This week, 20 rising female artists will take the stage at the annual Honey Jam Concert—a joyful, inclusive live show celebrating one of Canada’s longest-running musical sisterhoods. On August 20 at TD Music Hall, CBC’s Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe will host this concert with a stellar lineup of emerging talent.

With artists representing various cultures and an array of genres—including R&B, neo-soul, jazz, pop, indie-folk, country, alt-rock, punk, hip-hop, and EDM—Honey Jam founder Ebonnie Rowe describes the concert as “a beautiful musical experience.”

“Nobody’s too cool for school, and everybody wants the artists to win,” she says. “It’s also a different vibe when it’s run by women.”

Honey Jam is Canada’s first development program for women and gender-diverse artists, offering a supportive community for emerging creatives to get their start in the industry, and providing invaluable resources like mentoring, workshops, and performance opportunities. Many iconic Canadian artists launched their careers through Honey Jam, including Nelly Furtado, Melanie Fiona, Jully Black, Haviah Mighty and LU KALA. 

With artists hailing from 5 provinces, this year’s concert lineup features 20 performers: Rianna Jones, Mars Aspen, Sonaali, Oh Alice, Nicole Glazunov, Maya Gamzu, Silver Fae, Aiyana, Tea Valentina, Dayana, Perswasian, Evie Marsten, Posic, AHSIA, Saraphina Knights, Freya Milliken, Jessica Spurrell, and Miranda Carlin, with guest performances from Feura and Getchnah, plus music from DJs Killa Kels and Mrii. Proceeds from the concert’s ticket sales will help support Honey Jam’s artist development programming. 

The trailblazing non-profit organization marked its 30th anniversary last year, and Rowe is as determined as ever to steer Honey Jam into its third decade. But running a non-profit dedicated to women artists in 2026 does not come without challenges—there’s the ever-present threat of AI, and the recent backlash against DEI initiatives sparked by the Trump administration. 

“We and many others have definitely suffered from that,” Rowe says. “There’s a definite shift in levels of enthusiasm, getting calls and emails returned.”

But that’s not going to stop Rowe. In 1995, she was working full-time as a legal assistant and running a mentorship program for at-risk Black youth when she launched and self-financed Honey Jam. She found her passion, and she made it happen—the first-ever Honey Jam concert was held in a club on Queen West with a lineup of female DJs, rappers, and breakdancers. At the time, the music industry, and the world, looked very different. 

“There was no website. The artists were sending VHS tapes to us. There’s no YouTube. There is no Instagram,” Rowe says. “That is the biggest change from the time that we started. We are in the digital world, and it’s just so much easier to promote yourself and to be seen.”

She also steered Honey Jam through the turbulence of the pandemic, as lockdowns upended her plans for the program’s milestone 25th anniversary. Rowe would constantly monitor the news to see if larger gatherings were permitted, and planned safely distanced outdoor events throughout the pandemic. The annual Honey Jam concert had to be streamed, but more than 12,000 people tuned in and sent in videos singing and dancing along to the performances. 

“We’re going to show you, the world, the artists, what it means to really push through something,” Rowe says. “We weren’t going to be COVID’s bitch.”

Beyond the annual concerts, mentorship, and resources, the community formed around Honey Jam is truly one-of-a-kind. It’s a full-circle experience for many of the artists, who return to the program as audition judges or workshop panellists.

“One of the artists said, ‘Honey Jam is like Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, but without the pants.’ You have the community. You have the love, the respect, the honour, the loyalty, the support,” Rowe says. “They’re proud of their association with Honey Jam, and to give back and to meet the new artists and give them advice. It’s a beautiful community.”

Honey Jam truly is Rowe’s passion project. For her, what makes it all worth it is how much it means to the artists who go through the program—even their biggest stars. “Nelly Furtado, when she did her first album with I’m Like a Bird on it, in the liner notes it says, “I’ll always remember the Honey Jam.”

The Honey Jam Concert is on August 20 at TD Music Hall. Tickets are available here.