History-making, award-winning, and multi-talented Canadian music contributor Hill Kourkoutis is set to be named the 2022 Industry Leader Award recipient at this year’s Oshawa Music Awards.
The first woman to ever be nominated for and win a JUNO Award for Recording Engineer of the Year, Kourkoutis is also a renowned producer, songwriter, composer, mixer, multi-instrumentalist, artist, mentor, and teacher. She will be honoured this September 29th at the event’s fifth annual ceremony celebrating music in Durham Region for her contributions in the community — both locally and nationwide.
With production, mixing, and songwriting credits across a broad roster of releases — including Leela Gilday’s JUNO-winning album, North Star Calling, Digging Roots’ Top 30-charting “SKODEN,” Cassie Dasilva’s viral hit “Unsolicited Contact,” SATE’s JUNO- and Polaris Prize-nominated release, The Fool, and more — she also co-wrote and produced the theme song and end-title song for Universal Kids’ Remy and Boo as well as Disney’s Dino Ranch.
As a musician, Kourkoutis has shared the stage with artists such as The Weeknd, Serena Ryder, Martha and the Muffins, and Tara Slone, and was also the guitarist on stage for CTV’s The Launch’s house band.
“Hill’s accomplishments to date exemplify the essence of the OMAs’ Music Industry Leader Award,” says OMA Director, Tony Sutherland of Kourkoutis’ win. “Her work speaks volumes and no doubt will inspire rising stars in the Durham region, across the country, and around the globe.
“We are thrilled to be recognizing Hill this year and welcome her to this illustrious group.”
“I am deeply honoured to be this year’s recipient of the Music Industry Leader of the Year award,” Kourkoutis shares. “Growing up in Durham provided me with an incredible start to my music career; it is where I took all of my music lessons, wrote my first songs, started my first bands, recorded my first demos, and received the support from my family, teachers, and peers that allowed me to follow my dreams.
“The foundation that was established in the Durham community was integral to my growth as a creator, and I feel much gratitude to the OMAs,” she continues. “Receiving this honour from my peers in my hometown where it all started means the world to me.”
In addition to Kourkoutis, the 2022 OMAs will honour artists across multiple categories — including Songwriter of the Year, Album of the Year, Emerging Artist or Band of the Year, Durham Song of the Year, and Music Teacher of the Year, to name a few. Further, the 2022 Oshawa Music Awards will again distribute Lifetime Achievement Awards marking distinct work within the local community.
Launched in 2018, previous Oshawa Music Award recipients include Shawn Mendes, Crown Lands, Tania Joy, Three Mile Islanders, Zaftig, Skye Wallace, Hollowsage, and Mogens Galberg; returning OMA winners Lindsay Schoolcraft and Gal George Gjurin are also up for 2022 nods.
// 2022 Official Nominees & Recipients
2022 Industry Leader Award
Hill Kourkoutis
Artist or Band of the Year
Excuses Excuses (“Far From Perfect”)
Jadea Kelly (“Driveway”)
Lindsay Schoolcraft (“New World”)
Single of the Year
Excuses Excuses (“Far From Perfect”)
Jadea Kelly (“Happy”)
Valdii (“3 Years (Casino Stereo Remix)”)
Songwriter of the Year
Cameron Tania (“Helium”)
Dead Defined (“Rise and Stall”)
Hunter Sheridan (“Ambrose”)
Music Video of the Year
The Crease Rule w/ Production Haus (“Ed Was Honest”)
Delon Om and BenAnthony Lavoz w/ Delon Om (“Delequente (Delinquinte)”)
BUSM w/ The North Brothers (“Smile”)
Emerging Artist or Band of the Year — Presented by Spark Centre
Anthony Brown (“This is Anthony Brown – EP”)
Cameron Tania (“Helium”)
Delon Om and BenAnthony Lavoz (“Delequente (Delinquinte)”)
Album of the Year
Tania Joy (“I Will Stand”)
Valdii (“The Mirror”)
Wayne Madder (“Unconditional”)
Durham Song of the Year — Presented by Durham Region Economic Development and Tourism
Cameron Tania (“Helium”)
Gal George Gjurin (“Shine”)
Music Producer of the Year — Presented by 360insights
Dsymphony (“Delequente (Delinquinte)”)
Gal George Gjurin (“Shine”)
Lindsay Schoolcraft (“Stolen Light”)
Music Teacher of the Year — Presented by Durham College
Amanda de Boer
Durham Girls Choir
Emily Snellings
The public is invited to vote for their favourites across all categories, save for Music Producer of the Year and Music Teacher of the Year. Public voting is officially open via theomas.ca, and set to close August 9th, 2022 11:59 P.M.
The 2022 Oshawa Music Awards will take place Thursday, September 29th, and are proudly presented by Durham Region Economic Development and Tourism, 360insights, Spark Centre, Trent University Durham GTA, and Durham College.
