New Motor Records
- Contest: WIM Canada With Honours - 2026
- Nominator Full Name: Joelle May
- Are you (nominator) a member of WIM Canada? : Yes
- Nominee first name : Joelle
- Nominee last name : May
- Nominees Gender Identity?: Cis-Woman
- Nominee pronouns : She/Her
- Nominee Email : joelle@newmotorrecords.com
- Nominee City: Vancouver
- Province / Territory: British Columbia
- Is the NOMINEE a racialized person (Indigenous, Black, or Person of Colour)?: No
- Categorie(s): Entrepreneur of the Year - Presented by Believe and TuneCore, Women in Music Canada Rising Leader
- Submission Type: Written
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Written Submission - What makes this person / company a great fit?:
After Joelle May completed the Women in Music Canada Leadership Program in it's inaugural year, and continued to work for Sakamoto Agency, operating the label division called Sakamoto Music, in February 2025, Sakamoto Agency shut down it's operations. Undeterred, Joelle continued to operate Sakamoto Music while her former boss Paul Biro sought out new investors for the label. After that failed, Joelle spoke with the owners of Red Boot Entertainment Group, who were previous investors in the agency, and they agreed to retain the label ownership, and continue on the business with Joelle sitting at the helm, promoted to General Manager. Relaunching the label under a new name and new ownership in late June 2025, media coverage included a focus on Joelle as the GM for the label, with articles and interviews throughout the summer and fall including Billboard Canada, V13, mastrd podcast by Front Porch Music, and Almost Famous Enough podcast.
Now a three-time entrepreneur, Joelle launched her career in music via starting her own business as a publicist in 2007, which she ran for 10 years before starting with Sakamoto Agency in 2017, handling marketing and promotion for the booking agency through it's peak of operations, winning 4 consecutive Booking Agency OTY awards at the CCMAs. She again called up the entrepreneurial spirit in 2022 when she launched the label division of Sakamoto Agency, called Sakamoto Music. After the demise of Sakamoto Agency, Joelle has again singlehandedly relaunched and renewed the label as the now-operating New Motor Records, and is taking the label into new directions, with a new focus on diversifying the roster, adding new functions to the business, and revising deal structures to create more reliable cash flow, and inturn, stability. New Motor Records is poised to prosper under the direction of May, who has been pushing for this opportunity for her entire music career. - Written Submission - How would this Honour benefit the nominee?: Joelle May has been a hard working member of the Canadian music industry since 2007, and has been diligently working to improve the careers of countless artists, while also improving herself. Honouring Joelle's entrepreneurial spirit would be the highest praise she could receive considering her career history, and current endeavours. In addition, receiving this award would help raise awareness of Joelle's current business venture in New Motor Records, contributing to the success of the label and the artists signed to it.
