Searchlight 2020: the prizes
The prizes for this year's Searchlight include several trips around the country
CBC Music's annual hunt for Canada's next undiscovered talent is back for 2020!
If you're an ambitious, Juno-ready Canadian musician with a great original song, our Searchlight 2020 prize package will provide you with incredible opportunities to take your career to the next level of songwriting, album production, marketing, networking and live performance. Check the list of prizes below.
1. Allan Slaight Juno Master Class and Juno Awards experience
The Searchlight-winning artist or band will get a prestigious placement in the 2020 Allan Slaight Juno Master Class, Canada's premiere artist development program. You'll have your song and career assessed in a weeklong mentorship program led by some of Canada's top music industry leaders. The week will culminate with a live performance at an industry showcase in downtown Toronto.
The winning artist or band will take everything they've learned in the Juno Master Class straight to the 2021 Juno Awards, where they will perform at Junofest and attend all the Juno festivities! This prize package includes travel, accommodations and per diems for up to four people.
In full, this prize includes:
- Travel for up to four people to participate in an intensive mentorship week in Toronto in October 2020 for, hosted by Canada's Music Incubator at Coalition Music, where the winner will have workshops with industry leaders.
- A performance spot at a music industry showcase in Toronto.
- A trip to the 2021 Juno Awards including: transportation, accommodation and Juno Weekend packages for the winning artist, which includes tickets to the Juno welcome reception, the Juno gala dinner and the Juno Awards broadcast.
- A performance slot at Junofest, a two-day music festival during Juno Week.
- The opportunity for a chance to play the ultimate showcase at the 2021 Juno gala dinner.
2. A recording residency at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre
The winning artist or band will receive a five-day residency and full access to the recording facilities at the National Music Centre's new building, Studio Bell, in Calgary. Be part of a truly one-of-a-kind recording experience after you've perfected your songs in the Juno Master Class. You'll be invited to experiment, perform and record at Studio Bell with access to more than 300 historic musical instruments spanning 450 years of music innovation and technology. There's your next album right there.
In full, this prize includes:
- An all-access pass to the National Music Centre's recording facilities for five consecutive days of recording up to 10 hours a day, including an engineer, tech assistant and access to the Centre's incredible instrument collection.
- Accommodations for up to four people.
- Return travel to Calgary for up to four people.
- This residency must be initiated by Dec. 3, 2020.
3. CBC Music Festival performance
The winning artist or band will also have the chance to take everything they've learned and bring it to thousands of music fans at the CBC Music Festival in Toronto, held at Echo Beach at the end of May 2020.
In full, this prize includes:
- Onstage performance.
- Double accommodations for up to four band members.
- Return air travel if required.
- Ground transportation.
- Performance fee.
We'd like to give a huge thanks to our Searchlight 2020 prize partners — the Juno Awards and the National Music Centre of Canada — for making these incredible career opportunities possible.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with our Searchlight 2020 Rules and Regulations.
Artist submissions for Searchlight 2020 will open on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, at midnight. The deadline to enter is Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, at 3 p.m. ET, so pick your best original song, upload it to YouTube, and sign up for Searchlight 2020!