Live Music Awards Criteria
'LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY AWARDS'
Friday June 9, 2023
Award Show: 5:30PM - 7:30PM
Westin Harbour Castle Ballroom, Toronto
Created by Canadian Music Week in partnership with the Canadian Live Music Association, the trade association for the live music sector, the Live Music Industry Awards are a highlight of CMW.
7th Annual Live Music Awards Criteria
General Information
Please Note: Voting is restricted to live music industry workers in Canada.
LIVE MUSIC AWARDS GENERAL INFORMATION
The CLMIAs will celebrate the ingenuity, perseverance, and excellence demonstrated by live music companies, individuals, and organizations over the past year.
The winners of the Live Music Awards are chosen by the combined votes of registered Canadian live music industry professionals. The winners are not chosen by fans, or by a panel of judges, but by their own peers. One award will be presented in each category.
Winners cannot win the same (or a similar) award two years consecutively.
All nominees must have executed their awarded activity during the eligibility period. The eligibility period for all awards categories will run from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023, unless otherwise specified.
Participation in balloting is limited to workers in the Canadian live music Industry. Vote by visiting cmw.net/awards/live/vote to cast votes, one time only, via electronic ballot.
Voting rules are subject to change without notice.
SELECTION PROCEDURE:
VOTING BALLOT
Votes will decide the recipients of the 2023 Live Music Awards. The list of the top 5 nominees in each category will be shared after your votes have been tallied. Award recipients will be announced live on June 9th.
ADJUDICATION
All electronic ballots will be returned to an independent accounting firm for final tabulation. The results of the voting process are protected until the first annual Live Music Awards presentation.
THE LIVE MUSIC AWARDS
These Awards are presented to honour individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to the Canadian Live music industry in the past year.
2023 Live Awards Categories
Venues & Festivals
- Best Teamwork in a Major Club (>1000):
Major live music venue whose teamwork has produced outstanding live music programming.
Criteria: Live music venue (<1000 capacity) - Best Teamwork in a Medium Club (300-999):
Medium live music venue whose teamwork has produced outstanding live music programming.
Criteria: Live music venue (300-999 capacity) - Best Teamwork in a Small Club (<300):
Small live music venue whose teamwork has produced outstanding live music programming.
Criteria: Live music venue (<300 capacity) - Best Teamwork in a Soft Seat Theatre/Performing Arts Centre:
Soft-seat/PAC whose teamwork has produced outstanding live music programming.
Criteria: Any sized soft-seat theatre or performing arts centre - Best Teamwork in an Arena:
Arena venue whose teamwork has produced outstanding live music programming.
Criteria: Arena venue (>15,000 capacity) - Green Operations Festival of the Year:
Festival that is setting the bar for sustainability and environmentally-friendly practices.
Criteria: Festival, any size - Major Festival of the Year :
Festival that has presented oustanding programming.
Criteria: Festival 15,001+ - Medium Festival of the Year:
Festival that has presented oustanding programming.
Criteria: Festival 6001 - 15,000 capacity - Small Festival of the Year :
Festival that has presented oustanding programming.
Criteria: Festival <6000 capacity
General Live Music Awards
- A/V Production Company of the Year:
Production staff and organizations who have demonstrated technical excellece in live music.
Criteria: Criteria: Technical production workers and organizations or technical suppliers in live music - Agent of the Year:
Agent whose outstanding work has created success for their artists.
Criteria: Criteria: The Agent who fought the hardest, never gave up, figured it out - Brand/Music Program of the Year:
Outstanding partnership between live music and corporate entities, opening opportunities for Canadian artists and live music businesses.
Criteria: Criteria: Live music + brand partnerships - Community Impact:
An individual, group, or organization that has championed significant advocacy to help enhance the interests of the live music industry.
Criteria: An individual, group, or organization in the live music industry - Concert/Club Talent Buyer of the Year:
Buyer whose work on behalf of the venue has led to outstanding programming.
Criteria: Criteria: Concert talent buyer who demonstrated resiliency, flexibility and determniation - Festival Buyer of the Year:
Buyer whose work on behalf of the festival has led to outstanding programming.
Criteria: Criteria: Festival talent buyer who demonstrated resiliency, flexibility and determniation - Legends of Live:
Canadian artist(s) with a distinguished career in live performance in and beyond Canada.
