Big Heavy World is Finalist for Best Global Music Office Award
Vermont's volunteer-run music office contends in top tier of international awards; winner to be announced 9/23
Big Heavy World has been named one of the top three finalists for the ‘Music Cities Award: Best Global Music Office,’ which honors a music office that can showcase unrivaled support for music, musicians and music businesses in their city as well as globally. The other contenders for the award are Memphis Tourism (USA) and Music Victoria (Australia). Potential candidates included music offices, music export offices, music boards, music commissions and similar organizations.
The Music Cities Awards is a global competition designed to acknowledge and reward the most outstanding applications of music for economic, social and cultural development in cities and places all around the world. There are a total of nine Music Cities Awards spanning small to large city initiatives, tourism, sustainability, music offices, real estate and the night time economy. The awards also aim to promote best practice and demonstrate the value of music to the world.
James Lockridge, Executive Director of Big Heavy World, said, “It’s a thrill for Vermont’s volunteer-run independent music office to be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with these established allies across the world. Vermont’s can-do spirit and love for our sparkling music community is shining on a worldwide stage!”
Big Heavy World is a volunteer-led project to preserve and promote Vermont-made music. With a crew that is mostly college and high-school aged, the organization has created an online gateway to Vermont’s music industries; constructed a licensed community radio station that plays Vermont-made music 24/7 between local DJs; amassed a cataloged archive of ~5,000 Vermont-made albums; hosted thousands of musicians on-air and in podcasts; curated an award-winning exhibit of local music history; established a ‘tiny’ museum; issued 15 compilation CDs; worked with state industry marketing and media partners to gain exposure for local artists; brought federal, state and local support to bear on policy and infrastructure improvements for the state’s music community; and produced live television, streaming and recorded performances and professional development workshops for musicians, among many other projects. It was founded in 1996.
The awards ceremony, hosted by Music Cities Events, will be taking place virtually on September 23, 2020 — a full day ceremony with a live webinar taking place for each award and with the winner announced at the end of each panel.
Information about the Music Cities Awards can be found at https://www.musiccitiesevents.com/awards
Image: Bassist Aram Bedrosian (arambedrosian.com) performs on Big Heavy World’s live local music radio program ‘Rocket Shop’ on August 26, 2020. Photo by Luke Awtry Photography (lukeawtryphotography.com) @lukeawtryphotography. Email info@bigheavyworld.com for high resolution image (300 ppi, 2048 x 1365)
Music Cities Events also distributed this press release:
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Camila Anino Music Cities Events
+34 673 013 680 | camila@sounddiplomacy.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | SEPTEMBER 4, 2020
THE FIRST CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD’S BEST USES OF MUSIC IS HAPPENING VIRTUALLY ON SEPTEMBER 23rd.
The ceremony will consist of a full-day event with 9 discussions related to the award categories.
Government, music industry, civic leaders and academics from around the world will gather virtually in September 2020 as the first edition of the Music Cities Awards acknowledges and rewards the most outstanding applications of music for economic, social and cultural development in cities and places all around the world.
The awards aim to promote best practice and demonstrate the value of music to the world. The full-day ceremony will be held virtually with a live panel discussion taking place for each award and with the winner announced at the end of the talk.
“We’re delighted to have announced our first-ever official Music Cities Awards nominees. We have nominees spanning four continents, and we’re really hopeful that this celebration leads to more individuals, organisations and cities around the world taking notice of the power of music to improve places economically, socially, environmentally & culturally.” Luke Jones, CEO, Music Cities Events
The world-wide nominees for the 9 Music Cities Awards categories were announced on August 31st and will be participating in the ceremony by joining the discussion of the category they are nominated for.
The ceremony will be held in the Music Cities Community, Music Cities Events’ new online platform that connects professionals from all around the world, who are focused on the topic of music cities. The event will be free and open to everyone..
Link to register: https://musiccitiesevents.memberspace.com/member/plans/d56aeed112
Award Nominees
1. Best Use Of Music In Towns And Cities (Under 500k Population):
Athens, GA (USA)
Reykjavik Music City (Iceland)
The Well (USA)
2. Best Use Of Music In Cities (Over 500k Population)
Batuta Foundation (Colombia)
Reeperbahn Festival (Germany)
SIM São Paulo (Brazil)
3. Best Music Cities Initiative To Directly Support Musicians
Mayor’s Office of Medellín (Colombia)
Black Fret (USA)
Music Export Memphis (USA)
4. Best Use Of Music To Drive Tourism
Exit Festival (Serbia)
Memphis Tourism (USA)
Visit Clarksdale (USA)
5. Best Use Of Music To Support Sustainability
Sisters of Mercy in Jamaica (Jamaica)
Operation Respect (USA)
Wonderfruit Festival (Thailand)
6. Best Night Time Economy Initiative
London Borough of Waltham Forest (UK)
Vilnius Night Alliance (Lithuania)
Visit Clarksdale (USA)
7. Best Use Of Music In Property Development/Real Estate
Artspace Projects (USA)
The Church Studio (USA)
House of Hungarian Music (Hungary)
8. Best Global Music Office
Big Heavy World (USA)
Memphis Tourism (USA)
Music Victoria (Australia)
9. Public Service Award For A Leading Music Cities Professional
Anita Dixon & Dr. Jake Wagner (USA)
Kevin McManus (UK)
Kick Lee (USA)
The Music Cities Awards jury is composed of an inclusive global mix of music cities professionals, from former label presidents to musicians to former secretaries of culture to music initiative leaders to leading urban studies theorists.
Jury
Al Bell - Former Chairman & Owner, Stax Records / Former President, Motown Records Group / Chairman & CEO, Al Bell Presents. (USA)
Aubrey Preston - Real Estate Entrepreneur / Founder, Americana Music Triangle / Owner, RCA Studio A. (USA)
Brian Ritchie - Bassist, Violent Femmes / Music Curator, MONA / Organiser, MONA FOMA. (Australia)
Cherry Chan - Chairperson, Renaissance Foundation. (Hong Kong SAR China)
Em Ekong - Founder, Urban Inclusion Community / Public Relations & Communications Director, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa. (UK/Ghana)
Kim-Marie Spence - Postdoctoral Researcher, Southampton Solent University / Adjunct Lecturer, University of the West Indies / Author. (UK/Jamaica)
Dr. Lee, Dong-yeun - Professor, Korea National University of Arts / Organiser, Global Music City Seoul / Co-organiser, DMZ Peace Train Music Festival / Director, Platform Changdong61. (South Korea)
María Claudia López Sorzano - Former Secretary of Culture, Leisure and Sport, City of Bogota. (Colombia) ·
Richard Florida - Professor, University of Toronto / Author, The Rise of the Creative Class / Founder, the Creative Class Group.
Sandra Wall - Trade and Industry Development, Creative Sector & Focal point UNESCO City of Music, Municipality of Norrkoping. (Sweden)
ABOUT MUSIC CITIES EVENTS
Music Cities Events organises world-leading international conferences on the topic of music cities, produces the leading international awards ceremony on music cities, and runs the Music Cities Community, the first-ever platform for professionals in all industries using music to create more value in towns, cities & places. In everything Music Cities Events does it aims to showcase the best uses of music by individuals, organisations and cities all over the world.
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