Fontana North is a Canadian record distribution company and represents the Canadian wing of

Fontana Distribution Fontana Distribution was a division of San Francisco-based Isolation Network (now owned by the Virgin Music Group unit of the Universal Music Group since 2019). A minority stake of the company was owned by Universal Music until Ingrooves, INgroov ...

. It is a joint venture between Canadian-based Cadence Music Group and US-based Fontana Distribution. The company was established by MapleCore in 2004 as MapleNationwide, and in 2006, it partnered with Fontana Distribution and was rebranded as Fontana North. It has expanded throughout Canada for pan-Canadian distribution of many music labels. On August 22, 2013 it was announced that they would be teaming up with

Distort Entertainment Distort Entertainment is a Canadian independent record label based in Toronto, Ontario. The label specializes in bands performing hardcore punk-derived music, including Alexisonfire, Cancer Bats and Johnny Truant, but its sister division Distort L ...

in a joint venture deal with Fontana North acting as the main distributor of the hardcore label. Fontana North won the Independent Distributor of the Year award six years in a row (2008 - 2013) at the Canadian Music Industry Awards, held annually in

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 ...

as part of

Canadian Music Week Canadian Music Week (or CMW) is an industry conference and music festival held over ten days in Toronto and Ontario, Canada. History Canadian Music Week began in 1981 and has grown to become one of Canada's largest and most influential media a ...

Distributed labels

Fontana North is affiliated with more than 80 labels, including the following: * 2+2 Management * AAO Music *

Alligator Records Alligator Records is an American, Chicago-based independent blues record label founded by Bruce Iglauer in 1971. Iglauer was also one of the founders of the ''Living Blues'' magazine in Chicago in 1970. History Iglauer started the label using hi ...

* Astral Music * ATO Records *

Bad Taste Records Bad Taste Records is a record label based in Lund, Sweden. The record label was one of the first labels to establish in the Swedish punk rock and punk/hardcore scene in the early 1990s, together with Burning Heart Records. The name of the labe ...

* Black Box Recordings *

Black Hen Music Black Hen Music is a Canadian independent record label founded in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1995. The music label was established by record producer and musician Steve Dawson of the band Zubot and Dawson. Black Hen Music began releasing alb ...

* Bumstead Productions * Cobraside Distribution *

Cooperative Music IASCooperative, formerly Cooperative Music, often referred to as Co-Op, is a group of indie labels based in the UK but that have offices around the world, owned by IAS Through their partner labels IASCooperative work with artists such as iama ...

Cordova Bay Records Cordova Bay Records is an independent record label in Victoria, British Columbia. The label operates in conjunction with Cordova Bay Music Publishing under the parent company Cordova Bay Entertainment Group. The company was founded by Michael Burk ...

Dangerbird Records Dangerbird Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, California. The label is home to artists from around the world and part of the burgeoning Silver Lake music scene. The label has had international success from its small roster of ...

Downtown Records Downtown Records is an American record label based in New York City with offices in Los Angeles. Owned and operated by Josh Deutsch and Terence Lam, the label is distributed by Geffen Records (formerly Interscope Records and The Orchard) in the ...

Daptone Records Daptone Records is a funk and soul independent record label based in Brooklyn, New York. Best known as the home of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and Charles Bradley, the label boasts a roster which includes Menahan Street Band, The Budos Band, T ...

Domo Records Domo Records is an independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or S ...

* Drive Records * Drip Audio * Eleven Seven Music *

Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo bands ...

Endearing Records Endearing Records is a Canadian independent record label established in 1994, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia, originally based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Endearing Records has released many albums by Canadian indie artists since the ...

Fearless Records Fearless Records is an American independent record label that was founded in 1994. Fearless is based in Culver City, California, and is best known for its early pop punk moments captured in the ''Fearless Flush Sampler'' and ''Punk Bites'' releas ...

* Fierce Panda Canada * Filter Records * Half-Life Records * Heads Connect Entertainment *

Hieroglyphics Egyptian hieroglyphs (, ) were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt, used for writing the Egyptian language. Hieroglyphs combined logographic, syllabic and alphabetic elements, with some 1,000 distinct characters.There were about 1,00 ...

* High Tide Music *

Hopeless Records Hopeless Records is an American independent record label in Van Nuys, California. History Hopeless Records was founded in 1993 by Louis Posen. The label's artists are generally considered to fall under the genres of punk rock, pop punk, post-ha ...

* High 4 Records * Hi-Bias Recordings * Indica Records * Ipecac Recordings * j.k. livin' Records *

Latent Recordings Latent Recordings is a Canadian independent record label founded in 1981. It was dormant in the 1990s while the Cowboy Junkies were signed to American labels, but began to release independently produced albums in the 2000s. By the late 2000s, it s ...

