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News January 11, 2016

Funding blow for ACT Music Awards

The MusicACT Annual Music Awards in Canberra have been denied funding by the ACT Government’s ACT Events, putting a question mark on the event being held this year.

Set up in 2012, the Awards received $22,500 in its second year, which helped it sell-out. However in the last two years there has been no support as the Awards slowly built up. The event gets 80% of its $97,000 production costs from private sources but the Government’s help is still crucial.

MusicACT, which organises the Awards, says it still wants to run the event.

The association’s VP David Caffery told TMN, “The whole thing is up in the air but, as volunteers, we’re tired of trying to prove what has already been highly-successful. The Canberra music industry has been dealt a blow by EventsACT and we didn’t even get a phone call or explanation as to why. They have shown no support and now the event is in doubt. So much for an agency meant to support events in the ACT.”

In the wake of national and international attention for Canberra acts as Aston Shuffle and SAFIA, media interest in the nominees for the 24 categories also cast the spotlight on emerging names as The Super Best Friends, Fun Machine, Dylan Hekiman, Amber Nichols, The Revellers, The Wedded Bliss and Xavier Dunn.

Last year, MusicACT and Live Music Office prepared the Cool Little Capital report at the behest of ACT Attorney General Simon Corbell and put forward 25 recommendations to bolster Canberra’s live music scene.

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