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Randy Lennox

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Randy Lennox
OC
NationalityCanadian
Occupation(s)Music and Media Executive, Producer

Randy Lennox is a Canadian music and media executive. He currently serves as the CEO of LOFT Entertainment.[1] He previously served as president and CEO of Universal Music Canada and president of Bell Media.[2]

While Lennox was at Universal Music Canada the label developed Canadian artists including Drake, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, and Shawn Mendes.[3] At Bell Media, he led Crave's rebranding and the expansion into streaming and musical stage productions.[4] In 2023, Lennox co-founded LOFT Entertainment to produce documentaries, films, TV shows, music and events, including the Departure Festival, formerly Canadian Music Week.[5][1]

He has held leadership roles with Canada's Walk of Fame, Banff World Media Festival, and Massey and Roy Thomson Halls. Lennox has received awards and recognition, including media and music industry Executive of the Year awards, being named on most influential lists from both Toronto Life and Maclean's, induction into Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame and the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the 2017 Juno Awards.[6][2][7]

In 2024, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.[8]

Career

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Universal Music Canada

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While at Universal, Lennox produced Oh What a Feeling: A Vital Collection of Canadian Music, the first Canadian box-set to be certified diamond and Big Shiny Tunes, the best selling album series in Canadian history.[9] In 1998, Lennox was appointed president of Universal Music Canada following its merger with Polygram Canada.[10][11][12] In 2001, he was also named CEO.[13] Under his leadership, Universal Music Canada was named Music Company of the Year for 15 consecutive years by Canadian Music Week.[14]

At Universal, Lennox signed The Weeknd[15] and discovered Shawn Mendes.[16] He played roles in developing Drake, Justin Bieber, The Tragically Hip, and Sam Roberts.[17][18][19][20]

In 2011, Lennox organized artists including Drake, Justin Bieber, Nelly Furtado and Avril Lavigne to cover K'naan's Wavin' Flag[21][22][23] The track, co-produced with Bob Ezrin and Gary Slaight, would go on to win the 2011 Juno Award for Single of the Year and raise over $2 million for the 2010 Haiti earthquake relief effort.[24]

Bell Media

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In 2015, Lennox joined Bell Media as President of Broadcasting.[25][26][27] In this role he produced The Launch, an original reality music competition franchise. The new format, co-created with Scott Borchetta of Big Machine Records was picked up by Sony Pictures Television for international distribution.[28][29]

He also produced Long Time Running, a documentary about The Tragically Hip which won the 2018 Excellence in Directing award from the Directors Guild of Canada.[30] He produced Jann with Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden, the most watched Canadian series of 2019 and comedy of the year.[31][32]

In 2017 Lennox was appointed overall president of Bell Media.[33][34] In this role he signed partnerships to bring American content brands including iHeartMedia,[17] HBO,[35] HBO Max,[36] BNN Bloomberg,[37] Starz,[38] and Vice Media[39] to Canada to support the 2018 relaunch of the Crave streaming platform as a standalone service.[40] Crave grew to nearly 3 million subscribers over the next two years.[35]

Lennox also signed event partnerships between Bell Media and Just For Laughs[41] and the Toronto International Film Festival,[42] as well as production partnerships with Lionsgate, Pinewood Studios, Netflix, Jeffrey Katzenberg.[43][44][45] He also partnered with Jim Steinman[46] to launch a live stage adaptation of Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell which debuted in Toronto and London in 2018.[47]

In 2019 he led Bell Media's majority acquisition and subsequent expansion of Toronto's Pinewood Studios, creating an additional 200,000-square feet worth of production space.[48][49] That same year he co-produced Once Were Brothers, about Robbie Robertson, with Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, and Brian Grazer, which won Best of the Fest, at the 2020 Palm Springs International Film Festival and was the first Canadian documentary to open TIFF.[50] He also produced Carry It On, a documentary about Buffy Sainte Marie that won the 2023 Emmy for International Arts.[51][citation needed]

