Live MUSIC AWARDS
In association with the Canadian Live Music Association
YOUR INDUSTRY,
YOUR AWARDS
The Live Music Awards Return
Presented in association with the Canadian Live Music Association, the Live Music Awards celebrates the ingenuity, perseverance, and excellence demonstrated by live music companies, individuals, and organizations over the previous year. The awards will take place Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at the Bluma Appel Theatre.
Tickets and nominations will open February 2, with exclusive discounts available for Departure passholders and members of the Canadian Live Music Association.
The 2026 Live Music Awards presented by Departure and the Canadian Live Music Association will shine a spotlight on the ingenuity, perseverance, and excellence demonstrated across the live music ecosystem over the past year.
The stage is set, the lights are up, and the spotlight is waiting for those who make the music happen. Nominations for the 2026 Live Music Awards are now open.
Live music doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of you. These awards recognize the often-unseen work—the technical brilliance, the programming excellence, the strategic partnerships, and the community-building—that makes Canadian live music a world-class experience.
When
The Live Music Awards take place on Wednesday, May 6 at the Bluma Appel Theatre as part of Departure 2026. Nominations close at 11:59pm on Friday, February 27.
Nomination Eligibility & Period
- Portal Opens: February 2, 2026
- Portal Closes: February 27, 2026
- Any Canadian live music worker or organization may be nominated for a Live Music Award, unless otherwise specified for International recognition.
- Window of Nominee working year eligibility January 1, 2025-December 31, 2025, unless otherwise specified
- Winners cannot win the same (or a similar) award two years consecutively.
- Nominees must additionally meet the criteria and description pertinent to the award.
- All nominees must have executed their awarded activity in that year’s eligibility period, unless otherwise specified.
- Award recipients will be announced live at the awards show.
- Nominations may only be made by workers in the Canadian live music Industry. Nominations will be vetted accordingly.
- All nominations must be submitted using our online nomination form.
- Self nominations are not permitted. You may nominate multiple people and/or organizations in each category.
Awards Process & Administration
Participation in the Canadian Live Music Awards nomination and voting process constitutes acceptance of the following:
- Final Authority. All eligibility determinations, nomination vetting, category interpretation, vote validation, and award outcomes are determined by Departure and the Canadian Live Music Association in their sole discretion. All decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
- No Guarantee of Recognition. Submission of a nomination or participation in voting does not guarantee nomination, shortlisting, or receipt of an award.
- Voting Integrity. Departure and CLMA reserve the right to review, validate, adjust, or exclude votes where reasonably necessary to protect the integrity of the awards process, including in cases of inauthentic participation or vote manipulation.
- Confidentiality. Vote totals, rankings, and internal deliberations will not be disclosed. Only final nominees and award recipients will be publicly announced.