Congratulations to the nominees of this year’s Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards. The SSIMAs, a celebration of artistic excellence and accomplishments of First Nations, Inuit and Metis musicians from across the country, will be held at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa ON, on June 6/2023.
Seventeen awards selected from 250 Canada-wide submissions will be handed out including two international categories and a musical legacy and contribution award. The show will features live performances celebrating Indigenous solo artists, duos, groups and ensembles from across Canada.
Special congratulations to Sask nominees:
- Patrick Moon Bird, “Going Through the Motions” nominated for Rap/Hip Hop/Electronica Album of the Year
- Jarrid Lee, Chief & Council, “It’s Time” nominated for Country Album of the Year
See the full list at https://summersolsticefestivals.ca/2023-music-awards/
About the SSIMAs
"The 2023 Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards (SSIMAs) presented by TD, want to take this opportunity to recognize, celebrate and promote the rich contributions of our Indigenous music industry with our first live awards ceremony at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 6th, 2023, during National Indigenous History Month.
“Presenting and promoting Indigenous music has been a cornerstone of the festival for over 24 years,” says Trina Mather Simard, artistic producer and executive director of the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival. “The late Vince Fontaine, an Indigenous music icon and ambassador for all Indigenous musicians, inspired us to create these awards and provided valuable strategic counsel throughout the process. In 2021, we had nearly 250 submissions from artists across Canada. We are excited to host a live awards show at the National Arts Centre where we can all gather to celebrate Indigenous music, art and culture and to honour the contributions of Vince Fontaine during Indigenous History Month.”
This year’s awards are comprised of 14 self-nominated categories, 2 international categories and a musical legacy and contribution award. Some of the 17 award categories hold special significance. For example, Musical Legacy and Contribution recognizes artists who have impacted artistic and cultural heritage on behalf of the Indigenous community. The Social Voice award goes to an artist who raises awareness of social and/or environmental issues, from climate and language to LBGTQ2S+ concerns, and inspires change through positive messages in music."
The last SSIMAs were held virtually in 2021 with over 100,000 views.