Lex Records Lex Records is a British independent record label based in Camden, London, England. Style Lex has a varied musical output. Most releases are alternative hip hop, alternative rock or electronic. The label works with a small group of artists. ...

* Luaka Bop * Mad Decent *

Mailboat Records Mailboat Records is an independent record label established in 1999 by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett after his vanity label Margaritaville Records was absorbed by Island Records when they were sold to Universal Music Group, owner of Buf ...

* Make It Real Records * MapleMusic Recordings * Masalacism Records * MB3 Records *

Ministry of Sound Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publishing business and fitness studio. James ...

Modular Records Modular Recordings (known simply as Modular) is an Australian record label founded in 1998 by Steve Pavlovic that is currently owned by Universal Music Australia. It has released music from local artists such as Eskimo Joe, Ben Lee, The Avala ...

Mom + Pop Music Mom + Pop Music is a New York City-based independent record label whose current roster includes Courtney Barnett, Madeon, Tom Morello, Porter Robinson, Tycho, Tash Sultana, Sunflower Bean, Beach Bunny, Caamp, Del Water Gap and more. Founder an ...

Mr Bongo Records Mr Bongo is a British, Brighton based independent record label, independent film and publishing company specialising in world music and art house/world cinema. History Founded in 1989, in Berwick Street, London, the label later moved to L ...

* Musical Freedom *

Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...

Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg. The label later ...

* Nevado Records *

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...

Palm Pictures Palm Pictures is a US-based entertainment company owned and run by Chris Blackwell. Palm Pictures produces, acquires and distributes music and film projects with a particular focus on the DVD-Video format. Palm places an emphasis on such proje ...

* Paper Bag Records * PH Recordings * Pheromone Recordings * PHI Grou * PIAS Recordings * Pipe & Hat *

Play Records Play Records is an independently owned Canadian record label operating in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The company includes Play Deep Studios, a recording studio in the UK, Play Digital, for digital music and Play Records Publishing, a publishing co ...

* Polar Bear Records * Rainbow Quartz * Rasa Music * RBC Records * Red Floor Records * Red Telephone Box Records * Rekords Rekords * Rhymesayers Entertainment * Rise Records * Rocket Science Records * Road Angel Records * Salt X Records * Sandbag Records * Sumerian Records * Shangri-La Records * SideOneDummy Records *

Shoreline Entertainment Shoreline Entertainment is an independent film production company and international sales agency that was founded in 1992 by CEO and film producer Morris Ruskin. Partial filmography *''Sir Billi'' *'' The American Side'' *'' 7 Boxes'' *''The Ma ...

* Slaight Music *

Sonic Unyon Distribution Sonic Unyon Recording Company is an independent record label based in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Their former retail store was located on Wilson Street (Hamilton, Ontario), Wilson Street near James Street (Hamilton, Ontario), ...

* Song Dog Music * Sound of Pop * Soul Kiss Entertainment * Strange Music * System Recordings *

TBD Records TBD Records (previously Side One Recordings) was an American record label co-founded by Coran Capshaw and Phil Costello, and is a sublabel of ATO Records, distributed by RED Distribution. The label was founded in August 2007 and quickly announced ...

* Tee Pee Records *

Tompkins Square Records Tompkins Square Records is an independent record label producing archival releases of gospel, blues, jazz, and country music. History In 2005, Josh Rosenthal launched Tompkins Square Records in New York City after working 15 years in a variety of ...

* Tonic Records * Turtlemusik * Upper Class Recordings *

Underground Operations Underground Operations was an independent punk rock record label based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1995, the label was originally based in Ajax, Ontario. Operated by Mark Spicoluk, former Closet Monster member and former bass p ...

URBNET Records URBNET Records is an independent record label based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. URBNET was formed by Darryl Rodway and Janusz Jarosinski in 1999 to provide distribution, marketing and promotional services to Hip Hop artists throughout Canada. U ...

* Victory Records *

Vagrant Records Vagrant Records is an American record label based in California. It was founded in 1995 by Rich Egan and Jon Cohen. The label focuses on rock, but features artists in a variety of other genres including folk, soul, electronic, and pop. It is home ...

* VH1 Classics *

Warp Records Warp Records (or simply Warp) is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon.Southern, Richard (2003) "Label of Love: WARP", X-RAY, A ...

Warcon Enterprises Warcon Enterprises was a New York City based independent record label focusing on mostly post-hardcore, started by Bob Chiappardi of Concrete Marketing and Kevin Lyman, the founder of Warped Tour, in 2004.William Morris Endeavor Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (formerly known as William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, WME or WME-IMG) is an American holding company for talent and media agencies with its primary offices in Beverly Hills, California, United States. The compa ...

