SiriusXM Canada announced Tuesday the launch of Nouvelles Ondes SiriusXM, a national initiative to discover and elevate emerging francophone artists residing in Canada.
With applications now open until April 28, the cross-country search will give participating francophone solo artists and groups the chance to perform at some of Quebec’s leading music festivals, benefit from industry mentorship and compete for a $25,000 grand prize, including a performance opportunity at a major international festival in Paris, France.
Following the registration period, three finalists will be selected by a jury of music industry professionals to advance to the next stage of the competition. Each finalist will be invited to participate in a professional studio session to record an original song and video, which will be made available on the Nouvelles Ondes website.
From July 9 to 23, the public across the country will be able to view the finalists’ recordings and vote daily for their favourite artist, ahead of their performance at the Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) in Quebec City in July.
The grande finale will take place in September on stage at the emerging and independent music festival Festival de musique émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (FME) in Rouyn-Noranda, where the winner of the competition will be crowned. The winning artist will receive a $25,000 bursary, along with the opportunity to represent Canada’s francophone music scene at the MaMA Music & Convention industry event in Paris. The two runners-up will each receive a $10,000 bursary, as well as mentorship opportunities and exposure across SiriusXM platforms.
“Francophone artists are a vital part of Canada’s cultural identity and creative future,” Michelle Mearns, senior vice president of programming and operations at SiriusXM Canada, said in a press release Tuesday. “With Nouvelles Ondes, we are proud to leverage SiriusXM’s national reach and industry relationships to provide emerging talent with meaningful impact, professional development, and opportunities that can help shape the next chapter of their careers.”
Artwork courtesy of SiriusXM Canada
