Capital Music Awards put Ottawa artists on the NAC stage
A Capital Music Awards recipient holds an award in an official Capital Music Week promotional image.
Photo credit: Capital Music Week
Ottawa’s Capital Music Awards will be held in Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre on Friday, Oct 9, 2026, with a 6 p.m. red carpet and an 8 p.m. ceremony. Organized by the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition, the event will be hosted by Tyler Shaw and Kellylee Evans and recognizes performers, venues, educators, curators, technicians and other people working across the National Capital Region’s music sector in 13 award categories.
The current performance lineup gives the ceremony a useful snapshot of Ottawa-area music on one stage. The NAC lists J3M; Shim in the Cut with Buja Ensemble Dance Crew; Céleste Lévis & JOLY; John Kofi Dapaah; Orchidae with Nick Schofield and OrKidstra; and Opartheeb. Amanda Rheaume, Yao and Jessica Pearson are also scheduled to perform “Heart of This Place (Adàwe c’est ma ville),” an Ottawa 200 anniversary song.
Among the names worth watching is Orchidae, the solo project of Gatineau-based Canadian Taiwanese artist Yolande Laroche. Laroche describes Orchidae’s music as avant-pop and electronic pop, and the awards performance pairs the project with composer and producer Nick Schofield and OrKidstra. Orchidae is also nominated for Single of the Year for “Sun and the Stars,” giving the Southam Hall appearance a direct link to the awards themselves.
J3M brings a different route through the region’s music scene. An Ottawa native now based in Toronto, he works in pop and disco and is nominated for Video of the Year for “G.Y.S.T.” The nomination connects his current Toronto-based work with his Ottawa roots.
Opartheeb brings symphonic metal into the program. The band describes its music as rooted in Bengali culture, and its debut album is Abchha Neel Kona. Its appearance places that work alongside the pop, R&B, dance, classical and experimental artists booked for the ceremony.
Pianist John Kofi Dapaah adds another part of the local scene to the bill through work spanning classical and jazz, while Céleste Lévis & JOLY and Shim in the Cut with Buja Ensemble Dance Crew add further Ottawa-area collaborations to the live program.
The awards are the marquee event of Capital Music Week, which continues through Oct 10, 2026. The NAC says this year’s program involves more than 100 artists at more than 20 venues, with showcases, industry events, film and nightlife programming as well as the Canada After Dark summit. The week is built around artists and the people who work behind the scenes in Ottawa and Gatineau’s music sector.
The Capital Music Awards ceremony begins at 8 p.m. in Southam Hall, with the red carpet starting at 6 p.m. The NAC lists the running time at approximately two and a half hours, including intermission.
