The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) has announced the winners of the 2025 Breakthrough Songwriter Award, Nemahsis (Anglophone Winner) and Rau_Ze (Francophone Winner), presented by the SOCAN Foundation with support from Amazon Music. The award reveals Canadian emerging songwriters on the rise, highlighting their current achievements and spotlighting their bright futures on the global stage.

Emerging artists will be honoured at the CSHF Legends Induction events in Toronto and Montréal alongside this year’s inductees, bridging Canada’s songwriting legacy with its next generation.

“Little Leaf” is the new family album from 3x Parent’s Choice Award Winner Chris McKhool, his first since releasing the CFMA winning and JUNO nominated “FiddleFire!” 17 years ago. The album is released on November 7, 2025 with the title cut out now.

On September 20, 2025, the Kensington Market Jazz Festival (KMJF) marks a milestone moment: its 10th anniversary. Since its inception in 2016, the festival has become one of Toronto’s most beloved cultural events, bringing together world-class musicians, passionate audiences, and the vibrant spirit of Kensington Market. For a decade, KMJF has embodied the principle “Better, Not Bigger,” delivering intimate performances that celebrate jazz in its purest, most community-driven form.

A refreshing addition to our brand is a column dedicated to the night life (and some days) in the great city of Toronto, featuring live event photos. Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.

Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph – Tracey Savein

The Pogues - September 10th @ History, Toronto

Celtic punk band, The Pogues, are on fire with ferocious faves and beautiful ballads for the jam-packed crowd at History in Toronto

Sisters Kate and Anna McGarrigle earned a loyal international following for their unique and appealing marriage of English and French folk styles, in an era when hard rock and disco dominated. Sticking steadfastly to their own path, Kate and Anna McGarrigle made a lasting mark on roots music across North America and internationally.

Born to a French-Canadian mother and Irish father, Kate (born Catherine Frances McGarrigle in 1946) and Anna Ruth McGarrigle (born 1944) enjoyed a small-town childhood in Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, Quebec, in a home steeped in French-Canadian folk music and timeless American music including the songs of Stephen Foster. 

The sisters explain how their careers evolved: “We were taught to sing at home, but mostly we sang because we had fun. It wasn’t until much later, in our twenties, that we began singing together.”

“Back in the Day” in the 60’s & 70’s, listeners could call radio stations and request a song, sometimes resulting (especially in the artist/band’s local area) and it brought the dj’s and the public into an awareness of the music.

Cashbox Magazine, in its original heyday was instrumental in breaking records through the jukeboxes by counting the ‘spins’ by the amount of dollars deposited into the “cashbox” in the machines. Hence the original Cash Box Charts were born.

Cashbox Radio, the digital music platform associated to Cashbox Canada, has been using the same mandate and now in its 6^th year, we are bringing back a Top Pick Hit monthly, kicking off with the 10 new releases by artists most requested on the station in the last few weeks.

A refreshing addition to our brand is a column dedicated to the night life (and some days) in the great city of Toronto, featuring live event photos. Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.

Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph – Tracey Savein

The Commodores - August 24th @ The CNE Bandshell, Toronto

American funk and soulsters, The Commodores sail through on a warm night thrilling fans with all their classic hits at the CNE Bandshell in Toronto

Who says you can’t go home? Veteran troubadours Lisa Hartt and Don Graham will return to the city where it all started. On Saturday, September 13th the two native Montrealers, are set to share the bill at Montreal’s premier listening room, Cafe Mariposa in NDG.

They both started off at the same time and played and hung out at a lot of the same coffee houses, and small clubs like Café Andre. Later, they both had careers as recording artists, Lisa with The Lisa Hartt Band, “Old Time Movie” and Don with Graham County, “Colorado”, performing with bands. They both toured extensively, soaking up experiences that would serve them well in developing songwriting craft down the line. As the years went by they both developed into singer/ songwriters and solo performers.

 In recent years they’ve done numerous shows together in Toronto, Oakville, and other spots in Ontario and most recently in Sweden over the last couple of years at the Lilla By Festivalen in Rinkaby. This will be the first time performing in Montreal together, so it’s a real homecoming and full circle moment.

The Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) proudly announces an unprecedented partnership with CKUT 90.3 FM and the University of Toronto’s Afrosonic Innovation Lab to launch a powerful, week-long takeover of CKUT’s airwaves.

More than a broadcast, The Takeover: Black Music / Black Montreal is an act of cultural preservation, research, and documentation. It is a rallying call to reclaim the narratives of Black musical contributions that have been too often left out of Canada’s official stories and music archives.

From August 21–24, The Takeover will spotlight significant artists, DJs, promoters, and influencers who played leading roles in shaping Montreal’s Black and Caribbean Canadian cultural identity.

Séan McCann Extends His 'Great Big Canadian Road Trip' with New Fall 2025 Tour Dates 

There’s nothing quite like singing your heart out in your own backyard—and that’s exactly what Séan McCann is doing. The beloved Canadian troubadour and Order of Canada recipient is extending his national journey with a string of intimate, heartfelt performances from Ontario to the East Coast this fall.

In this new paradigm of the music industry today, artists find themselves trying to maximize revenue streams with new visions. With the world of live bookings, touring and merchandise sales are dwindling, the word that often gets discussed but certainly not understood is sync, distribution and the ins and outs of PROs and CMOs. Artists say ‘I want to get my songs in a movie or a series’ without any knowledge of how that actually works. Distribution is something that needs an in-depth explanation with DYI replaced the old label platforms.

This new book by Lionel Lodge is a well-priced, affordable purchase to give artists, new indie labels, managers and beyond a roadmap on all that is available to you.

Purchase link here: https://payhip.com/b/KeyB3

On September 23, 2025, London’s iconic Roundhouse will host the 15th annual Independent Music Awards, celebrating the best in the indie sector. Among the 10 albums vying for the Best Independent Album prize is Sable, Fable, the latest release from Bon Iver, a project helmed by Wisconsin native Justin Vernon. It’s a nod from the UK’s Association for Independent Music that signals Vernon’s place at the top of the indie world, alongside heavyweights like Fontaines D.C.

What makes this moment remarkable is the slow-burn nature of Vernon’s journey. Far from being an overnight success, his career has been shaped by detours, personal challenges, and unexpected creative outlets. His music, known for its textured layers and emotional honesty, didn’t immediately find mass audiences. Yet over time, Vernon’s artistic persistence, collaborations, and willingness to weave personal experiences, like his surprising connection to poker, into his worldview have propelled him into the pantheon of modern indie.

Photos and content submitted by Tracey Savein
© for Cashbox Canada

A refreshing addition to our brand is a column dedicated to the night life (and some days) in the great city of Toronto, featuring live event photos. Tracey Savein brings an incredible eye (of the lens) capturing special moments in time. Because as the saying goes – A picture is worth a thousand words.

Any kind of photography, as I see it, is all about capturing motion and emotion. Whether the subject is raucous and rockin’ or the location is silent and still, if you can transport the viewer into a moment in time with an image and relay the energy of that moment, well, there’s your photograph – Tracey Savein

Blue Rodeo - July 28th @ The Distillery District, Toronto