This morning, the East Coast Music Association announced they are cancelling the 2020 East Coast Music Awards due to growing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 East Coast Music Awards were slated to take held in St. John’s, NL from April 29 – May 3, 2020.
Last week, amidst a flurry of concerns and questions from attendees and performers alike, the East Coast Music Association were quick to reassure everyone that the 2020 East Coast Music Awards show and conference would not be joining the growing list of events to be cancelled or postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic. No level of government had pressured the ECMAs to either cancel or postpone the event at that time. Organizers said, however, that they would be keeping a close eye on the situation and, in particular, what action other music festivals were taking across Canada.
The announcement was made Thursday, March 12, that the ECMAs would be going forward as planned. Almost immediately following the ECMA’s announcement, the JUNO Awards announced their cancellation. Then on Friday, March 13, the Canadian Folk Music Awards, which were to be held in Charlottetown in April, announced their cancellation.
With precautionary measures sweeping across the country, a growing call for social distancing, and the event’s proverbial canaries in the coal mine setting a clear precedent, the ECMA’s Board of Directors quickly reversed their decision of just five days prior.
The ECMA’s Board of Directors has issued the following statement regarding the decision:
“After carefully considering the guidance and recommendations from Eastern Health, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the City of St. John’s, and several other key event partners, we have made the collective decision to cancel the 2020 East Coast Music Awards: Festival & Conference presented by TD.
We are admittedly devastated to cancel this event and our thoughts are with all of the hard working musicians and industry professionals who are facing a tremendous degree of uncertainty in the face of this unprecedented public health issue. Under the advice of scientific and medical experts throughout Atlantic Canada, the country, and the world, cancelling our event is the right thing to do as we all take necessary preventative measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our region. The ECMA takes the safety of its members, staff, patrons, sponsors, and contractors very seriously. We know this is a difficult time for many in our sector. This is indeed a challenging and unpredictable time for the world. As such, we urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols issued by public health officials, and encourage everyone to work together to ensure the safety of our communities as the daily global situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve.
In the coming weeks and months, the ECMA will explore alternative ways to celebrate the accomplishments of our world-class regional talent and honour the winners of the 2020 East Coast Music Awards. To stay up to date on these decisons as they progress, please continue to visit ecma.com.
We thank everyone already involved in the 2020 ECMAs for their passion, dedication, and hard work, and we thank you for your understanding and continued support. The music industry has, time and again, demonstrated a great wealth of resilience when faced with adversity. Together, we will get through this.
Sincerely,
The ECMA Board of Directors”
The 2020 East Coast Music Awards marks the first time in its 31-year history that the event has been either cancelled or postponed.