CBC Music's Searchlight 2023: the Top 10 finalists
The judges have narrowed it down to the final group of artists
The Top 10 finalists for CBC Music's Searchlight 2023 have been announced. After selecting the Top 100 artists from across the country earlier this month, the judges have narrowed down the list to the contenders below.
Learn more about these 10 artists before our industry experts reveal who will be Canada's next breakthrough musical act on Aug. 22.
Amanda Jordan, 'Somebody's Maybe' (Smiths Falls, Ont.)
Country singer Amanda Jordan has already made her TV debut with a live performance on The Bachelor, but she is looking beyond television for the release of her first album, arriving next year. She's steadily been building a following on TikTok, where snippets of her catchy songs have connected with more than 100, 000 followers.
Aviv, 'Jimmy's House' (Toronto)
Aviv's lo-fi, chill indie pop is genuinely earnest songwriting on full display with her track "Jimmy's House." The singer-songwriter is also a co-producer on all of her songs, leaving her dreamy touch across each single. Aviv's pared-down, vintage-inspired visuals complement the nostalgic feelings evoked by her minimalist sound.
B00sted, 'She Wanna' (Mission, B.C.)
Born Keegan Jaeckel, B00sted has been mixing pop and rap to create his own songs ever since he started making beats in high school: "I just started focusing on making songs ... everything just grew from there," he says, noting that he'll be releasing his first EP in the near future.
Cam Kahin, 'Try Again' (Toronto)
One of the newest signees to Dine Alone Records, Cam Kahin's explosive alt-punk sound has been helping him to gain more than 25,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. He's a singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist to boot.
Eric Punzo, 'Broken Halo' (Etobicoke, Ont.)
Eric Punzo's vocals soar on every one of his songs, and they're on full display during his live shows, where he's supported artists including Billy Raffoul. Punzo's impassioned songs are the soundtrack to the ups and downs of relationships.
Group Project, 'Alma Mater' (Montreal)
Jacob Brown, Jeremy Harbec and Alex Remington of Group Project have a sound that mixes folk and pop to create bright, bouncy songs with infectious choruses. The band has performed at large-scale festivals including Osheaga and Festival d'été de Québec, and plans to release more music this year.
Liyah Katana, 'Toxic' (Toronto)
Liyah Katana may be only 19 years old, but her soulful brand of R&B has echoes of the '70s, '80s and '90s. She says that music is how she expresses all of her emotions, and her songs tackle the various stages of romance.
Maggie Andrew, 'Better Than You' (Halifax)
Blending R&B, punk and more, Maggie Andrew creates catchy, upbeat pop songs with an edge. Her unapologetic lyricism is equally funny and honest on each track. Andrew has also worked with producers including Doc McKinney and Yeti Beats, who have collaborated with the Weeknd and Doja Cat, respectively.
Mattmac, 'Rez (Remix)' (Winnipeg)
Mattmac has been singing since the age of four, and now writes, performs and produces his own music, which is a blend of pop and trap. He released his second album, Blurred Visions, in 2022.
TheHonestGuy, 'Lost to the Summer' (Toronto)
TheHonestGuy (Mubarak Adeyemi) scored his first Juno nomination earlier this year for traditional R&B/soul recording of the year for his EP How to Make Love. His music is filled with earnest lyricism and groovy melodies.