Manitoba Declares 2014 the Year of Music

Get ready for an amazing year of music!

With the JUNO Awards and BreakOut West converging on Winnipeg, joining the many stellar festivals and events taking place within our borders, The Province of Manitoba has officially declared 2014 to be the Year of Music.

Premier Greg Selinger made the declaration at a news conference on December 11 at McPhillips Station, welcoming Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries as the presenting sponsor for the year-long celebration of music. Read the news release

Year of Music will shine a spotlight on JUNO Week in March, Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards in September, and the BreakOut West music festival and Western Canadian Music Awards in October. It will also help bring even more attention to many of the province’s acclaimed festivals and destination events through new promotional partnerships. 

Manitoba’s music venues, which foster exciting new artists and give fans a place to discover new music, will be able to offer even more live music when Manitoba’s new liquor laws come into effect on January 1. The changes lift a number of restrictions, particularly for small venues and cabarets, which will encourage growth and diversity in the vibrant live music scene.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries will partner with Manitoba Music on new promotional opportunities, offering many local music venues more ways to connect with audiences, including the development of a new mobile app, an enhanced extension of Manitoba Music’s online listings. Slated for release early the new year, the Manitoba Music Live app will offer music fans easy access to current and extensive music listings to discover their favourite music rooms and artists.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries will also launch a Year of Music Concert Series at the Winnipeg Casinos, including a new Club Regent music hall that will open in time for the JUNO festivities.

The Year of Music is part of a strategy to create a lasting legacy for music in Manitoba, branding Winnipeg as the City of Music, and creating more opportunities for musicians to connect with audiences. 

“By drawing attention to the diversity, depth and maturity of the music industry in Manitoba through a year-long celebration, we will highlight our musical heritage and thriving music scene,” said Premier Selinger in a release.

“Manitoba has a proud musical heritage and a vibrant and talented music scene. Next year we look forward to celebrating that fact and putting music at centre-stage right across Manitoba,” ,” said Sara Stasiuk, executive director of Manitoba Music and co-chair of the Year of Music organizing committee.  “We intend to make it known that in Manitoba, we speak music." 

Stay tuned right here and follow Year of Music on Facebook and Twitter for more exciting Year of Music news!