Hamilton policy to pay musicians fairly earns global recognition

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Published October 22, 2021 at 12:31 pm

A policy that the City of Hamilton introduced in an effort to highlight the economic impact and underscore the cultural importance of the city’s music scene has earned global recognition.

The City’s ‘Musician Fair Payment Policy’ introduced this past summer has been nominated by the 2021 Music Cities Awards in the category of ‘Best Initiative to Directly Support Musicians,’ a press release issued Friday (Oct. 22) announced.

This is a global competition ‘designed to acknowledge and reward the most outstanding applications of music for economic, social, environmental, and cultural development all around the world.’

Hamilton’s Musicians Fair Payment Policy ensures that musicians hired for City-run events are paid the current minimum annual rates established by the Canadian Federation of Musicians.

“Hamilton recognizes that musicians play an integral part in our city’s arts scene and economy,” said Jason Thorne, General Manager, Planning and Economic Development in the press release.

“The City is the first municipality in the province to implement a corporate policy that ensures the fair payment of musicians. This international award nomination speaks to the ongoing partnership between the City and our music community.”

Hamilton is up against the Government of Makueni County in Kenya where they have built state-of-the-art studios that offer free recording services to emerging musicians, as well as the Piqua Arts Council in Ohio that produced a series of video concerts that helped raise more than $100,000 to support the musicians of Miami and Montgomery Counties in Ohio hit hard by the pandemic.

Hamilton’s music industry is one of the leading industries for economic growth within the sector, the release notes, as the city is recognized as 7th in the world for musicians per capita.

Sonic Unyon and SuperCrawl nominated the Fair Payment Policy for the awards, the winners of which will be announced virtually on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.

“Hamilton’s Musician Fair Payment Policy is something our division and the community can celebrate as it emphasizes the value musicians have in our city,” said Hamilton’s Director of Tourism and Culture, Carrie Brooks-Joiner, in the release.

“This recognition speaks to Hamilton’s ongoing status as a growing music city where the arts and culture are truly appreciated for their importance within our community.”

The virtual 2021 Music Cities Awards ceremony is free to attend with registration through the Music Cities Awards website.

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