JUNO-winning singer-songwriter Tom Wilson, accompanied by his son Thompson Wilson on vocals and bass, and pianist Jesse O’Brien.

Tom Wilson is a Canadian musician, author and visual artist. Wilson’s memoir, Beautiful Scars (Penguin/Random House), has become a national bestseller. The memoir has been adapted into a TVO Original documentary (directed by Shane Belcourt). More recently, Hamilton’s Theatre Aquarius completed a successful run of Beautiful Scars, the musical adapted to the stage in collaboration with actor/writer Shaun Smyth. Exposing incredible truths about Wilson’s biological family and Indigenous heritage, Beautiful Scars delves into the singer-songwriter’s lifetime quest to find himself and ultimately uncover his true identity as a Mohawk man. “Over the course of discovering my true identity,” says Wilson, “the intention of my writing, my music and my art is to reduce the gap between my indigenous culture and colonialists to make a more patient, loving community.” Tom Wilson's extensive career and tireless efforts as a musician has bestowed upon him numerous nominations and awards from the Hamilton Music Awards to the Polaris Prize to the Juno Awards, including certified gold and platinum records. His songwriting has seen his works recorded by and with artists such as Sarah McLachlan, City and Colour, Jason Isbell, Colin James, Lucinda Williams, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mavis Staples, The Rankin Family, as well as his own bands Junkhouse, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and Lee Harvey Osmond (the latter awarded a 2020 Juno for 2019 album Mohawk). After the success of his exhibit at the Art Gallery of Burlington (Beautiful Scars: Mohawk Warriors, Hunters and Chiefs), Tom’s paintings are now on display in various galleries across Canada, including successful shows at Toronto’s Cultural Goods Gallery and Tom Beckett Fine Art in Hamilton. His powerful installation piece Fading Memories of Home explores the systemic erasure of Indigenous culture in residential schools. Portraying a colonial classroom, the exhibit includes nine rebuilt residential school desks with photographs of children’s families inside. As you move further in the rows, the images disappear representing the loss of identities, family, culture, and language. In January 2024, New Brunswick publishers Goose Lane Editions released Mohawk Warriors, Hunters and Chiefs: The Art Of Tom Wilson Tehoháhake In 2020, Tom established the Tom Wilson Indigenous Bursary in Honour of Bunny Wilson at McMaster University, supporting year one indigenous students from Ontario secondary schools completing an undergraduate program in any faculty. Wilson was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Canada in June 2023, with this citation: For his multifaceted contributions to the arts in Canada, notably as an iconic musician, as well as for his advocacy of Indigenous communities in Canada. Through his melodies, paintings, and words, Wilson invokes ancestral wisdom while addressing pressing issues of our time. His artistry serves as a bridge between past and present, inviting reflection and dialogue on the complexities of Indigenous identity and resilience. THOMAS CUNNINGHAM WILSON was born June 9, 1959 in Hamilton Ontario. He was raised in Hamilton by his adoptive parents, Bunny and George Wilson. In December 2021, Tom was officially added to the KAHNAWÀ:KE KANIEN'KEHÁ:KA REGISTRY as per KANIEN'KEHÁ:KA OF KAHNAWÀ:KE LAW. 

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The son of an air force man, Ian James McBain called many places across Canada 'home' for a couple of years before packing up and moving down the road. Maybe that's why he was so drawn to music. Something constant, something to come back to. When he was a teenager living in a small rural Ontario town he found a bunch of like minded kids putting on DIY shows in church basements and legion halls  – the rest just happened naturally.  After many years working as a sideman in a range of genres Ian had come to feel most at home with the music that reflected his rural and nomadic upbringing - country. In need of a fresh start, Ian left home in the summer of 2019 to work on a small ranch in Golden, British Columbia. His days were spent working outside, his nights were spent picking and singing in a small cabin on the property. Here, Bain developed his practice as a songwriter, recording the process to cassette. Returning home,  Ian continued to develop his chops by crooning the classics alongside legendary Canadian country singer Paul Weber at the famous Maryhill Commercial Tavern. Here, he found his footing as a singer and discovered a powerful voice full of grit and sorrow. Akin to his personality, Ian's music refuses to be put in a box. A student of  classic country greats like Willie, Waylon, Jones and Merle, Bain's songs allow the essence of country music to filter through a lifetime of musical experience and reference, distilling into a complex creation that is as deeply steeped in tradition and nostalgia as it is unapologetically modern. Ian's 2022 debut album Where I Wanna Be received widespread play on college and community radio across the country and singles garnered significant playlisting such as Gems on VHS' monthly playlist. Not one to rest, only weeks after the release of his debut album Bain was back in the studio with producer and pedal steeler Aaron Goldstein (Daniel Romano, Kathleen Edwards, Julianna Riolino) recording a new EP of songs that reflect Bain’s growth as a performer and songwriter. Look for it in 2024.

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