Naomi Cowan

My FACTOR story starts long before I submitted my application in 2022. I have saved notes in my phone dating back to 2016 with the words “FACTOR JSR Application” on a to-do list. It was only a matter of time paired with the right project.

During the time of my 2022 application, I had intentionally spent most of that year on a break from releasing or promoting music. Throughout the pandemic, I had worked tirelessly to stay afloat and inspired, by mid-2021 I had independently produced and released an EP and mixtape using every last dollar & resource I had — and despite how proud I was of my accomplishment, it received little traction due to post-pandemic industry recovery. I was heartbroken and exhausted but I never stopped writing. I saved some of my favourite songs for something bigger: my debut album.

Receiving the JSR offer was an answered prayer. Beyond the funding itself, it impacted me on a deeper level – it inspired me to stay accountable, follow through and finish strong. For an independent artist, that level of accountability was absolutely necessary for my success.

As a woman who has always self-financed her career, the program support validated years of unseen investment and hard work. The milestone of 2025-2026 is the JUNO Award for Reggae Recording of the Year, many people assumed I had a label or financier behind me. I didn’t. I had FACTOR.

Winning the JUNO is the full-circle moment that proves the investment was worth it, not just financially, but creatively and personally. FACTOR betting on me helped me bet on myself. I’m proud to be a citizen of a country that puts real money on the table for its creative economy.

Photo by Don Brodie