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  • Canadian Live Music Association & Canadian Music Week

    2024 Live Music Industry Awards presented by

    Tuesday, June 4, 2024
    Awards Show. 5:00PM -7:00PM
    Frontenac Ballroom (across from Westin Harbour Castle Hotel)

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PAUL SHAFFER TO HOST THE LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY AWARDS

PAUL SHAFFER TO HOST THE LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY AWARDS
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   LIVE MUSIC AWARDS      |        TICKETS         |     
     HOTEL & TRAVEL       
CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK ANNOUNCES 
PAUL SHAFFER 
AS HOST OF THE 
2017 LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY AWARDS
For 33 years Paul Shaffer served as David Letterman’s musical director and sidekick.
Paul began his career in 1972 as musical director of the Toronto production of “Godspell.” He
played piano in “The Magic Show” on Broadway in 1974, then spent the next five years with the original 
“Saturday Night Live,” where he played keyboards, composed special musical material and, in 1980, 
became a featured performer.
 
In 1977, he took a brief break from the show to star in the CBS comedy series “A Year at the
Top,” produced by Norman Lear and Don Kirshner. After his return to “Saturday Night Live,” he 
collaborated with Gilda Radner on the songs for her Broadway show, in which he also appeared. He 
served as musical director for the Blues Brothers – John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd – for their triple 
platinum album and national tour. His guest starring television appearances include “Ed”, “The 
Sopranos”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, and “How I Met Your Mother”. Paul recently starred with 
Bill Murray in and was musical director for the Netflix special “A Very Murray Christmas”, directed by 
Sofia Coppola, for which he received his fourth EMMY nomination.
 
In addition to recording his own albums, Coast to Coast (1989) and The World’s Most Dangerous 
Party (1993), Shaffer recorded with such diverse artists as Diana Ross, Yoko Ono and Robert Plant’s 
Honeydrippers. He composed the LATE SHOW theme song and, with Paul Jabara, wrote the Number 
One ’80s dance hit “It’s Raining Men,” performed by the Weather Girls and re-recorded by Geri Halliwell 
for the “Bridget Jones’s Diary” soundtrack, topping the British pop charts in 2001. In 2002, he received 
his first GRAMMY, Best Country Instrumental, for the Earl Scruggs and Friends album, and coproduced 
an avant-garde jazz album for his mentor, Tsziji Munoz.

His feature film roles include Artie Fufkin in Rob Reiner’s “This Is Spinal Tap.” He also 

appeared in the Mike Nichols-directed “Gilda Live,” the Bill Murray movie “Scrooged,” and with John 
Travolta in “Look Who’s Talking Too.” He is heard as the voice of Hermes in Disney’s animated feature 
“Hercules” and the television series based on the film. He produced the gold selling soundtrack for and 
appeared in “Blues Brothers 2000”, and composed original songs for 
the movie “Strangers with Candy.”
 
Shaffer has served as musical director and producer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 
induction 
ceremony since its inception in 1986. He led the band for the “We Are the World” finale 
of Live Aid. 
Shaffer hosted CBS’s 1994 New Year’s Eve special from New York’s Times Square 
and was musical 
director of the closing concert at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. He 
appeared with the Blues 
Brothers at the 1996 Super Bowl halftime show and was musical 
director of the 1999 Concert of the 
Century at the White House, featuring Eric Clapton, B. B. King, Gloria Estefan, ‘N Sync and others, to aid 
music programs in public schools. He was Paul McCartney’s musical director for “Concert for New 
York” and appeared with Faith Hill on the “America: A Tribute to Heroes” telethon, both of which 
honored and raised money for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
 
“Paul Shaffer’s This Day in Rock,” is a daily interstitial feature nationally syndicated by Envision 
Radio. Paul’s best-selling memoir, We’ll Be Here For The Rest of Our Lives, is published by Random 
House, and his latest CD, produced by Richard Gottehrer, will be released in early 2017.

Shaffer holds two honorary doctorate degrees, was inducted into the National Black Sports and 

Entertainment Hall of Fame, and awarded a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. In 2008, Paul received the 
Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honor. He lives in the New York area with his wife and two 
children.
 
Catch Paul Shaffer on Wednesday, April 19th as he hosts the 2017 Live Music Industry Awards at the Sheraton Centre Hotel, Toronto. Get your tickets below.
 
About Live Music Industry Awards:
 
Created by Canadian Music Week in partnership with the International Festival Network (IFN) and Music Canada Live, the trade association for the live music sector, the Live Music Industry Awards are a highlight of CMW’s Live Music Summit.
 
 “Last year the first-ever LMIA’s proved beyond a doubt that we have much to celebrate, by acknowledging lives’ incredible contributions to the industry.  This year, we continue shine a spotlight on this passionate and dedicated community – one that works tirelessly to put artists and fans together. This effort is at the heart of what Music Canada Live is about, and we are thrilled to co-present the second annual LMIA’s in 2017 with CMW on behalf of our members and Canada’s live music industry.”  Erin Benjamin, 
Executive Director
,
Music Canada Live

 

 

 

 

 

REMINDER
LMIA NOMINATION SUBMISSIONS
NOMINATION DEADLINE:
JANUARY 27TH, 2017
 
Submit your nomination 
here.
Voting Opens February 1st.

 

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