WELCOMES OVER 585 ATTENDEES BACK TO LIVE AND IN PERSON PROGRAMMING WITH 80+ CANADIAN SPEAKERS, PRESENTERS & MENTORS, 60+ INTERNATIONAL DELEGATES,

50+ CONFERENCE SESSIONS & 950+ ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS

66 WESTERN CANADIAN + INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS SHOWCASED OVER THREE DAYS

WINNERS OF THE 2022 WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC
INDUSTRY AWARDS REVEALED

VIVEK SHRAYA HONOURED WITH
KEYCHANGE INSPIRATION AWARD

KELOWNA, BC ANNOUNCED AS HOST CITY
OF BREAKOUT WEST 2023

CALGARY, AB – October 3, 2022 – Four days of immersive career development and international industry conference programming; three nights of show-stopping performances by some of the best artists coming out of western Canada and abroad; two events honouring the artistic and industry winners of the 2022 Western Canadian Music Awards; one unforgettable celebration of BreakOut West’s milestone 20^th anniversary.

“Once again, we have been thrilled to host BreakOut West in Calgary and for this special anniversary," remarks Western Canadian Music Alliance Executive Director Robyn Stewart. “Thank you also to all of the incredible artists and innovators who joined us this week to celebrate and elevate creative careers in western Canada. The Calgary community embraced our event and participants, and we saw full venues of engaged music fans discovering new talent. Coming full circle from our first BreakOut West in Calgary twenty years ago, we are looking forward to the next twenty!”

Yesterday, BreakOut West wrapped its 2022 events after an exciting week filled with countless opportunities to connect and engage with professionals from across the music industry, while experiencing captivating live performances from the incredible talent coming out of the western provinces. In total, over 585 people attended the events, with delegates joining in from 15 different countries. 135 speakers were engaged across 50 conference sessions and over 950 one-on-one meetings, while attendees were able to take part in numerous meet up events and establish countless business opportunities. Music discovery was celebrated with 66 showcasing artists being featured on stages across Calgary’s downtown core and Music Mile.

Along with the conference programming, the winners of the 2022 Western Canadian Music Awards were revealed over two special celebrations. On Friday, September 23, the recipients of the artistic awards were honoured during a live broadcast and intimate watch party at Calgary’s Ship and Anchor, followed by the Industry Awards Brunch on Saturday, October 1 which unveiled the winners of the industry categories. The Industry Awards Brunch also formally honoured the recipients of this year’s Specialty Awards – Tegan and Sara (Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees), Gerry Stoll (Kevin Walters Industry Builder Award) and Steve Wood & Northern Cree (Heritage Award). See below for a list of the 2022 Industry Award winners, and a full list of all the 2022 Western Canadian Music Award recipients.

Additionally, groundbreaking artist and writer, Vivek Shraya, was honoured during BOW’s Opening Reception on Wednesday, September 28 with Canada’s first-ever Keychange Inspiration Award. Created by Keychange – a global network and movement working towards gender equality in the music industry – the award honours and celebrates women and gender minorities who have made extraordinary and pioneering contribution to music. The Keychange Inspiration Award is selected by Keychange partners in each of their countries, with Shraya marking the first recipient for Canada.

BreakOut West 2022 saw incredible support from the Government of Alberta, City of Calgary and Tourism Calgary, as well as generous partnership from local and national sponsors, all of which generously invested in the week’s events, enthusiastically bringing BOW back to Calgary.

Looking ahead to the next year, BOW is thrilled to be returning to Kelowna, BC, where it was previously celebrated in 2018 and 2010.

Karma Lacoff Nieoczym, Creative and Executive Director with Creative Okanagan and Host chair, explains: "Kelowna has had massive success in hosting BreakOut West in the past,” says Karma Lacoff Nieoczym, Creative and Executive Director with Creative Okanagan and Host Chair. “The event has enabled us to showcase our local artists and unique venues and further establish Kelowna as a community that loves live music. MusicBC has strongly supported us in submitting the bid. We look forward to offering our local musicians opportunities to perform at the festival, attend the conference, and submit entries for the Western Canadian Music Awards."

2022 WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC AWARDS INDUSTRY WINNERS:

Audio Engineering Award            
Sheldon Zaharko - BC           

Community Excellence Award                
National Music Centre - AB           

Excellence in Visual Design                     
Bronwin Parks - Feisty Creative - BC                       

Impact in Artist Development                 
Birthday Cake Records - MB

Impact in Live Music, Sponsored by Canadian Live Music Association                        
Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club - MB

Impact in Music Marketing                      
Birthday Cake Records – MB

Recording of the Year and Stingray Rising Star, Presented by Stingray                   
Snotty Nose Rez Kids – BC

Video Director of the Year, Sponsored by Manitoba Film & Music                  
Amy Mantyka - Megan Nash, Chew Quietly / Clean Slate - SK

2022 Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees – Tegan and Sara

2022 Kevin Walters Industry Builder Award – Gerry Stoll

2022 Heritage Award – Steve Wood and Northern Cree

About the Western Canadian Music Alliance / BreakOut West:
The Western Canadian Music Alliance is a pan western organization created by the Alliance Member Music Industry Associations (MIAs) of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, The Northwest Territories, the Yukon Territory, and in partnership with Nunavut, to promote and celebrate western Canadian music. WCMA, with the financial support of each provincial and territorial government partner, FACTOR, the Government of Canada and of Canada's private radio broadcasters, annually hosts their core artist and industry development event, BreakOut West. The event is held in a different western Canadian city on a rotational basis and is the prime music industry event in western Canada. BreakOut West 2022 was held in Calgary, AB from September 28 to October 2, marking the 20^th anniversary of the event. The 2022 Western Canadian Music Awards and Industry Awards were announced on September 23 and October 1, respectively.
            
WCMA’s head office is in Winnipeg. We recognize the ancestral lands, from Treaty One Territory, the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.

www.breakoutwest.ca
 
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