Can Australian Music Survive in the Age of Spotify?
CLMA Hands Out the 2026 Canadian Live Music Industry Awards
The 2026 Canadian Live Music Industry Awards were presented on 6 May at the Departure Festival and Conference in Toronto, with outgoing CLMA chief Erin Benjamin receiving the Global Live Music Leadership Award in a fitting close to her tenure at the helm of the organisation.
Kevin Lyman picked up the Global Impact in Live Music award, and Patti-Anne Tarlton received the Live Legacy Award. The night was hosted by Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe and Ali Hassan, with Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 among the presenters.
Benjamin’s recognition is significant beyond the personal. Her tenure at CLMA has been marked by sustained policy engagement at provincial and federal level, with the organisation’s ongoing push around Ontario policy modernisation a case study in the kind of long-game advocacy that produces structural change. Australia’s advocacy community can draw useful lessons from how CLMA has paired strong industry representation with a clear and consistent policy narrative over time.
