Paquin Entertainment Group continues to be a global powerhouse and the market-leading booking agency. Founded by patriarch Gilles Paquin, the diversified entertainment group recently doubled down on its investment into live music and artist development, anchoring major global tours for icons like Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, and The Offspring. The company's music division, Paquin Artists Agency, continues to aggressively scale its operations. Paquin has assembled a dream team of agents led by Gilles' son and co-president Julien Paquin alongside key leaders like Jack Ross and Jason Furman. Operating out of offices in Winnipeg, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, the agency commands an elite roster featuring Nickelback and Simple Plan. Co-president Vinny Cinquemani transcends the list this year, becoming one of the inaugural Billboard Canada Hall of Famers. But Paquin's empire stretches far beyond traditional touring. Paquin Exhibitions & Theatrical, led by younger son Justin Paquin, saw record-breaking success with its international Beyond Van Gogh exhibit, which has sold more than 5 million tickets across 80 cities worldwide, while preparing to launch its most ambitious immersive production to date, Celestia. Paquin’s expansion is swift, with big plans to deepen its presence not only across Canada, but across the border and throughout the world.

The Feldman Agency continues to have its fingerprint on some of Canada’s biggest live music moments. Under the leadership of president Tom Kemp and CEO Jeff Craib — who have both been named Billboard Global Power Players three times — the booking agency has brought beloved Canadian acts back onstage for fans spanning different generations, as well as putting on some of the country’s biggest shows. The booking agency led Triumph’s first tour in 25 years which sold more than 150,000 tickets across 25 shows, as well as The Guess Who’s return with its two principal members, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings. The company also handled Shania Twain’s massive festival run last summer, where she played the largest show in Calgary Stampede history. With a respected team of booking agents, including Steven Himmelfarb, who has helped steward Angine de Poitrine’s meteoric rise, and along with successful international tours by Canadian artists like Daniel Caesar, The Beaches and Jessie Reyez, the agency continues to be a force in the live music industry.

Ben Buchanan occupies a rare position in the Canadian live business as the country’s only music agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the most powerful agencies in global entertainment. Based in Toronto, Buchanan helps shape touring for some of the biggest artists in music, bridging Canadian talent with the highest levels of the international touring market. His roster spans acts including Charli XCX, Metric, Billy Talent, City and Colour and Alexisonfire. Buchanan played a key role in the breakout success of Charli XCX’s Brat Tour and Hilary Duff’s major touring return, which CAA reports saw over 750,000 tickets sold worldwide on the announcement. At a time when global touring has become increasingly consolidated, Buchanan remains one of the few Canadian agents operating in the top tier of the international booking agency business.