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While the night was filled with milestone achievements from Canadian female artists, the night wasn’t only about the artists performing on stage — it was about recognizing talent across sectors of the industry and building community across the whole music landscape. The list of talented women in the room was incredibly diverse — not just in terms of genre, but in ways they shape the space — from executives and managers to engineers and promoters to publicists and producers.
At the beginning of the evening, Billboard Canada’s CCO Elizabeth Crisante led a champagne toast to the industry leaders sitting in the audience, asking everyone who was honored on Billboard Canada Women in Music’s Industry Spotlight to stand. As their names and faces flashed on the screen one by one, they each earned their own round of applause — a powerful and celebratory note to start the ceremony.
Universal Music Canada’s Julie Adam won Executive of the Year, accepting the award from her colleague, COO of CARAS & MusiCounts President Kristy Fletcher. As someone who has worked in the entertainment industry for over 20 years, Adam acknowledged the importance of celebrating Canadian artists and industry leaders. While she was the one winning the award, Adam highlighted the importance of determination, having a strong team and the trust of artists are her keys to success: “I promise to give you every ounce of energy I have to help,” she affirmed, citing her “delusional optimistic belief that anything is possible.”
Meg Symsyk, CEO of FACTOR, has been at the forefront of the industry, fighting a major bank over cybertheft, engaging in ongoing CRTC discussions and championing artists. Before Symsyk received the first-ever Champion Award from Wednesday Management’s Laurie Lee Boutet, she was in for a special treat from her friend and client, Rush legend Geddy Lee. “Meg, you rock and you are so deserving of this award,” he shared via video, which elicited cheers from the crowd.
Stepping on stage in awe, Symsyk talked about her background in rowing, equating the competitive nature and discipline of the sport to working in the music industry. “We may move around to different teams, but our sector and our community is actually quite tight-knit,” she said.
She recalled a moment when Geddy Lee bought her a wig during her cancer treatment (which, yes, she still maintained her strength and grit). She shouted out fellow winners The Beaches, recalling when she tapped them as concert openers in 2009 for her then-management client Brody Dalle, who had a rule that at least one member of every opening act had to be female. She also shouted out Charlotte Day Wilson, saying she should get an award for her Red Bull Symphonic concert.
Symsyk concluded with a crucial message for future music industry leaders. “Don’t be an a—hole,” she said definitively — proving that this accolade fits her perfectly.