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lennox produced the largest non-sports broadcasting event in Canadian history,[52] Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble, a 90-minute event which saw 100 Canadian broadcast partners work together to raise more than $8 million for Food Banks Canada at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[53]

LOFT Entertainment

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In 2023, Lennox co-founded LOFT Entertainment Inc. a music management and television content company.[1]

In 2024, in partnership with Denver-based sports entertainment venue developer Oak View Group, Lennox acquired Canadian Music Week[1] and in order to "expand programming, enhance venues and offer unique engagement opportunities for artists and fans."[54]

Awards & Recognition

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In 2002, Lennox was named one of the top 50 Most Influential Canadians by Maclean's Magazine.[6] In 2010, Lennox was inducted into the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame as part of Canadian Music Week.[55][56] In 2014, Lennox was named Label Executive of the Year at the Worldwide Radio Summit.[57]

In 2015, 2018 and 2019 he was named on Toronto Life's 50 Most Influential list.[58][59][7]

In 2017, in recognition of his contribution to the growth and development of the Canadian music industry, Lennox received the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the 2017 Juno Awards[2] where he was praised by U2's Bono and Gene Simmons of Kiss.[60] The same year he was also named Media Executive of the Year by Playback Magazine.[61]

In 2024, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada,[8] the first major-label executive to receive the honour.[62]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Decter, Rosie Long (3 June 2024). "Canadian Music Week Acquired by Loft Entertainment & Oak View Group as Founder Neill Dixon Retires". Billboard Canada. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Bell Media's Randy Lennox to Receive 2017 Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at Juno Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Toronto's 50 Most Influential People: Randy Lennox". Toronto Life. 19 November 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  4. ^ Friend, David (30 October 2019). "Bell Media bolsters Crave's streaming library under new deal with HBO".
  5. ^ "Canadian Music Week Rebranded As 'Departure Festival + Conference' - Pollstar News". news.pollstar.com. 15 November 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Maclean's, 2/18/2002, Vol. 115 Issue 7, p40, 2p".
  7. ^ a b "The 50 Most Influential Torontonians of 2019". Toronto Life. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Appointments to the Order of Canada – December 18, 2024". Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. 16 December 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  9. ^ "How Big Shiny Tunes Defined CanRock". Vice.com. 20 December 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  10. ^ Reporter, Raju Mudhar Staff (13 December 2019). "A Canadian competitor's view from the fast-moving streaming war". Toronto Star. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  11. ^ Strauss, Neil (21 December 1998). "A Major Merger Shakes Up the World of Rock". The New York Times.
  12. ^ 2017 JUNO Awards' Gala Tribute to Randy Lennox, 17 April 2017, retrieved 18 January 2018
  13. ^ LeBlanc, Larry (29 December 2001). "Billboard 29 Dec 2001".
  14. ^ Bliss, Karen (23 January 2017). "Bell Media's Randy Lennox to Receive 2017 Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at Juno Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  15. ^ Lauren La Rose (7 December 2015). "From cult fave to pop superstar: The Weeknd caps breakout year with 7 Grammy noms". CityNews Toronto. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  16. ^ "Toronto's 50 Most Influential People: Randy Lennox". Toronto Life. 5 March 2024. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  17. ^ a b Express, Music (28 February 2017). "Randy Lennox Named Bell Media President". The Music Express. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  18. ^ Mary Dickie (1 February 2008). "Reinventing the music biz: Universal Music Canada's Randy Lennox". Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  19. ^ Critic, Richard Ouzounian Theatre (21 November 2009). "The Canadian Tenors find perfect harmony". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  20. ^ Bliss, Karen (5 April 2017). "Lucian Grainge, The Weeknd, U2 Pay Tribute to Randy Lennox at the Junos". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  21. ^ Kielburger, Marc & Craig (5 January 2015). "Finding hope in Haiti". Vancouver Sun.
