Gutted at the passing of Andreanne Sasseville. Polaris would not exist without her early and continued support. We owe her so much. (1/3)
Andréanne Sasseville, director of talent and industry relations at SiriusXM Canada, who also hosted her own show, died on Jan. 9, the company announced Monday on Facebook. She had been diagnosed with cancer in 2014.
"Today, we remember a dear member of the SiriusXM family, our Canadian music ambassador and SiriusXM Franco host, Andréanne Sasseville," reads the statement. "Andréanne was a champion for musicians and artists, and an integral member of the Canadian music industry. We will miss her and her wonderful laugh greatly."
Sasseville hosted the show Influence Franco -- "the new indie pop alternative" -- on channel 174, described on the SiriusXM page as playing "emerging French music discoveries from Canada."
Her bio says she had interviewed more than 600 artists in her career.
In 2010, she interviewed Canadian musicians for SiriusXM Backstage Pass in vignettes that were shown between features in English-speaking Canada at Cineplex movie theatres. She also contributed the Sirius Music Minute to eTalk, CTV's national entertainment television show from 2007 to 2010.
She got her start in music as a researcher and assistant to the producer on francophone video channels, Musique Plus/Musimax. At Université Laval, where she received her BA in public communications, she hosted a lunch hour show at the community radio station.
"Your life's soundtrack is built through every experience. Every moment," reads a motto from her on the Sirius page.
Staff at the Polaris Music Prize, which hands out the award to the best Canadian album of the year based on a carefully selected jury process, posted three tweets about Sasseville:
As a juror she served with integrity, in both official languages. She loved the music and the people who made and supported it. (2/3)
We implore fellow jurists and anyone who cares about Canadian music to pour one out for Andreanne today. (3/3)