Criteria: Canadian artist - Lifetime Achievement:
Individual with a distinguished career nurturing the Canadian live music industry.
Criteria: Canadian live music industry worker - Manager of the Year:
Manager whose outstanding work has created success for their artists.
Criteria: Criteria: Artist manager who fought the hardest, never gave up, figured it out - New Touring Artist of the Year:
New artist demonstrating oustanding live performance.
Criteria: Criteria: Artist who began touring between 2020-2023 - Production Manager of the Year (Festival/Concert):
Production worker whose work on behalf of the concert or festival led to outstanding achievement and excellence.
Criteria: Criteria: Production; Crew - Road Warrior of the Year (Tour Manager):
Tour manager whose outstanding work on tour has supported artists and tour staff.
Criteria: Tour Manager - Your Future Boss:
Outstanding young leader demonstrating promising talent for the future of the live music industry.
Criteria: Criteria: Individuals under the age of 35.
Music Cities Awards
- Music City of the Year:
Group making a demonstrated commitment to leveraging the power of live music locally, to rebuild, recovery and grow thanks to live music.
Criteria: Criteria: Community groups of any size that have undertaken economic development work in the live music space, including BIAs, townships, and municipalities. (Associations and charities are not eligible for this award.)
Venues
Overcoming Adversity Award – Large Venue/Festival
Recognizing incredible effort, innovation and resilience.
Criteria: Any live music organization over 1800 cap who carried on in some capacity
Overcoming Adversity Award – Medium Venue/Festival
Recognizing incredible effort, innovation and resilience.
Criteria: Any live music organization between 350-1799 cap who carried on in some capacity
Overcoming Adversity Award – Small Venue/Festival
Recognizing incredible effort, innovation and resilience.
Criteria: Any live music organization up to 349 cap who carried on in some capacity
General Live Music Awards
#ForTheLoveOfLIVE Award – Individual
Celebrating those who made unrecognized yet significant impacts on the live music industry during COVID.
Criteria: Live music worker who went above and beyond and made a difference to their own company/org and others
#ForTheLoveOfLIVE Award – Organization/Company
Celebrating outstanding advocacy supporting the live music industry.
Criteria: Live music organization who went above and beyond and made a difference to their own team and others
#ForTheLoveOfLIVE Award – Coalition/Collaboration
Championship and advocacy work helping to enhance the interests of the live music industry.
Criteria: Usual or unusual suspects who came together to save the industry / forge social change
Outstanding Emerging Organization
Celebrating outstanding emerging companies who opened/or ramped up during COVID.
Criteria: Any NEW (since 2020) live or livestreaming music organization
Outstanding Digital Live Music Event
Festivals, venues, conferences; and/or promoters who have presented outstanding digital content.
Criteria: Festivals; Venues; Promoters; Conferences
Outstanding In-Person Specialty Concert
Festivals, venues, and/or promoters who have found creative ways to present outstanding live music events under restrictions.
Criteria: Live music event meeting COVID safety requirements
Agent of the Year
Recognizing agents who have strongly represented and supported their artists through COVID-related shutdowns.
Criteria: The agent who fought the hardest, never gave up, figured it out
Manager of the Year
Recognizing managers who have strongly represented and supported their artists through COVID-related shutdowns.
Criteria: Managers who fought the hardest, never gave up, figured it out
Production Person of the Year (Concert/Festival)
Recognizing a production person, whose work on behalf of the concert or festival led to outstanding achievement and excellence.
Criteria: Production; Crew
Concert/Club Talent Buyer of the Year
Recognizing a buyer whose work on behalf of the venue has led to outstanding programming.
Criteria: Concert talent buyer who demonstrated resiliency, flexibility and determniation
Festival Buyer of the Year
Recognizing a buyer whose work on behalf of the festival has led to outstanding programming.
Criteria: Festival talent buyer who demonstrated resiliency, flexibility and determniation
A/V Production Company of the Year
Celebrating the production staff who have demonstrated resilience and persistence throughout a tumultuous market and remained in the live music industry.
Criteria: Technical production workers and organizations; technical suppliers
Music City Awards
Excellence in Music City Development
Making a demonstrated commitment to leveraging the power of live music locally, to rebuild, recovery and grow thanks to live music
Criteria: Community groups of any size that have undertaken economic development work in the live music space, including BIAs, townships, and municipalities. (Associations and charities are not eligible for this award.)