* Wrasse Records * Yazoo Record Group * YYZ Records Some labels listed here have only selected titles distributed through Fontana North.

Direct-distribution artists

A small selection of artists are technically "unsigned", but distribute their records independently through Fontana North, including: * Donovan Woods *

Jeremy Dutcher Jeremy Dutcher is a classically-trained Canadian Indigenous tenor, composer, musicologist, performer and activist, who previously lived in Toronto, Ontario and currently lives in Montréal, Québec. He became widely known for his first album '' ...

Jordan Klassen Jordan Klassen is a singer-songwriter and producer from Vancouver, British Columbia. Life and career Jordan Klassen was born in Abbotsford, British Columbia, the son of Juno Award nominated artist Lianna Klassen. After moving to Calgary in ...

Lindi Ortega Lindi Ortega (born May 28, 1980) is a Canadian country singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, who had lived in Nashville, Tennessee then moved to Western Canada in 2017. She spent nearly a decade as an independent artist in the Toronto music ...

* Snotty Nose Rez Kids

Awards and accolades

Canadian Music Awards

The Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards happen every March in Toronto as part of

. , - , 2008 , , Fontana North , , Independent Distributor of the Year , , , - , 2009 , , Fontana North , , Independent Distributor of the Year , , , - , 2010 , , Fontana North , , Independent Distributor of the Year , , , - , 2011 , , Fontana North , , Independent Distributor of the Year , , , - , 2012 , , Fontana North , , Independent Distributor of the Year , , , - , 2013 , , Fontana North , , Independent Distributor of the Year , , , -

Juno Awards

The Juno Awards are presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. , - , rowspan="9", , , Neverending White Lights , , New Artist of the Year , , , - , , Arabesque ''The Frenzy Of Renown'' , , Rap Recording of the Year , , , - , , Classified ''Hitch Hikin’ Music'' , , Rap Recording of the Year , , , - , , DL Incognito ''Organic Music For A Digital World'' , , Rap Recording of the Year , , , - , , Lori Cullen ''Calling For Rain'' , , Vocal Jazz Album of the Year , , , - , , George ''Believe'' , , R&B/Soul Recording of the Year , , , - , , Karl Wolf ''Face Behind The Face'' , , R&B/Soul Recording of the Year , , , - , , Lennie Gallant ''When We Get There'' , , Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo , , , - , , David Gogo ''Acoustic'' , , Blues Album of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", , , Shad ''

The Old Prince ''The Old Prince'' is the second studio album by Canadian rapper Shad, released October 23, 2007 on Black Box Recordings. On June 30, 2009 it was re-released on iTunes on the same label. Singles Videos have been made for four tracks from th ...

'' , , Rap Recording of the Year , , , - , , Bob Lanois ''Snake Road'' , , Instrumental Album of the Year , , , - , rowspan="7", , , Inhabitants '' The Furniture Moves Underneath'' , , Instrumental Album of the Year , , , - , , Steve Dawson ''Telescope'' , , Instrumental Album of the Year , , , - , , D-Sisive ''The Book'' , , Rap Recording of the Year , , , - , , DL Incognito ''A Captured Moment In Time'' , , Rap Recording of the Year , , , - , , Old Man Luedecke ''Proof Of Love'' , , Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo , , , - , , Daniel Lanois, , Jack Richardson Producer of the Year , , , - , , Daniel Lanois ''

Here Is What Is ''Here Is What Is'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian songwriter and record producer Daniel Lanois. It was first released in December 2007 as a high-quality download, and later released on CD on March 18, 2008. The album is the result of the ...

'' , , Music DVD of the Year , , , - , rowspan="11", , , Carly Rae Jepsen , , New Artist of the Year , , , - , , Carly Rae Jepsen & Ryan Stewart , , Songwriter of the Year , , , - , , Danny Fernandes , , New Artist of the Year , , , - , , Ten Second Epic , , New Group of the Year , , , - , , Julie Doiron ''

I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day ''I Can Wonder What You Did with Your Day'' is an album by Julie Doiron, released on March 10, 2009. Recorded at the home studio of Rick White, the album's producer and Doiron's onetime bandmate in Eric's Trip, the album is more rock-oriented ...

'' , , Alternative Album of the Year , , , - , , Pavlo, Rik Emmett, Oscar Lopez '' Trifecta'' , , Instrumental Album of the Year , , , - , , Danny Fernandes ''

INTRO Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to: General use * Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music * Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and g ...

