| |
The nominations list for the 2008 Covenant Awards will be announced on Tuesday evening, September 16th at 6:00 pm Mountain time. In an open announcement at Blessings Christian Marketplace, 8, 1825 32 Avenue NE Calgary Alberta, and online following the announcement, the list of nominees for the Covenant Awards will be made public.
The submissions for this year’s awards show was an all-time record number. Canadian songwriters and recording artists have been very busy this year creating great music, and we are excited to be able to roll out the list of artists who will be our 2008 nominees. The 30th Annual Covenant Awards will be held on October 24th in Calgary at the First Alliance Church, as part of the GMA Canada Week.
This year’s show will be hosted by the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award winning band Hokus Pick, who promise to be a major highlight in Canadian Music for 2008. In addition, the Covenant Awards will feature a special appearance by Canadian Country Music Artist Kelita who has had a strong national radio presence and frequented many popular television shows across the country including Tommy Hunter Show, Nashville Now, CMT and Much Music. Other performers for the show will be announced in the days following the nominee release.
GMA Canada has been serving Christian artists in Canada for over 30 years through the Covenant Awards, and now has collaborated with the Canada Christian Music Conference. Last year the ShineFM Cross Canada Talent search joined the week to provide a week when artists can gather to learn, grow, and network.
The GMA Canada Week Line up
Canada Christian Music Conference
Learn
Topics to be covered during the conference will include songwriting, touring, successfully finding funding, producing records, radio, the spiritual life of the artist, and much more.
Grow
Some of the sessions are geared to the aspiring artist, and others have the more experienced artist in mind, so wherever artists are in their careers, they will be encouraged and will take information away that will help them grow as musicians.
Network
In moving ahead in the music scene, it is important to know the people who make the industry happen. Artists who have attended the conference in the past have signed label deals, received attention from managers, made connections with other artists and as a result toured together. Most importantly, they have created lifelong friendships that will go beyond any accomplishments in the "biz".
Our Speakers
We are thrilled with the quality and depth of our lineup this year:
John Mays: A&R rep from labels such as Word Records, and more recently Centricity Records, having worked with such artists as Bruce Carroll, Babbie Mason, Scott Krippayne, Cindy Morgan and Point Of Grace.
John Styll: John is the president of GMA US, and brings with him a wealth of experience and wisdom on navigating the challenging music industry. He is the founder of CCMMagazine, and has the respect of the industry like few others.
Other Speakers include: Matt Brouwer, Matt Bold (Hokus Pick), Martin Smith, Roy Salmond, Steve Bell, Dave Zeglinski, Debbie Zeppick, High Valley, Tom Jackson, Arlen Salte, and many more.
Meet the Industry
We are offering a specific track for radio stations in Canada, which will cover topics such as marketing your station, team building as a station staff, programming, and facing the challenges of the digital age as a station.
Daniel Anstandig who was recently recognized by Billboard Magazine as one of the top five innovators in media will host this session. Interviews with programmers from around the world will be included via live video feed. They will converse with our Canadian stations to help them discover ways to effectively deliver their message through the airwaves.
Among the clients Daniel has consulted for are Clear Channel Radio Interactive and their 800+ online brands, recording artists Jewel and Jim Brickman, Mental Floss Magazine, The White House Commission on Remembrance, International Publisher Glencoe-McGraw Hill, Sonrise, Clear Channel R&D, TM Century, Legato Cafe, and various AC, Hot AC, and Christian broadcasters around the country.
Future success can be accomplished with a new way of thinking and an adjustment to radio’s business model. The most arduous obstacle between our status and future success is our thinking. Changing philosophies is difficult, and our industry is still clearly mired in legacy systems. How can we evolve and thrive in the digital world? During this session, you will learn about the most important tactics radio can use in making meaningful progress on the digital frontier.
If you work in Canadian radio, and are interested in attending, please call us to discuss options for you and your staff.
What is the ShineFM Cross Canada Talent Search?
The talent search is 2-day competition held in Calgary, Alberta on October 22-23, 2008. The competition is for songwriters and performers, with separate judging and prizes for both. Artists can enter both as a writer and as a performer.
Songwriters and performers must register by October 10, 2008 and must be registered conference guests in order to be eligible to compete.
The goal of the ShineFM Cross Canada Talent search is to assist artists in being heard. We want to help shine a light on the great talent that is all across our great country. The prizes, judges, and even how the competition is run are designed to be an encouragement to all of the competitors, and help them grow in their ability, calling and skill.
2008 Prizes:
One songwriter and one performer (solo or group) will each receive:
• Entrance into the Nashville Competition in the summer of 2009;
• Over $8,000.00 worth of gear from Axe Music and Irene Besse Keyboards;
• Demo recording from a professional recording studio (location to be negotiated based on the winners residence);
• $2,000 cash prize.
Information about the event, ticketing information, and details about the conference and competitions that are also part of the week are available at the ccmconference.com website.
|
david.jones[.]aifcanada.com 
