possible and let your values guide you.”
Sarah Fenton
Roya Abdi and team with Jade LeMac
Company: The Bullpen Management
Key client: Mae Martin
For Wes Marskell and Devin Fulop, artist management extends beyond music alone. Through The Bullpen Management, the pair have built a company focused on helping artists, producers and engineers develop careers with long-term creative and cultural impact, balancing strategy with hands-on development across every stage of the process.
Founded around an artist-first philosophy, The Bullpen’s roster includes Mae Martin, Juno-winning producer Derek Hoffman and mastering engineer Elisa Pangsaeng.
Marskell has built his management experience over years of work as one-half of popular Canadian band The Darcys (now independent, self-managed and based in Los Angeles). He and his Darcys bandmate Jason Couse actually produced Mae Martin’s debut album I’m A TV, which The Bullpen helped launch in partnership with Universal Music Canada and Republic Records.
The company also oversaw Hoffman’s publishing deal with Red Brick Songs and securing funding for Pangsaeng’s mastering studio — the first female-owned and designed mastering facility in Canada.
“A lot of Canadian artists succeed globally after first building a strong foundation at home,” Marskell and Fulop say. “We see Canada as a launchpad, not a stepping stone.”
For the duo, strong management starts with adaptability and self-awareness. “Management isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ role,” they say. “Ask questions, seek mentorship, and spend time around people who are doing things that you have yet to figure out.”
Wes Marskell and David Fulop
Company: Arts & Crafts
Key clients: Katie Tupper, Maddie Jay, Young Friend
Michael Powell’s path through artist management and A&R has been driven by instinct more than formula. Powell is the head of A&R at venerated indie label Arts & Crafts, helping shape projects that sit outside easy categorization.
He has a dual role, managing Katie Tupper, Young Friend and Maddie Jay. He stepped into the role of Tupper’s manager in 2025 after previously A&Ring her music, helping guide a debut album campaign that generated more than 10 million streams within months of release.
In A&R, Powell has also signed artists including Mustafa and Hovvdy to Arts & Crafts.
"I've been really proud to get to work with some of the artists I am genuinely a huge fan of and to have the privilege to put the music first,” Powell says.
For Powell, sustainable artist development begins with substance before strategy. “Make art, have something to say,” he says. “Then focus on the social strategy.”
Michael Powell and Katie Tupper
Company: Lighter Than Air
Key clients: Half Moon Run, Ouri, Billianne
Since founding Lighter Than Air in 2017, Michael Sayegh has grown the Montreal-based company into a global management firm, record label and concert producer whose roster has earned more than one billion streams and performed at major festivals worldwide.
Lighter Than Air has built a diverse roster spanning major Quebec acts like Half Moon Run and emerging artists like Ouri, Flower Face and Billianne, who have built major critical and streaming success on a grassroots level while exporting them to the world.
“The balance we have struck between supporting the community we are part of while building paths for that community to move around the world is the foundation of everything we’ve ever wanted to do,” Sayegh says. “We’ve shown up for our community and that same community shows up for us.”
His advice to new managers: “Say less, listen more. Short emails. The feeling you leave people with when you leave a room is your most important asset to any artist.”
Michael Sayegh
Company: Palace Recordings
Key client: Lilyisthatyou
Marvin Alyas is the founder of Palace Records and the manager behind the rise of Lilyisthatyou, the Toronto-born, Los Angeles-based artist who has emerged as one of independent pop’s breakout success stories. Operating across management, A&R, publishing, touring, partnerships and artist development, Alyas has helped build Lilyisthatyou into a globally growing alternative pop act with more than 300 million career streams and a devoted international fanbase.
Under Alyas’ management, Lilyisthatyou has completed multiple sold-out headline dates across Europe and North America, opened for Kesha and performed at major festivals including ACL, Corona Capital and Calgary Stampede, while also securing major label partnerships.
“One of my proudest achievements over the last year has been helping build Lilyisthatyou to the point where we’re preparing for her upcoming 39-date headline tour across Europe, Canada, and the U.S.,” Alyas says. “Seeing years of development translate into international headline touring has been a defining milestone.”
For Alyas, breaking artists globally comes down to authenticity and consistency. “The key to breaking artists worldwide isn’t chasing what’s already working elsewhere,” he says. “The best managers build momentum that compounds.”
