National Music Centre Announces Call for Applications for 2024 OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary

Call for applications now open for recording bursary, closes on January 7, 2024

(Calgary, AB – October 26, 2023) The National Music Centre (NMC) is pleased to announce a new national call for submissions for the 2024 OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary.

The OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary is open to Indigenous musicians in Canada. Submissions across all genres are welcome. Two bursaries will be offered: one to a traditional artist or group, and another to a contemporary artist or group. Selected by NMC’s National Indigenous Programming Advisory Committee, artists will be awarded a one-week recording session at Studio Bell to produce a commercial release, using NMC’s “living collection” of musical instruments and world-class recording studios.

The OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary program is open to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists. Interested applicants can apply at studiobell.ca/ohsotokino by January 7, 2024 at 11:59 pm MT.

With support from TD Bank Group, the OHSOTO’KINO Indigenous Programming Initiative launched in early 2022. Since then, Indigenous artists from across Canada have benefitted from the program. Traditional powwow and round dance artist Joel Wood (of Maskwacis, Alberta in Treaty 6 Territory) received a 2023 JUNO Award-nomination for his album, Mikwanak Kamôsakinat, which was a result of his studio time. Traditional group Blackfoot Singers (from Sweetgrass First Nation in Saskatchewan), and Ottawa indie-folk/pop duo Twin Flames have also recorded albums.

“The OHSOTO’KINO initiative is supporting Indigenous artists and fostering their growth by providing studio resources, a multitude of instruments, and expertise to fuel their music and creativity,” said David McLeod (member of the Pine Creek First Nation in Treaty 1), NMC Board Member and Chair of NMC's National Indigenous Programming Advisory Committee. “Our team can’t wait to hear what this year’s bursary recipients create.”

The name OHSOTO’KINO is a Blackfoot phrase meaning ‘to recognize a voice of’’; it acknowledges the Blackfoot people and the territory on which Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, resides. The OHSOTO’KINO initiative, which is generously supported by TD, revolves around three components: creation of new music in NMC’s recording studios, artist development through a music incubator program, storytelling through NMC exhibitions via the annually updated Speak Up! gallery, and through content on NMC’s Amplify platform.

About National Music Centre | Centre National de Musique
The National Music Centre (NMC) has a mission to amplify the love, sharing, and understanding of music. It is preserving and celebrating Canada’s music story inside its home at Studio Bell in the heart of the East Village in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) on Treaty 7 territory. NMC is the home to four Canadian music halls of fame, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Quebec’s ADISQ Hall of Fame. Featuring musical instruments, artifacts, recording equipment, and memorabilia, the NMC Collection spans over 450 years of music history and innovation. A registered charity with programs that include exhibitions, artist development, performance, and education, NMC is inspiring a new generation of music lovers. For more information about NMC’s onsite activities, please visit studiobell.ca. To check out the NMC experience online, including video-on-demand performances, made-in-Canada stories, and highly entertaining educational content, visit amplify.nmc.ca.

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Media Contact:
Julijana Capone, Senior Publicist
National Music Centre
julijana.capone@nmc.ca | @nmc_canada