Larry LeBlanc

Larry LeBlanc was the recipient of the 2013 Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award, recognizing individuals who have made an impact on the Canadian music industry.

Legendary BBC 2's Bob Harris has described the veteran journalist/broadcaster/archivist as, "the glue that holds the Canadian music industry together."

While Larry has been an influential figure in Canadian music for nearly five decades, he is also recognized as one of the leading music industry journalists in the world.

Canadian bureau chief of Billboard magazine from 1991-2007, Larry was also the Canadian editor of its late competitor Record World, 1970-1980. As well, he was co-founder of the late Canadian music trade, The Record 1981-1991.

He is currently senior writer of the weekly U.S. entertainment trade CelebrityAccess overseeing the influential profile series, "In The Hot Seat". As well, he is an on-going consultant to the National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta.

Larry has acted as a consultant for The Canadian Competition Bureau, The Canadian Private Copying Collective, The Canadian Association of Broadcasters, Metrolyrics, Heritage Canada, Musicians' Rights Organization Canada, Astral, CHUM Ltd., and the Neighbouring Rights Collective of Canada.

Larry has had his own music program on Toronto radio stations Q107, CKFM, and CJCL, and has worked extensively at CBC Radio, including being the music producer for "Morningside" and "Dayshift" programs. He was a regular music commentator on "Canada A.M" for 35 years, and has been featured on numerous CBC-TV, CTV, YTV, MuchMusic, and Newsworld programs in Canada as well as VH-1, and E Entertainment in the U.S.; and BBC in the U.K.

His byline has appeared in over a thousand publications including Rolling Stone, Guitar Player, the Globe & Mail, and Maclean's. He has been extensively quoted on music issues in hundreds of publications including Time, Forbes, The Times (London) and the New York Times.

Larry was the associate producer of the 1996 four-CD box set Oh What A Feeling, and co-executive producer of its follow-up Oh What A Feeling 2 in 2001. The two comprehensive retrospectives of Canadian music raised $6 million for Canadian charities.

He is co-author of the 2010 book Music From Far And Wide: Celebrating 40 Years Of The Juno Awards. He is a board member of the Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, Ontario.