Byron Kent Wong (born in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
) is a
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
and
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
-based
producer,
musician
A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...
,
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''Di ...
and
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values th ...
.
He founded Random Media Core Inc, in 1993, a Canadian company dedicated to music, design, marketing, and new media.
He hosted and co-produced
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The licence of the original Citytv station, granted the callsign of CITY-TV by the CRTC on November 25, 1971 to Cable Television Ass ...
's ''
The NewMusic
''The NewMusic'' was a weekly music and culture television newsmagazine that aired on the Canadian television stations owned by CHUM Limited: MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic, Citytv, A-Channel and CP24.
Created by John Martin, and intended to combine ...
'' from 1997 to 1999. The New Music was one of the longest running music journalism TV programs in the world and pioneered both in-depth and irreverent interviews and presentations of music, culture, celebrity and technology.
In 1999 he co-founded Blue Spark, with entrepreneur, Kevin Bartus. Bluespark became one Canada's premiere web and e-commerce development
companies. In 2004 it was acquired by OnX Enterprise Solutions, which in 2006 re-branded as Momentum. Clients included Bell, Rogers, CHUM, Purolator, The National Ballet, TIFF, and dozens of Fortune 500 Companies from across North America.
2011 saw the launch of zero11zero, a company dedicated to the convergence of motion media, new media, music, artist development, publishing and creative strategy. Recent projects and clients include the Toronto Blue Jays, Maclaren McCann/Nuit Blanche, +tongtong, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and IMAX
Byron also serves as Managing Director for , who have developed interactive processes and controls for projects with Nike, Google, Under Armour, and Kanye West.
As a music and TV/media producer, he has worked with The Crystal Method, The Eurythmics, David Usher, Delerium, David Bowie, Beck, Ben Harper, and many others. Other work includes albums with Montreal's
Hexes and Ohs
Hexes & Ohs is a Canadian electronic indie pop group from Montreal, Quebec. Their sound combines 1980s inspired beats and synthesizer sounds with indie pop structures and melodies. They have released three albums since 2005 and have opened for m ...
, Winhara, Tyler Yarema,
Roger Mooking
Roger Mooking is a Trinidadian-Canadian chef, musician, and television host. Mooking is the host of the television series '' Man Fire Food'' (2012 to present). He is also the host and co-creator of ''Everyday Exotic''. Both programs aired on the ...
, and remixes with and for
Glenn Morrison, Craig Armstrong, Lange, Mendo,
Blank & Jones
Blank & Jones are a German electronic music duo, consisting of the members Jan Pieter Blank (born June 15, 1971), known as Piet Blank; René Runge (born June 27, 1968), better known as DJ Jaspa Jones; and the producer Andy Kaufhold (N*D*K) (born ...
, and
New Order's Bernard Sumner. Recent work includes mixes for
The Sheepdogs
The Sheepdogs are a Canadian rock band formed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2004. The Sheepdogs were the first unsigned band to make the cover of ''Rolling Stone'' and have gone on to a career featuring multi-platinum album sales and four Jun ...
,
City and Colour
Dallas Michael John Albert Green (born September 29, 1980) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who records under the name City and Colour. He is also known for his contributions as a singer, rhythm guitarist and songwr ...
,
Yukon Blonde
Yukon Blonde is a Canadian indie rock band originally from Kelowna, British Columbia.Derdeyn, Stuart (April 22, 2010).Yukon Blonde feels the love: Indie band adding plenty of fans on cross-country tour", ''Ottawa Citizen''. Retrieved May 5, 2010. ...
,
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
, Frankie Whyte and collaborations with Duncan Coutts of Our Lady Peace and Dave Hamelin of the Stills and Eight and a Half.
Byron was nominated for a Genie for his work scoring ''
Lie With Me''. He was co-nominated for another Genie for Best Original Song for the film, ''Poor Boy's Game''.
He scored the feature film, Off World, written and directed by
Mateo Guez and served as co-producer.
He produced the 2013 ProMax Sports Media Award nominated documentary, "4 Days in April" about Canadian golfer, Mike Weir.
Currently in production is:
"Meza", a fictional action-based feature, directed by James Mark and "Ill Intentions", a documentary based in the Yukon, Canada - marking Byron's directorial debut.
Awards and recognition
* The music composer for over 50 Promax/BDA award-winning broadcast spots produced by Cuppa Coffee Animation, Astral Media and Project10
* 2006:
26th Genie Awards
The 26th Genie Awards were held on March 13, 2006 to honour films released in 2005. The ceremony was held at The Carlu theatre in Toronto. The ceremony was hosted by Lisa Ray and Terry David Mulligan.
Nominees and winners
The Genie Award winner i ...
, nominee in Original Score category for the film ''Lie With Me'', of which the song "Saviour" by Annelise Noronha has gained notoriety on the Internet Movie Database among curious fans longing to learn more about the enigmatic artist and her music. The song, which played only during the closing credits, is not credited in the film's soundtrack listing as it was added after the titles had been completed. Byron has been quoted as saying "Saviour" is one of his all-time favorite Canadian Songs.
* 2008: Genie Nominee - Best Original Song, "Breathe", for the film 'Poor Boy's Game'
* 2008: ReelWorld Trailblazer Award
* 2010 Best Feature Film Award, ReelWorld 2010
* 2013 ProMax Sports Media Award Nominated Documentary, "4 Days in April"
* 2016 Emmy Nominated Short Sports Documentary, "Jason Day: Never Say Die"
References
External links
Blue Spark: Byron Wong profile 20 October 2004. Retrieved 24 January 2007.
* . Retrieved 24 January 2007.
My Brilliant Beast Myspace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wong, Byron Kent
Businesspeople from Toronto
Businesspeople from Vancouver
Canadian expatriates in the United States
Film producers from British Columbia
Canadian people of Chinese descent
Canadian record producers
Canadian television hosts
Canadian television producers
Film directors from Vancouver
Musicians from Toronto
Musicians from Vancouver
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Asian-Canadian filmmakers