The 2023 Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards (SSIMAs) presented by TD, has extended its submission deadline to April 10, 2023. Indigenous solo artists, duos, groups and ensembles across Canada are invited to submit applications online. Held every second year, the SSIMAs proudly celebrate the artistic excellence and accomplishments of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis musicians during National Indigenous History Month. Past winners include Twin Flames, Silla and Rise, and Wabanaki Confederacy.
The SSIMAs were established by Ottawa’s annual Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival (SSIF), a multi-disciplinary arts festival that attracts a live and virtual audience of over half a million people. SSIF is produced by Indigenous Experiences on behalf of the National Indigenous Peoples Day Committee. An Artist Advisory Circle made up of Canadian Indigenous music leaders has been created to collaborate with and provide direction to the SSIF on this initiative.
This year’s celebration comprises 14 self-nominated categories, two international categories and a musical legacy and contribution award. Winners will be announced at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on June 6. The general public will be able to purchase tickets.
To be eligible for an SSIMA, albums, performances, and recordings must have been released between April 1, 2021 and January 1, 2023. Submissions are open to ensembles, solo artists, duo or groups with at least 50 percent of their group members and/or artistic driving force and ownership behind the brand identifying as Indigenous. Proof of ancestry is required. Albums must have a minimum 50 per cent original content and a run time of previously unreleased music of 25 minutes and/or 6 tracks. There is no fee to submit a nomination.
For a complete list of SSIMA categories, eligibility rules and criteria, visit summersolsticefestivals.ca/2023-music-awards
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