Awards & Stages Manual for the 2017 ECMAs in Saint John, NB
Submissions for the 2017 East Coast Music Awards: Festival & Conference will be opening in early September and will close Monday, October 3, 2016 at 5:00PM AST.
To get you ready for the submissions, our 28-page Awards & Stages Manual for the 2017 ECMAs in Saint John, NB is now available here. We recommend everyone use it as the complete reference guide for all awards (music, industry, honorary) and showcases.
For those who prefer more light reading, ECMA also has our shorter Fast Facts guide, in both English and French. The Fast Facts will familiarize you with the submission process, and answer basic questions such as: Do I qualify? What categories are there? How much does it cost? It's the perfect introduction before reading the complete Awards & Stages Manual. Click here for the English Fast Facts. Click here for the French Fast Facts.
Here is the information you need to know:
The eligibility period for the 2017 ECMAs is from June 1, 2015 to October 1, 2016. Recordings must be released on or before October 1, 2016. Showcase eligibility periods are specified on pages 6-12 of the 2017 Awards & Stages Manual.
Some notable changes for 2017 (all detailed in the Awards & Stages Manual):
- Artists who have participated in the Export Buyers Program in 2016 (both on the Two For the Show and Canadian Music. East Coast Style. Export Buyers Stage) are now eligible to participate in the 2017 Export Buyers Program so long as they meet all other criteria.
- The Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year and Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year categories have been combined. The new category will now be called Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year.
- The Aboriginal Artist of the Year and Bucky Adams Memorial Award (Formerly African-Canadian Recording of the Year) will no longer require a full album to be released for artists to be eligible. Instead, artists will be scored primarily on artist activity during the eligibility period (press, marketing, performance activity) and will need to submit 3 songs that have been released within the past 2 years.
- New eligibility criteria has been created for the Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Solo Recording of the Year and Group Recording of the Year categories. Artists will need to meet two out of the four following criteria: substantial video plays, substantial social media following, an international and/or cross-Canada tour within the eligibility period, and national media coverage during the eligibility period.
Please refer to pages 4 & 5 of the Awards & Stages Manual for a full list of changes.
There are no submission fees for the Industry Awards or the Stompin' Tom Award. So please nominate that special someone who has made an impact in the industry!
All Awards will be fully juried award categories, and not open to public or member vote, with the exception of the two Fans' Choice categories.
