Universal Music Canada (UMC) has named Amanda Kingsland and Shawn Marino co-heads of A&R, giving the duo “a renewed mandate to sign, develop, and break the next generation of Canadian artists on the world stage.”
Kingsland has been promoted to VP, A&R, and will work alongside Shawn Marino, VP, A&R Operations, leading UMC’s A&R team, which includes Kwaku Agyemang, Widney Bonfils, Natassha Cuachon-Cruz, Ivan Evidente, Morgan “MJ” James, Shirley Ichkhanian, and Shannen Serrano, supported by UMC’s venue and studio team Don Kitchen, Lisa Lorenz, and sound engineer Phil Hotz.
The A&R team operates out of offices in Toronto and Montreal, anchored by 80A Studios, UMC’s award-winning multi-room recording space. Marino will continue to oversee 80A, along with UMC’s event and performance space, The Academy, and A&R operations and technology.
He will also continue to lead A&R for legacy UMC artists seeking to revitalize their catalogs, among them The Tragically Hip and Anne Murray.
The appointments are the first major changes at the top of UMC since Julie Adam was appointed CEO in February when Jeffrey Remedios – who served as UMC’s Chairman and CEO for a decade – was appointed to President, Strategic Development for Universal Music Group’s REPUBLIC Collective, which includes Island Records, Def Jam Recordings, Mercury Records, and Republic Records.
Kingsland and Marino will report directly to Adam.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Amanda and Shawn lead A&R efforts out of Canada as we continue to support, elevate, and invest in artistic voices.”
Julie Adam, Universal Music Canada
Since joining UMC in 2001, Kingsland served as Director, A&R, where she “rebuilt UMC’s award-winning country music roster, and reinvigorated A&R across multiple projects,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday (March 26).
“At the center of our mission to sign, develop, and break artists is our industry-leading A&R team,” Adam said.
“They are tastemakers and genre experts who scout, sign, and cultivate talent, bringing deep international connections, musicality, skills, and insights to a range of musical projects. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Amanda and Shawn lead A&R efforts out of Canada as we continue to support, elevate, and invest in artistic voices.”
UMC’s recent signings include award-winning songwriter Lindsay Ell, country group James Barker Band, singer/songwriter and producer Sebastian Gaskin (in partnership with Indigenous-led label Ishkōdé Records), and rapper and electronic artist TyriqueorDie.
In partnership with Republic Records, UMC also signed India-born, Canada-based hip hop star AP Dhillon, in what Republic described as a “groundbreaking deal” that marked “the first-ever India-born singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer of Punjabi lineage” to join the label.
According to IFPI’s latest global music report, the recorded music market in Canada grew 1.5% YoY in 2024 to hit USD $660.3 million, making it the eighth-largest music market. The relatively low growth rate was due to a one-off payment included in performance rights revenues in 2023, IFPI said.
IFPI also ranked Canadian rapper Drake the No. 2 musical artist worldwide, up from No. 4 the year before and behind only Taylor Swift – this despite a bruising year for the Republic-signed Drake, who was largely seen to have lost a rap battle with Kendrick Lamar, a development that is now the subject of litigation.Music Business Worldwide