  22. ^ "Canadian artists wave flag for Haitian relief". The London Free Press. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  23. ^ "Canadian artists join in Wavin' Flag for Haiti". CBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  24. ^ "2011 JUNO Award Winners - The JUNO Awards". Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  25. ^ Bailey, Katie (13 June 2016). "Randy Lennox makes his mark at Bell Media". Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  26. ^ "Randy Lennox, Bell's 'Content Guru'". FYIMusicNews. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  27. ^ "Bell Media hires former Universal Music Canada CEO Randy Lennox to head entertainment unit". Financial Post. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Scott Borchetta's Big Machine, Canada's Bell Media Ring Up Deal on New TV Talent Property". Billboard. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  29. ^ Clarke, Stewart (22 February 2018). "Sony Prepares 'The Launch' for International Take Off". Variety. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  30. ^ David, Greg (21 October 2018). "2018 Directors Guild of Canada Awards winners announced". TV, eh?. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  31. ^ "CTV's JANN is the #1 New Canadian Series of the Year". Bell Media. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  32. ^ "Ratings No Laughing Matter For Jann Arden's New TV Series". FYIMusicNews. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  33. ^ "Bell Media juggling executives as president leaves for job at NFL". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  34. ^ "BCE names Randy Lennox new President of Bell Media". BNN Bloomberg. Reuters. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  35. ^ a b Wilner, Norman (1 November 2018). "Canadians can finally stream new HBO shows without a cable subscription". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  36. ^ "Bell Media signs deal with HBO Max to strengthen Crave's streaming library". Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  37. ^ "Bloomberg, Bell Media strike deal to rebrand BNN". Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  38. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (23 January 2018). "Starz Expands Into Canada With Bell Media Pact". Variety. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  39. ^ "Bell Media signs licensing deal with Vice, hoping to draw new subscribers". Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  40. ^ "Bell doubles down on Crave with soft rebrand, premium service that includes current HBO content". Financial Post. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  41. ^ "Bell Media among group acquiring Just For Laughs production company". Global News. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  42. ^ Jordan Pinto (22 December 2020). "Randy Lennox: the exit interview". Playback. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  43. ^ Bailey, Katie (16 November 2015). "Discovery's Frontier pushes int'l boundaries with Netflix". Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  44. ^ "Quibi Acquires Daily News, Sport Shows for Canadian Service". The Hollywood Reporter. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  45. ^ David Friend (14 January 2020). "Exec Randy Lennox on Crave's 'frenemy' relationship with streaming competition". CityNews Toronto. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  46. ^ "Cast Complete for London Return of Jim Steinman's Bat Out of Hell Musical". Playbill. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  47. ^ "Randy Lennox: The Exit Interview". Billboard Canada. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  48. ^ "Klingons in Toronto? Get set for the Pinewood Studios tour". The Star. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  49. ^ "Pinewood Toronto Studios Begins Construction on Multi-Stage Expansion". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  50. ^ White, Peter (18 July 2019). "Rock Doc 'Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band' To Open Toronto Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  51. ^ "Buffy Sainte-Marie to reflect on music and activism in upcoming documentary". wellandtribune.com. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  52. ^ "Star-studded Stronger Together to be biggest multiplatform broadcast in Canadian history". The Globe and Mail. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  53. ^ "Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble raises over $8 million for Food Banks Canada". The Georgia Straight. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  54. ^ Henderson, Lisa (4 June 2024). "OVG and Loft Entertainment acquire Canadian Music Week". IQ Magazine. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  55. ^ Thompson, Robert (19 January 2010). "Randy Lennox To Be Honored At Canadian Music Week". Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  56. ^ "Randy Lennox to be inducted to the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame" (Press release). Canadian Music Week. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  57. ^ "Worldwide Radio Summit Awards Results". Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  58. ^ "Toronto's 50 Most Influential People: Randy Lennox". Toronto Life. 19 November 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  59. ^ "The 50 most influential Torontonians of 2018". Toronto Life. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  60. ^ JUNO News Toronto (17 April 2017). 2017 JUNO Awards' Gala Tribute to Randy Lennox. Retrieved 13 April 2025 – via YouTube.
  61. ^ "Hitting a high note at Bell Media". Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  62. ^ Smilezone (20 December 2024). "RANDY LENNOX APPOINTED AS OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF CANADA". Smilezone Foundation. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
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