CIVL-FM, the radio station at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Abbotsford campus, has recently been awarded $50,000 to implement their proposed 'Fraser Valley Music Awards'. These awards will provide an opportunity to recognize and promote as many local artists as possible.
Funding came from the Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC), an organization which supports more than 175 campus and community radio stations nationwide to strengthen community programming and promote local music. Over the past year, the CRFC has nearly doubled the amount of funding available to stations.
CIVL 101.7 FM has been supported by the CRFC for five years, but this is the largest grant that they have received to date. Aaron Levy, Station Manager at CIVL, says that the awards will be the "biggest" and "most impactful" event that the station has ever produced.
Unlike Abbotsford Arts Council's Arty Awards, which encompass musicians, visual arts, dance and more, the Fraser Valley Music Awards will have an exclusive focus on music. Like the Grammys, the Fraser Valley Music Awards will include awards for many different genres of music and, potentially, secondary categories like music production.
Though the station will not be putting out a call for artists until next year, musicians across the valley should start gearing up. The Fraser Valley Music Awards will be accepting nominees from Surrey to Hope, similar to the Battle of the Bands which CIVL put on in 2013. While the awards will be broadcast by the university, nominees are certainly not going to be limited to UFV students.
The definite parameters and logistics of the Fraser Valley Music Awards will lie in the hands of the Awards Coordinator, a position which is now accepting applicants.