And the winner is... the lisening public

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Music Biz 101

This is prime season for music awards. Here are a few of them. Canadian artists, songwriters, recording engineers, and video producers (citizen or landed immigrant) who have released product during the period of Sept. 1, 2002 to Dec. 31, 2003 are eligible to submit entries for the JUNO Awards.

In the juried categories, which are not based on sales, such as the Best Music of Aboriginal Canada, the deadline for submissions is mid-November each year to accommodate the timeframe required for the nominating and voting process. Individuals and their agents can apply.

Some categories such as International Album of the Year are determined by sales, however, others are determined by ballot vote or by a panel of judges.

The winner of the Best Music of Aboriginal Canada 2003 will be announced on April 5. Nominees include Chester Knight for Standing Strong, Derek Miller for Lovesick Blues, Leela Gilday for spirit world, solid wood, Randy Wood for Round Dance The Night Away, and Vern Cheechoo and Lawrence Martin for The Right Combination.

Regardless of who gets the award, it is the public that is the winner because of the artists who share their gift of music with us.

The Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards recognize Aboriginal music in 13 categories, each judged by a five to seven member panel.

Each panel has at least 50 per cent plus one Aboriginal judges. The traditional music categories are judged solely by Aboriginal judges.

The first round of judging determines the three finalist nominees from each category. The judges then select one winner from each category. The submission deadline is June 30. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Nov. 28 in Toronto.

Artists must identify as Canadian Aboriginal by birth, adoption, or community acceptance, and submit two letters of reference affirming the artist(s) Aboriginal heritage. Submissions must have been recorded, released and available for sale between Jan. 1, 2002 and May 30 of this year and commercially accessible through retail, wholesale, Internet, powwows, or mail order. Previous year's submissions are accepted if it did not qualify for the awards in the previous year due to a lack of entries.

In the powwow category, for example, a contemporary drum submission must have 75 per cent contemporary compositions and must contain lyrics in a First Nations language. In the traditional album category, such as the Best Traditional Album-Historical, songs must stem from traditional or historical teachings.

A new criterion for 2003 is original music content must include 80 per cent original songs or tracks. This will certainly affect the traditional album category, which is based on traditional or historical teachings.

Although this is a national award, the entry forms must be completed in English and are not available in French for Aboriginals in Quebec who are Francophone.

The GRAMMY Awards are the most prestigious music award. It is a peer honor and it is not based on sales or chart positions.

The GRAMMY Awards process begins with voting members and record companies submitting entries, screened for eligibility and category placement. The voting members participate in the nominating process determining the five finalists in each category, and the final voting determining the GRAMMY winners.

Eligibility requirements include recordings released within an eligibility period and in general distribution in the United States.

In specialized categories, such as the Native American Music Award, final nominations are determined by national nomination review committees. The submission deadline is June 30, 2003.

Results of the GRAMMY Award winners are telecast annually to more than 2 billion people in 180 countries. This year's GRAMMY Native American Music Award winner was Mary Youngblood.

The 26 music categories of the East Coast Music Awards are chosen by the combined votes of all eligible members of the East Coast Music Association. Each ctegory is included in the current year's voting process upon a minimum of five submissions having been received by the association.

ECMA members submit Atlantic Canadian recordings and send them to committees of Atlantic Canadians with a demonstrated expertise and knowledge of the overall industry or individual categories. The committees forward their eight suggestions for each category to an accounting firm and the top five selections in each category become nominees.

If there are less than six submissions in a given category, they are automatically eligible in the same category for the next year. A minimum of 300 units must be manufactured to be eligible.

The nominees are announced in early December prior to mailing the voting ballots. Winners are selected by a membership vote of the ECMA between December and January and announced at the East Coast Music Awards in Halifax, this year held on Feb. 16. The winner of the ECMA Aboriginal Recording of the Year was the Flummies-Way Back.

New criteria are being developed for the first Western Canada Music Awards, which replaces the Western Canadian Music Awards as a result of an expansion to add artists from British Columbia and the Yukon to those from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The Western Canada Music Awards will be held in Regina on Sept. 28. The Outstanding Aboriginal Recording for 2002 was Winston Wuttunee-The Best of Winston Wuttunee.

This column is for reference and education only and is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice. The author assumes no responsibility or liability arising from any outdated information This column is for reference and education only and is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice, errors, omissions, claims, demands, damages, actions, or causes of actions from the use of any of the above. Ann Brascoupe can be reached at abrascoupe@hotmail.com.