Erin Benjamin to Depart Canadian Live Music Association Following Era-Defining Leadership
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, ON - February 26, 2026
After more than twelve years as the first and only President & CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA), Erin Benjamin has announced she will be stepping down from her role following a structured leadership transition this spring.
Benjamin, building on the vision of the founding board of directors, led Canada’s live music sector through a period of profound transformation—building the country’s first unified national platform representing venues, clubs, promoters, festivals, agents, and touring professionals, and establishing live music as a recognized cultural and economic sector at the federal level.
A defining milestone of her tenure was the delivery of Hear and Now, the first-ever national economic impact assessment of Canada’s live music industry. Widely referenced by policymakers and industry leaders in Canada and internationally, the study created a new evidence base for public investment and policy development, fundamentally reshaping how the sector is understood and valued within the country’s cultural and economic landscape.
Her leadership proved especially consequential during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the global shutdown of live events placed the industry at existential risk. Working in close coordination with industry and government, Benjamin led national advocacy efforts that secured unprecedented emergency supports while ensuring live music’s inclusion in broader cultural and economic recovery frameworks.
Through sustained advocacy, research, and coalition-building, Benjamin positioned live music as a driver of tourism, economic development, and community vitality across Canada. Today, the CLMA is widely recognized as the national convening and policy voice for the sector.
“Leading the CLMA has been one of the great privileges of my career,” said Benjamin. “What began as a shared vision across a passionate community has grown into a strong national organization with a clarity of purpose and the capacity to forge lasting change. I’m so, so proud of our incredible team, our community, proud of what we’ve built together, and excited for the organization’s future.”
Benjamin will remain in her role through April, to support the upcoming transition period and ensure continuity across the CLMA’s programs, partnerships, and advocacy priorities.
“Erin’s impact on Canada’s live music sector cannot be overstated. Her unparalleled and unrelenting leadership brought together a fragmented industry and helped build the CLMA into the national voice it is today. At critical moments for our sector—especially during periods of extraordinary challenge—Erin provided clarity, persistence, and vision when it mattered most” said Nate Sabine, CLMA Board Chair.
“On behalf of the entire Canadian music community, we owe Erin a profound debt of gratitude. Quite simply, the CLMA would not exist in its current form without her leadership. The sector itself is stronger, more connected, better understood, and more recognized, because of her dedication and hard work.
Erin leaves a legacy of community building, impact, and momentum. We are so proud of what has been built under her leadership and energised to carry that work forward.”
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CONTACT:
Canadian Live Music Association
staff@canadianlivemusic.ca