Common Q&A: Musician Submissions
Q: When and where does TUJF take place this year?
A: At Mel Lastman Square, from August 29th to September 1st, 2025 (Labour Day Weekend)
Q: Do musicians get paid?
A: Absolutely, that's the whole point of this festival
Q: How much do musicians get paid?
A: Will be decided by April 31st with how much the funding is secured. However, we follow the Musician Union’s rate recommendation if not more.
*EAA is a nonprofit organization run by volunteer board members. The programming budget is formed by 80% government funding and 20% sponsorship
Q: Who is eligible to apply?
A: Category 1. 50% or more of your band members must be either: Students, 35 or younger; or Recent graduates within the last 5 years (2019 or earlier)
Category 2. Equity-Deserving groups of emerging artists (BIPOC, Francophone, LGBTQ+, artists with disability, and more) Aged 45 or younger
Q: What do I need to submit?
A: 1. Demos (Up to 3 songs: .mp3 only): indicate original songs or arrangements and when they were recorded
2. Band Bio with team & leader photos (high-resolution photos only: for promotional purposes) over 1MB
3. A fan page: Website, Social Media of your band’s official page (if not applicable, leader’s)
Q: Will the festival be in person or online?
A: In-person concerts and online live streaming may be offered. In the case that the government doesn't allow live concerts, we will do it online only.
Q: What time is the submission due on January 31st?
A: 11:59 PM ET
Q: When do we get the result whether we get in or not?
A: One of our representatives will contact you via email after the adjudication period. You will hear back from us by April 30th.
Q: What do the juries adjudicate and how do they do it?
A: 1. General Performance: Dynamics, Expression of Emotion, Groove
2. Musician Excellence: Musicality, Creativity, Technical Proficiency
**Juries receive only music files without any information: not even band names or music titles are given; only music files with just numbers: #1-1, #2-1, #3-1, etc.
Q: Who are the juries?
A: Music professors and award-winning educators/musicians: names are undisclosed until the lineup is announced.
Q: What are the next steps after my band gets accepted?
A: 1. A TUJF representative will contact you for details.
2. Simple explanations: consent of accepting to be a TUJF musician - Sign the musicians’ agreement - Video contest for an award/additional compensation - Performance(s) at TUJF event(s)
Q: What are the benefits of being a TUJF musician?
A: 1. Additional gig opportunities: TUJF organizes 4 annual events including the Summer Live Music Festival, T.U. Jazz Fest, Live Music on Yonge Street and WinterTide. You may be invited to more than one performance.
2. Promotion support: Basic social media post 1-3 times per band; TUJF works with publicity companies to promote TUJF musicians individually.
3. Networking opportunity: TUJF invites music/entertainment industry leaders and specialists to give our musicians ongoing performance opportunities.
Q: What are the potential performances for the applicants?
A: WinterTide at RBG (Hamilton), Willowdale Concert Seriest (Lee Lifeson Arts Park), Summer Live Music Festival (Distillery District & Ontario Place), T.U. Jazz Fest (Mel Lastman Square), Live Music on Yonge (Willowdale), and many more EAA partnered events
Q: Where should I contact for any further questions or concerns?
A: We can be contacted via email: info@tujazz.com