Company: July Management/Prototype
Key client: MICO
Since 2022, Alexander Stojanovic has managed breakout act MICO, helping shape projects including the Internet Hometown Hero EP, which amassed more than 50 million streams, supported sold-out shows globally and helped the artist secure a deal with Columbia Records. Alongside Rob Woe at Prototype, Stojanovic has also worked with Ethan Low and Lyle Kam since 2023.
Helping a young viral act break comes naturally to Stojanovic, who began as a producer under the alias rare and signed with Intercord Records. Stojanovic transitioned into the industry side through an A&R internship at Sony Canada before moving into management full time.
“I’d say my proudest achievement over the last year has been MICO’s Juno nomination and his broadcast performance of ‘HOMESICK,’” Stojanovic says. “Receiving recognition for Internet Hometown Hero and celebrating it with our closest friends, peers, and family in front of a massive audience was unforgettable.”
For Stojanovic, artist development starts with building real fandoms and meaningful connection. His advice to new managers: “Do not fixate on virality. Lay the foundation through real artist development by being in the weeds with your artist on a daily basis.”
Company: Simkin Artist Management
Key client: Elijah Woods
Global audience-building has become a defining part of Isaac Markinson’s approach to management. Working out of Vancouver with Simkin Artist Management, the company co-founded by 604 Records founder Jonathan Simkin, the young and rising Markinson has helped guide artists whose careers extend far beyond Canada.
His roster now includes Canadian pop artist Elijah Woods, whose solo catalog has surpassed one billion global streams, alongside Anson Seabra, whose music has generated more than 1.5 billion Spotify streams through tracks like “Welcome to Wonderland,” “Peter Pan Was Right” and “Walked Through Hell.” Markinson has also worked with Vancouver rapper Boslen, whose genre-crossing releases earned a Juno nomination for rap album/EP of the year. He also works with emerging acts like Fionn, who have found rising success on the Billboard Canada Airplay charts.
“My proudest achievement over the last year was seeing Elijah headline his first show of the year in Los Angeles,” Markinson says. "It was a special and rewarding moment for me."
Isaac Markinson
Company: STRVCTVRE Artist Management
Key client: DVBBS
Josh Herman has spent more than a decade helping build DVBBS into one of Canada’s biggest global electronic exports. Since founding STRVCTVRE Artist Management in 2012, Herman has overseen a catalogue that has surpassed 5.7 billion streams while guiding DVBBS through international chart success, platinum certifications and major collaborations across pop, EDM and hip-hop.
For several years, STRVCTVRE operated under Live Nation and Ron Laffitte’s Patriot Management before returning to independent operation forming the record label and publishing company Kanary. DVBBS’ breakout single “Tsunami” reached No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart and later entered Spotify’s Billions Club.
He's helped them navigate a new independent era that already feels fruitful. DVBBS recently joined forces with Canadian icon Nelly Furtado for new single "Torture of the Heart," and she gushed about their work in an interview with Billboard Canada.
“The proudest stretch of the last year has been setting DVBBS and Kanary up to go fully independent across both recorded music and publishing,” Herman says, following nearly a decade signed to Ultra/Sony.
For Herman, longevity and ownership are central to management. “Careers aren’t built in a release cycle, they’re built over years,” he says. “The artist hired you to protect the vision, not to dilute it.”
Josh Herman
Company: Three Six Zero
Key client: Majid Jordan
Mamie Lowther’s career has moved across nearly every corner of the modern music business, from artist management and tour production to global campaign strategy. Born in London and now based in Los Angeles, Lowther brings a distinctly international perspective to her work, shaped by years spent working between the U.K., North America and global touring markets. As part of Three Six Zero, the company behind heavyweights like Calvin Harris, Willow and Muse, she is a co-manager of Toronto's own Majid Jordan. She's helped them navigate a new phase of their career, recently dropping their new single "Cold."
After beginning her career at Modest! Management and later YMU, Lowther relocated to New York where she worked in tour production on arena runs for artists including Kygo and The 1975. She now co-manages Majid Jordan and was part of the team behind MK’s U.K. No. 1 single “Dior” in 2025.
“Getting a No. 1 single in the U.K., attending my first Junos with Majid Jordan who were nominated, and staying sane working with people across five different time zones” were among her proudest moments of the last year, Lowther says.
Her advice to new managers: “Build your network, ask questions and don't be afraid to make mistakes.”
Mamie Lowther
