Front Row, a licensed, specialized entertainment insurance broker in Canada, offers coverage for your musical instruments, whether at home, in studio, or on tour worldwide. It’s simple, fast, affordable, and covers theft, breakage, and fire, and provides protection from earthquakes and floods.

Musicians in Canada who are members of select music organizations, including SOCAN, can get a free quote and buy online in about five minutes. The current cost is $75 for $5,000 worth of instruments; $150 for $10,000 worth of instruments; and $2,025 for $200,000 worth of gear. For a $15 discount, SOCAN members can use the code socan15off when purchasing (Canada only; offer excluded in Québec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick).

Music tour liability insurance, also available from Front Row, is a policy designed for musicians and bands on the road in Canada. And recording studio insurance is not only for personal studios, but for commercial studios as well.

Get a quote today and protect the tools of your trade!



Longtime hit-making SOCAN member Terry Sawchuk and veteran Canadian music industry executive Brian Hetherman have partnered to form 49th Entertainment, in order to amplify Canadian talent to U.S. and global audiences, in collaboration with Warner Music for North American distribution. With Sawchuk in Nashville and Hetherman in Toronto, this strategic alliance is a full-service initiative that encompasses a music label, artist management, music production, and a fan community engagement platform.

Sawchuk, who’s collaborated with the likes  of Alanis Morissette, Jake Owen, Sara Bareilles, and Phil Collins, is most recognized for co-writing the Billboard No. 1, triple-Platinum song “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” which was named Country Radio’s Song of the Decade in 2021.

Hetherman, the CEO of Curve Music/Cerberus Management, has previously served in such roles such as A&R director at MCA/Universal, Head of Universal Music Publishing, and CEO and Vice President of FACTOR. He’ll oversee operations in Canada. “Teaming up with Terry,” he says, “offers a unique opportunity for artists to make significant impacts in the U.S. and beyond, while also reinforcing our dedication to the Canadian music sphere.”

“The whole goal of it was to work with Canadian artists and save them the time, and the thousands of dollars of fees, and green card application, and 16 years of what I had to go through, to break through in the U.S., and globally,” says Sawchuk. “There is an easier way… There was an opportunity for us to soften the blow to access the international market, and do the hard work to find the talent and develop it.”

Sawchuk anticipates infusing 49th Entertainment – named after the 49th parallel that runs between Canada and the U.S. – with cutting-edge super-fan engagement methods and technology. “With all the noise of social media now, people want value. People will pay to have an experience with an artist,” he says. “I see it as a new opportunity to really engage, and bring that value. Like, when Prince came out in 1978, and you heard this new guy on the radio, if somebody told me that I’d be able to Zoom with him at Paisley Park, I would have mortgaged my house to do it! Nobody gives you that value; that’s not being delivered. It really comes down to the individual artist, how well they know themselves, and what they want their fans to experience.”

The first signing for 49th Entertainment is 19-year-old country-rock artist Carson Janik. Hailing from the Windsor-adjacent municipality of Tecumseh, Ontario, Janik had already made waves on the radio by the age of 14. Says Janik, “I’m thrilled to join forces with 49th Entertainment, and to have the opportunity to collaborate with industry veterans like Brian and Terry. I’m eager to dive in and give my all. This is going to be an exciting journey.”



Émile Bourgault walked away the winner of the hotly contested 55th edition of the Grand Concours Hydro-Québec Finals, the culmination of the Festival international de la chanson de Granby, held on Aug. 20, 2023, at the Palace de Granby, with Mehdi Cayenne as host. This victory also made him the first recipient of the Fabienne, a new trophy named in honour of Fabienne Thibeault, who won the competition in 1974.

Émile Bourgault came out the winner after competing with Sofia Duhaime, Olivier Faubert, Jeanne Laforest, and Claudie Létourneau. Born on Montréal’s South Shore, Bourgault has been driven by his desire to create since he was a child. Only 19, he creates songs that are at once energetic and sensitive, and he always manages to make people laugh, cry, dance, and think. Preceded by his reputation for colourful, thoughtful lyrics, and as an outstanding live performer, he’s made a remarkable arrival on the Québec music scene. SOCAN congratulates him and the other finalists.

Bourgault won the following prizes, among many others:

  • The Fonds d’aide au développement, a $25,000 career development subsidy offered by the Festival international de la chanson de Granby;
  • The Prix Étoiles Stingray, a $3,000 cash prize awarded by Stingray;
  • The Prix MNP, which offers personalized support for the creation of a career development plan, valued at $5,000;
  • The Prix Nat Corbeil, worth $3,000, which entitles the winner to a radio-tracking service on all Québec radio stations; and
  • The Prix Réseau Centre, which gives him the opportunity to present a tour of five to seven shows on the programs of Réseau Centre presenters, as an opening act, or in a double-header.

For more details on the 2023 edition, visit the festival website.