'' , , R&B/Soul Album of the Year , , , - , , Bahamas ''

Pink Strat ''Pink Strat'' is the debut album from Canadian musician Bahamas (musician), Bahamas. It was nominated for both a Juno Award, Juno and a Polaris Music Prize in 2010. Track listing References

{{Authority control 2009 debut albums Bahamas ...

'' , , Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo, , , - , , John Wort Hannam '' Queen's Hotel'' , , Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo , , , - , , Good Lovelies ''

Good Lovelies The Good Lovelies are a Canadian folk/country harmony trio, consisting of Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore. At their core they can be described as a country/folk trio, with tinges of pop, roots, jazz and sometimes hip-hop mixed in. His ...

'' , , Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Group , , , - , , Matt Brouwer ''

Where's Our Revolution ''Where's Our Revolution'' is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Matt Brouwer. It was released on August 25, 2009 through Universal Music Distribution. The album is Brouwer's most successful release to date and was well received ...

'' , , Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year , , , - , rowspan="10", , , Fond of Tigers '' Continent & Western'' , , Instrumental Album of the Year , , , - , , D-Sisive ''

Vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

'' , , Rap Recording of the Year , , , - , , Shad ''

TSOL T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty) is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California. Although most commonly associated with hardcore punk, T.S.O.L.'s music has varied on each release, including such styles as deathrock, a ...

'' , , Rap Recording of the Year , , , - , , Raghav ft. Kardinal Offishall '' So Much'' , , R&B/Soul Recording of the Year , , , - , , Dubmatix ''System Shakedown'' , , Reggae Recording of the Year , , , - , , Joey Stylez '' The Black Star'' , , Aboriginal Album of the Year , , , - , , Old Man Luedecke ''My Hands Are On Fire and Other Love Songs'' , , Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo , , , - , , Jim Byrnes ''Everywhere West'' , , Blues Album of the Year , , , - , , Greg Sczebel ''

Love & the Lack Thereof ''Love & the Lack Thereof'' is the second album by Greg Sczebel. The album won the Juno Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2011. ''Love & the Lack Thereof'' also won for Pop/Contemporary Album of the ...

'' , , Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year , , , - , , Manafest '' The Chase'' , , Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year , , , - , rowspan="12", , , JRDN , , New Artist of the Year , , , - , , JRDN ''

IAMJRDN ''IAMJRDN'' is the official debut studio album by Canadian R&B singer JRDN. The album features the hit singles, "U Can Have It All" and "Like Magic", which peaked at #20 and #24 on the Canadian Hot 100 respectively. It was released on November 9, ...

'' , , R&B/Soul Recording of the Year , , , - , , The Rural Alberta Advantage , , New Group of the Year , , , - , , The Rural Alberta Advantage ''Stamp'' , , Video of the Year , , , - , , Jimmy Rankin ''

Forget About the World "Forget About the World" is a song by English singer Gabrielle. It was written by Gabrielle along with Ben Barson, Andy Dean, and Ben Wolff for her self-titled second album (1996). "Forget About the World" did not perform as well as its predece ...

'' , , Country Album of the Year , , , - , , Cuff The Duke '' Morning Comes'' , , Adult Alternative Album of the Year , , , - , , Bobs & Lolo ''Connecting the Dots'' , , Children's Album of the Year , , , - , , D-Sisive ''Jonestown 2: Jimmy Go Bye Bye'' , , Rap Recording of the Year , , , - , , Dubmatix ''Seeds of Love & Life ft. Luciano'' , , Reggae Recording of the Year , , , - , , Dave Gunning ''A Tribute To John Allan Cameron'' , , Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo , , , - , , David Gogo ''Soul-Bender'' , , Blues Album of the Year , , , - , , Austra ''Feel It Break'' , , Electronic Album of the Year , , , - , rowspan="8", , , Ex Dio ''Caligvla'' , , Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year: Group , , , - , , Manafest '' Fighter'' , , Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year , , , - , , The Wooden Sky ''Every Child A Daughter, Every Moon A Sun'' , , Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Group , , , - , , The Strumbellas ''My Father and the Hunter'' , , Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Group , , , - , , Elliot BROOD '' Days Into Years'' , , Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Group , , , - , , Crystal Shawanda '' Just Like You'' , , Aboriginal Album of the Year , , , - , , Ratchet Orchestra ''Hemlock'' , , Instrumental Album of the Year , , , - , , Kristina Maria ''Tell The World'' , , Pop Album of the Year , , , -

References

External links

Fontana North official website

Fontana Distribution official website

Cadence Music Group official website
{{Authority control Record label distributors Canadian independent record labels Record labels established in 2004 2006 in Canadian music