PARTNER CONTENT
Billboard Canada is beginning its partnership with M for Montreal in a big way.
Today, the Quebec music industry festival and conference has announced the full lineup of 28 artists in M for Montreal’s Official Selection program. A mix of Francophone and Anglophone Quebec artists and exciting acts from all over Canada, the strong lineup of acts presented by Billboard Canada perfectly encapsulate the partnership’s goal – to build bridges between the country’s music scenes and amplify the Canadian industry on a global scale.
The Official Selection features 28 hand-picked artists and bands chosen to build professional connections by playing at more than 40 showcases for over 500 Canadian and international delegates. Beyond the more public-facing MARATHON festival presented by SiriusXM, this includes special industry performances and networking opportunities with labels, publishers, managers, media, programmers and more from around the world. The program has been an excellent springboard for many artists who have gone onto international success, including Grimes, Charlotte Cardin, Mac DeMarco and others.
Find all 28 Official Selection artists here.
M for Montreal 2024 Official Selection poster
This year, there is a strong contingent from Quebec who perform in both French and English. On the francophone side, there are buzzy rock acts like Population II, DVTR and Alix Fernz, plus folk/indie rock performers Velours Velours and Grand Eugène as well as global-influenced Ya Cediton and R&B artist Naomi (recently featured in Billboard Canada’s Fresh Sounds new music series).
Previously announced Montrealers KROY, and Francouvertes winner Soleil Launière and pop singer-songwriter Claudia Bouvette are joined by up-and-comers Fleece, ALIAS and Goodbye Karelle as well as Jane Penny (lead singer of acclaimed dream pop act TOPS), Unessential Oils (long-running indie rock band Plants and Animals’ Warren Spicer) and adventurous pop artist Lubalin (making a solo push after success as a collaborator of Charlotte Cardin).
There will also be acts from Ontario, including rising acts Charlie Houston, Housewife and myst milano. Wyatt C. Louis and psych-folk singer-songwriter Astral Swans come to the festival from Alberta, while Saskatchewan will be highlighted by songwriter Katie Tupper and rock band Grimelda. Begonia, a pop songwriter with a big following, comes from Manitoba along with Living Hour. Vox Rea, a Vancouver-based noir-pop band, will also play the festival.
Listen to a playlist of the Official Selection artists here.
Delegates and passholders attending the PRO component of M for Montreal can catch all those showcases, along with a number of events designed to foster connections between music professionals and industries across the world – a bus tour of Montreal, special networking dinners, exclusive workshops and more.
That includes the M for Mixer, which features more than 1,000 speed-meeting sessions for industry stalwarts, along with the SuperVISION: Guild of Music Supervisors session, featuring professionals from the music, film, television and video game industries.
There will also be a number of panels in both English and French, focused on issues relating to the music industries of Quebec and the wider industry as a whole. That includes sessions on data and music discovery and ways to improve the accessibility of live music. In the bigger project of strengthening connections between international industries, there will be topics and events specifically related to strengthening ties in North America, between Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Expect more exciting announcements on specific panels to come.
M for Montreal PRO passes are available here.
M for Montreal was founded in 2006 and has become known for helping artists connect with potential team members and collaborators, as well as working to export Quebecois and Canadian talent to the global market.
