By Sarah Klein
The Manitoba music industry flourished in 2011, helping more than 3,000 people earn a living in the industry throughout the province.
Manitoba musicians earned accolades throughout the year, accounting for an impressive 133 award nominations and 40 wins, including 50 nods and 20 wins for Aboriginal recording artists.
Manitoba’s music companies won eight of its nine nominations at the Western Canadian Music Awards’ industry honours, while 74 different Manitoba acts expanded their markets and connected with key industry players by performing 125 showcases at 37 different events around the world.
Manitoba Music also presented 31 workshops on everything from co-writing to marketing to rights management. It also partnered with the Songwriters’ Association of Canada on a songwriting camp called SongWorks.