The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation:

Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to celebrate Newfoundland and Labrador’s music industry.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s musicians received 44 nominations this year and brought home 11 awards from the 2022 East Coast Music Awards held in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Congratulations to the nominees and the winners – Quote the Raven, Justin Fancy, Mallory Johnson and Twin Kennedy, Kelly McMichael, Rube & Rake, First Light Fridays, Greg Smith, Cecil Johnson, Yvette Lorraine, and Gordon Quinton. You are making waves around the country and the rest of the world. We are proud to call you our very own.

The East Coast Music Awards is a premiere music affair for the Canadian music industry and the conference of choice for artists and industry professionals. It is a non-stop musical celebration, recognizing the very best the East Coast music community has to offer – and this year was no exception.

The enthusiasm surrounding these awards has been felt here at home. We want to harness this enthusiasm in order to continue fostering the relationship that we have with our vibrant music industry, and encourage the many economic and social opportunities that exist for this industry throughout the province, region and country.

It is Come Home Year in Newfoundland and Labrador. We know that our music tells our stories and draws visitors here. Under the Cultural Economic Development Program, over $1.9 million will go directly to local artists. We have provided $100,000 to MusicNL to fund their Community Presenters Program, which will help non-profit organizations cover the costs associated with hiring musical talent for performances this year.

Thank you for the great job you do as ambassadors for this incredible place we are fortunate to call home. Please join me in applauding our musicians and all of those involved in the industry. Thank you, Speaker.