Canada’s Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival extends submission deadline for INAUGURAL MUSIC AWARDS The SSIMAs TO APRIL 7, 2021

WHAT:  The SSIMAs artist SUBMISSION DEADLINE extended to April 7, 2021 (was April 1st)

WHERE: Applications can be submitted online at ottawasummersolstice.ca/musicawards

WHY:   The SSIMAs (Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards) proudly celebrates Indigenous artists from across Canada and internationally, by showcasing the diverse and growing music and culture of Indigenous artistic expression and accomplishment within the global Indigenous community across 18 categories. With artists having an even more difficult time finding opportunities to perform and make a living, the Awards Committee is stepping up to create even more accessible means for artists to participate in these Awards.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Submission to The SSIMAs is free. In addition:

• An International Award Submission category has been established to acknowledge and celebrate artists who identify as Indigenous*, but not First Nations, Metis or Inuit, and who may reside anywhere in the world including Canada. *The United Nations define “Indigenous Peoples” as “Indigenous communities, peoples and nations which, having a historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre-colonial societies that developed on their territories, consider themselves distinct from other sectors of the societies now prevailing on those territories, or parts of them.”
• The public is invited to nominate artists in two categories: Rising Star and Youth Leadership in Music.
• Artists who meet the Awards criteria, are invited to self-nominate in one or more categories.
• Category winners will be announced and honoured at a special ceremony and awards streamed from the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on Saturday, June 12, 2021.
• Finalists and winners will be acknowledged and recognized on all SSIF digital platforms, in media communications and content pieces distributed nationally.
• Winners will have the opportunity to sell their CDs on the SSIF Virtual Marketplace.
• Media outreach will be provided locally, and nationally, for all SSIMA winners.

For a complete list of SSIMA categories, eligibility rules, and criteria, visit https://www.ottawasummersolstice.ca/music-awards/

All submissions MUST be received by End of Day 11:59 PM EST April 7, 2021.

Hashtags   #TheSSIMAs, #SSIF2021

About Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival (June 1-21, 2021)
Established in Ottawa in 1996, the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival (SSIF) is a multi-disciplinary arts festival that brings together Indigenous artists, performers, educators and community members to share knowledge and celebrate Canada’s diverse Indigenous cultures.  Summer Solstice Festivals are produced by Indigenous Experiences  on behalf of the  National Indigenous Peoples Day Committee (NIPD) comprising the following six (6) organizations representing Indigenous communities across Canada:  Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Council of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP), National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) the co-host this year, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC).

In 2020, the former 4-day live event transformed to a month-long virtual festival coinciding with National Indigenous History Month and culminating on National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21st).  2021 virtual programming includes The SSIMAs a new national Indigenous music awards program; Education Days bringing together  thousands of students and hundreds of teachers online; streamed performances; interactive family activities;  arts and crafts, culinary and cultural workshops with make-at-home DIY kits delivered to registered participants; an International Competition Social Distance Pow Wow with $40,000 to be won; and the Indigenous Marketplace which has been operating online since reopening last October for the 2020 holiday season. The Festival will open and close with drive-in movies and concerts at a local Ottawa venue.

For further information: Media Contact: Kita Szpak, Knock on Wood Communications + Events, Email: kita@kowpr.com, Phone: #613-725-3063