Bruce Cockburn to Host 2017 JUNO Songwriters' Circle in Ottawa

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced today that Ottawa native, 12-time JUNO Award winner, Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee, and music legend Bruce Cockburn will host and perform at the 2017 JUNO Songwriters' Circle, to be held in the NAC Theatre at the National Arts Centre on Sunday, April 2, 2017 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST.

JUNO Songwriters' Circle is an intimate and interactive concert benefiting MusiCounts, Canada's music education charity associated with CARAS that works to keep music alive in schools and communities across Canada. Co-presented by SOCAN (The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers) and Yamaha Canada Music, in association with the Canadian Music Publishers Association, this event is considered the "jewel of JUNO Week," and will feature some of Canada's most talented songwriters, performing their songs and sharing the stories behind them.

Tickets to the 2017 JUNO Songwriters' Circle go on sale on November 24 at 10 a.m. EST at www.ticketmaster.ca, the National Arts Centre Box Office or by phone at 1-888-991-2787. Tickets are available for $49.50 and $59.50 (plus taxes and service fees), with proceeds supporting MusiCounts.

"I'm honoured to have been asked to host the Songwriters' Circle during JUNO Week 2017 in Ottawa. This one-of-a-kind showcase will offer people a unique look into the raw emotions and art of storytelling that come with songwriting," said Cockburn. "I'm also pleased to participate in an event that supports MusiCounts and the work they do for school music programs across the country. These programs have a huge impact on fostering our future artists and developing a creative youth within Canada."

JUNO Songwriters' Circle will be available for streaming through CBCMusic.ca and will also be broadcast on CBC Radio One and CBC Radio 2. Dates to be announced in the new year.

The 2017 JUNO Award nominees joining Cockburn on stage will be announced in February 2017. JUNO Week 2017 will be hosted in Ottawa from March 27 through April 2, 2017.

For more information, visit www.junoawards.ca, or follow on Twitter: @TheJUNOAwards and Instagram: @TheJUNOAwards.

One of Canada's finest artists, Ottawa-born Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed a 40 year long illustrious music career, releasing 31 albums to date. His remarkable journey has seen him embrace folk, jazz, rock, and worldbeat styles while travelling to such far-flung places as Guatemala, Mali, Mozambique and Nepal, and writing memorable songs about his ever-expanding world of wonders. For his songs of romance, protest, and spiritual discovery, Cockburn has been honoured with 12 JUNO Awards, an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, a Governor General's Performing Arts Award, and has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada. His guitar playing, both acoustic and electric, has placed him in the company of the world's top instrumentalists.

He remains respected for his activism on issues from native rights and land mines to the environment and Third World debt, working for organizations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders and Friends of the Earth.

SOCAN connects more than four-million music creators worldwide and more than a quarter-million businesses and individuals in Canada. Nearly 150,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers are its direct members, and more than 130,000 organizations are Licensed To Play music across Canada. With a concerted use of progressive technology and a commitment to lead the global transformation of music rights, with wholly-owned companies Audiam and MediaNet, SOCAN is dedicated to upholding the fundamental truths that music has value and music creators and publishers deserve fair compensation for their work.

Established in 1969, Yamaha Canada Music Ltd. offers a full line of musical instruments and audio/visual products to the Canadian market. Yamaha Canada Music is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan, whose products and services are recognized the world over for superior quality in acoustics, design, technology, and craftsmanship.

The Canadian Music Publishers Association is the oldest music industry association in Canada (founded in 1949). We create global business opportunities for our members and promote their interests and those of their songwriting partners through advocacy, communication, and education. Website: www.musicpublisher.ca | Social: @canmuspub

MusiCounts, Canada's music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and The JUNO Awards is helping to keep music alive by putting musical instruments into the hands of children that need them most. MusiCounts' mission is to ensure that children and youth in Canada, regardless of socio-economic circumstances or background, have access to music programs through their schools and communities. MusiCounts achieves its mission through the Band Aid Program, the MusiCounts TD Community Music Program, the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, Scholarships and other music education initiatives.

Pictured: Bruce Cockburn. Photo by Kevin Kelly.