In an era in which authenticity has become more important than ever, Justin West, president and CEO of Secret City Records, continues to drive independent artists to new heights and represent artists’ rights in the age of AI. The label celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, coinciding with a record tour from its longtime artist Patrick Watson, who will headline major festivals like the Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) this summer. His biggest hit « Je te laisserai des mots » received a major sync placement in The Summer I Turned Pretty last fall, after becoming the first-ever French language song to reach a billion Spotify streams in 2024. West has helped Secret City thrive on an independent level as artists like Alexandra Stréliski, Jeremy Dutcher achieve impressive numbers and accolades, and he’s also become a major advocate for the independent sector as a whole. He’s on the boards of CIMA and global digital rights licensing collective Merlin, where he was re-elected last fall, and he’s a founding member of indie label collective ORCA.