Speakers

Adam Sturgeon – Lead singer and Anishinaabe community worker – is the driving force behind the band Status/Non-Status. His artistic journey is deeply intertwined with raising awareness about the impact of colonization, while he strives to reconnect with his Anishinaabe roots and community. Committed to analyzing and questioning colonial systems of oppression, his work aims to reflect on the struggles of his people and offer a path toward healing.

Sturgeon’s work, including the celebrated Polaris Prize Long Listed album Warrior Down (2019) and the Socan Songwriting Prize-nominated follow-up 1,2,3,4,500 Years EP (2020), tackling themes of nationhood, trauma, and familial memory. His collaboration with Daniel Monkman (Zoon) in Ombiigizi led to the 2022 Polaris Prize Shortlist, a Juno nomination for Alternative Album of the Year, and helped soften the blow of the intense personal exploration in Sturgeon’s own music. His latest album with Status/Non-Status, Big Changes, builds on these themes while also drawing attention to the circumstances faced in his community, neighbourhood and home.

Sturgeon and his band has shared stages with acts like Broken Social Scene, Billy Talent, Metz, Constantines, July Talk, Pup and many others. They have also performed at notable festivals including SxSW, The Great Escape, Sled Island, Hillside, Dawson City Music Festival, Folk on the Rocks and multiple cross-country and international tours. Their music enjoys regular airplay on CBC, KEXP, and Sirius XM, with Sturgeon himself making multiple appearances on CBCq with Tom Power.