‘Incredibly humbling and honestly a little surreal,’ said Sudbury musician, who is the inaugural recipient of the Deanna Belair Artist Award after she inspired SPG’s Her Northern Voice music festival
Sudbury Performance Group (SPG) said it is proud to announce Deanna Belair of Naked Soul as the inaugural recipient of the Deanna Belair Artist Award.
The honour recognizes her talent, humility and lasting contribution to creating greater opportunities for women in Ontario’s music industry.
The new award will recognize artists who do more than perform.
It will honour people who support other musicians, speak up when change is needed and help build a stronger music community. SPG felt there was no more fitting first recipient than the woman who inspired the award.
Five years ago, Belair encouraged SPG to take a closer look at the musicians it was hiring, noting that many of its performers were men.
Although the imbalance was not intentional, her thoughtful observation prompted the organization to recognize that it needed to do better — and to take action.
Since that conversation, Sudbury Performance Group has added more than 25 regular female musicians to its roster. During the fifth-anniversary edition of Her Northern Voice alone, SPG employed 57 female artists from Sudbury and communities across Ontario.
“Deana’s honesty started an important conversation that changed our organization,” said Mark Mannisto, president of Sudbury Performance Group, in a press release. “It wasn’t said to criticize us. She simply pointed out something we had not stopped to notice, and she was right. We needed to do better.”
Deana Belair performs with husband Brian Belair as part of their classic and modern rock/pop musical duo Naked Soul.
Sudbury Performance Group said she has long been known within the local music community for both her ability and her willingness to encourage others.
“Although Deanna is a true powerhouse of talent, she is also extremely humble,” Mannisto said. “She is the kind of performer who will help someone else rise. That matters to us, and it is exactly what this award should stand for.”
For SPG, the results of that first conversation are easy to see: more women on its stages, more paid opportunities and the continued growth of Her Northern Voice. The festival, which celebrates women in music across Ontario with a special focus on Northern artists, is now part of Belair’s legacy.
“Sometimes a small moment makes a very big difference,” Mannisto added. “Deanna spoke up, we listened and our organization changed. We are proud that she will be the first person to receive the award that carries her name.”
In an email to Sudbury.com, Belair said having an award named in her honour is “incredibly humbling and honestly a little surreal.”
She said being the inaugural recipient is incredibly special, particularly because of what the award represents. “There are so many talented women making music in our community who deserve to be seen, heard and celebrated,” Belair said.
What makes it particularly meaningful to Belair is how it came about.
“I had a conversation with Mark where I mentioned that, although we have such an amazing music community, there really wasn’t anything specifically highlighting and celebrating women in music,” she said.
“To see that conversation grow into something as wonderful as the Her Northern Voice Festival, and then to learn that an award recognizing women in music would carry my name, was something I never expected. I’m deeply honoured. I love the idea that this award can shine a light on women who are out there making music, supporting our music community and inspiring others.”