After a successful inaugural year, the Artist in Residence Program of The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall (MH/RTH) continues in 2026 with LOV, Willows, and Wyatt C. Louis. The year-long residency offers these talented Indigenous musicians bespoke career support as they work across multiple spaces within Allied Music Centre.
“One of the most surprising outcomes has been how quickly the artists made the spaces feel like their own,” says Stephen McGrath, the Director of Artist Development & Original Content for MH/RTH. “Pretty quickly, we saw them experimenting in the Deane Cameron Recording Studio, testing new material onstage; using every hallway and stained-glass backdrop as a location for creating content for social media; and forming creative relationships across the building, and with other staff, artists, and creatives in our community.”
The musicians also have access to a 100-seat live music room (Allied Music Centre Theatre) and a 500-capacity live music space (TD Music Hall). These technologically advanced spaces offer the artists opportunities to share their music, with the hallowed Allan Slaight Stage (the main music space at Massey Hall) serving as a potential career milestone.
Select the image to access the LOV song “Sister Era”
Lovina Tootoosis, who performs under the name LOV, feels lucky to have been chosen. “At first, I was confused, because I didn’t remember applying,” she says. “I was taken aback, because I haven’t really given myself a pat on the back, to see how far I’ve come. To get recognition and be selected was that moment where I thought, ‘Okay, people see me.’”
The soulful, Edmonton-based singer-songwriter, from Poundmaker Cree Nation in Treaty 6 Territory, has been garnering attention for her music about motherhood and female empowerment. Her singles, “Mama,” “Matriarch,” “Relate,” and “Sister Era” have cumulatively generated more than 700,000 streams and 3 million TikTok views, with “Mama” reaching No. 1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown. LOV is putting the finishing touches on an album, Iskwêw (“woman” in Plains Cree), which she hopes to launch at one of Allied Music Centre’s venues as part of the residency.
She also wants to use this opportunity to deepen her knowledge of songwriting, composing, and business. “I really want to work on how I could fill in those gaps for myself,” she says, “or how I can elevate my sound and connect with my fan base, because things are ever-changing in the industry, especially for sound and production. I’m interested to get more on the nerdy side of the music.”
Created in partnership with the Indigenous music community – including the Indigenous Music Office, sākihiwē Festival, Tkaronto Music Festival, and the International Indigenous Music Summit – the Artist in Residence program is supported by a donor-advised fund through Canada Gives, providing artists with the resources they need to succeed.
“The program is supported by a donor who believes deeply in creating opportunities for Indigenous artists, and that generosity has allowed us to build something meaningful and lasting,” says McGrath. “As the residency grows, we hope it continues to open doors, not just to our stages, but to new creative directions, new collaborations, and new possibilities for artists around the country.”
Select the image to access the Willow song “Je reviens toujours”
McGrath hopes fans at Allied Music Centre will one day look back and realize they were there at the beginning. “When these acts become the next generation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall headliners, audiences will get to say, ‘I remember when I first saw them perform in the 100-capacity Allied Music Centre Theatre, or in the 500-capacity club, TD Music Hall,’” he says. “It’s pretty special. I’m sure the folks who attended Neil Young’s Massey Hall show in 1971 didn’t think they’d be talking about it 50 years later, but here we are!”
Neil Young’s Live at Massey Hall 1971 is part of the reason Willows – the stage name for Montreal-based Geneviève Toupin – is grateful to be part of the residency. She counts Young’s iconic album as a favourite. “This residency is an amazing gift for me,” she says. “There’s just been so many incredible artists, that I love, that have passed through, or done projects in Massey Hall.” Toupin has composed for film, and is among the founders of experimental-folk group CHANCES. The Red River Métis and Franco-Manitoban artist has also released a 2014 self-titled debut LP, and a 2021 EP The Hills, which brought significant attention, as did her 2023 album Maison vent. In 2025, she won the Trille Or Award for Best Folk Album, and has been nominated at both the GAMIQ (Québec independent music awards) and Canadian Folk Music awards.
Toupin is beginning to plan her next recording project, and has yet to decide whether she’ll sing in French, English, or Michif. She’s eager to test some material in the Deane Cameron Recording Studio. “Sometimes demos are so magical, and you end up wanting to keep them for the record,” she says. “I would love for the album launch to be connected to this residency, because the residency’s going to be part of the album’s story.”
Wyatt C. Louis, a Plains Cree roots singer-songwriter based in Moh’kinstsís (Calgary), is excited to be included in the residency, and looking forward to collaborating with other artists, and having a creative home base in Toronto. After winning the 2025 SOCAN Vince Fontaine Indigenous Music Award; two Western Canadian Music Awards (for Breakout and Indigenous Artist); and making the Polaris long list for their 2024 debut album Chandler, Louis is thinking ahead to their next album – which they hope will have a bigger sound, while retaining an intimate feel. Their audience’s experience is also top of mind.
Select the image to access the Wyatt C. Louis song “Bobtail Road”
“I want to be more playful with my stage attire, and work with a stylist,” says Louis. They also want to consult with a set designer or production designer. “I think it would be really cool to work with somebody, specifically, on creating even more of a memorable experience.” Louis hopes to connect with and learn from the inaugural cohort of the residency – Celeigh Cardinal, Sebastian Gaskin, and Julian Taylor – further building on the collaborative ecosystem at Allied Music Centre.
Cardinal, Gaskin, and Taylor continue to benefit from their experience, maintaining connections with the spaces, staff, and community that have become a defining part of the program. This ongoing engagement demonstrates how the program fosters not only creative growth, but also a lasting network for Indigenous musicians. As LOV, Willows, and Wyatt C. Louis develop their projects and explore new creative directions as part of the residency, audiences will have a chance to witness the next generation of Indigenous musicians shaping their craft.
“Even as the inaugural cohort moves into their final weeks as official resident artists, they continue to record, perform, and plan collaborations in the building,” says McGrath. “That ongoing connection has become a defining part of the program. And, we hope, something that continues to be a legacy of the program, with Allied Music Centre as the community hub for artists, and an ecosystem that supports them well.”