National Music Centre Announces Call for Applications for 2025 OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary

Call for applications closes on March 31, 2025

(Calgary, AB – February 20, 2025) The National Music Centre (NMC) is launching a national call for applications for the 2025 OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary, a key part of NMC’s ongoing efforts to amplify Indigenous voices in music.

Open to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists across Canada, this annual bursary supports both traditional and contemporary Indigenous musicians, offering two recipients a week-long recording session at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre. Selected by NMC’s National Indigenous Programming Advisory Committee, the chosen artists will have access to world-class studios and NMC’s renowned “living collection” of musical instruments to bring their projects to life.

Submissions are welcome from all genres, and applications are open now at studiobell.ca/ohsotokino. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM MT.

With the generous support of TD Bank Group, the National Music Centre’s OHSOTO’KINO Indigenous Programming Initiative has been empowering Indigenous artists since 2022. This initiative is built on three pillars: supporting the creation of new music in NMC’s world-class recording studios, fostering artist development through a dedicated music incubator program, and amplifying Indigenous voices through storytelling – both in NMC’s Speak Up! exhibition and through digital content on NMC’s Amplify platform.

Past recipients of the OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary include JUNO Award-nominated powwow and round dance artist Joel Wood, traditional groups Blackfoot Singers and Warscout, Inuit-style throat singing duo PIQSIQ, indie-folk/pop duo Twin Flames, and country singer Chelsie Young, all of whom have recorded albums through the program.

“The OHSOTO’KINO initiative is focused upon uplifting Indigenous artists and providing them with much needed space, tools, and support to fully realize their creative potential,” 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. “By providing access to world-class recording studios, an incredible collection of instruments, and expert guidance, we’re helping artists tell their stories in their own voices. We’re excited to hear the next wave of powerful music that will come from this year’s recipients.”

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 and 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