Manitoba Showcase Emerging Artists 2026

Manitoba Showcase 2026 · Brandon, MB

Emerging Artists

Meet the musicians in this year's Emerging Artist Program, Mahikanuck Ah Ho To Chick, performing at Manitoba Showcase 2026, September 17–19 at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium in Brandon.

About the Emerging Artist Program

The Emerging Artist Program, known as Mahikanuck Ah Ho To Chick, equips emerging musicians with the mentorship, skills development and professional connections needed to build touring careers in Manitoba. Each year the program selects six emerging musicians, pairs them with industry mentors, and connects them to performance opportunities across Manitoba's presenter network. Participation is free and valued at $1,000 per artist, and is open to early-career musicians who have not previously showcased. At least 50% of spots are reserved for Indigenous and equity-seeking artists, and the program welcomes all genres and applicants from across every region of Manitoba.

Participants take part in eight weekly online group mentorship sessions plus two hours of individualized mentorship, covering showcase strategy, networking, marketing and branding, EPK development, booking, contract negotiation, audience building, funding, and touring logistics. The program culminates in a live 15 to 20 minute showcase performance at Manitoba Showcase before 20 or more industry presenters, with a live Q&A. Past participants have gone on to secure solo tours, opening performances and multi-community engagements throughout Manitoba and beyond.

2026 Emerging Artists

Emerging Artist
Marjan

Marjan is a Winnipeg-based indie pop artist crafting emotionally honest songs that blend vulnerable storytelling with melody. Drawing from her experience as the daughter of Afghan refugees, her music explores identity, resilience, grief, love, and healing through a deeply human lens.

Influenced by artists like Lizzy McAlpine, Justin Nozuka, Nina Simone, and Billie Eilish, Marjan creates intimate performances that invite audiences to slow down, reflect, and connect. Her songwriting is rooted in the belief that music can bridge differences, foster empathy, and remind us that our stories are often more alike than they seem.

Outside of music, Marjan is completing a Master's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, where she researches the role of music in healing and peacebuilding. That same commitment to connection carries through every performance, creating an experience that is both personal and universal.

With a voice that is both soft and powerful, Marjan is an emerging artist to watch, bringing authenticity, heart, and quiet strength to every stage.
Emerging Artist
The Ranger System

The Ranger System is a queer, Filipino system of seven unique identities, of which three are musicians. Between the rapping red ranger, the producing black ranger, and the keyboard-playing silver ranger, the three identities work in constant collaboration to create family-friendly, superhero and videogame inspired cinematic hip-hop, focusing on topics ranging from mental health awareness to coming of age and the celebration of one's culture.

Classically trained in Royal Conservatory of Music for piano, with a civil engineering major and a minor in hip-hop production and popular musicology, the system combines the skills developed in all facets of their life to perform, manage, do outreach, and design for their musical needs, showcasing their high energy music with a keyboard on wheels.
Emerging Artist
Ingrid Aubrey

Born and raised in Winnipeg Manitoba, Ingrid Aubrey is a Concious Singer Songwriter with Indigenous and East Indian roots who delivers a blend of acoustic rock and an element of pop that delivers a burst of feelings in her listeners.

She delivers lyrics that connect, with her sweet yet sultry & soulful raspy voice, while her duo partner Bryan Sanders captivates you with his stylistic melodies, both drawing you in in a way that soothes your soul.
Emerging Artist
Taylor Gibson

I grew up on a small reserve north of Winnipeg, about two and a half hours away, where all of my family are into music. I always felt like a late bloomer: I didn't pick up a guitar until I was 17 and started singing at 18. I never thought I'd become a musician, or knew I had it in me to perform, but I've been competing in talent shows for the last three years. Now I want to become something more than a competitor. I want to become a performer.