Following careful consideration and ongoing observation of COVID-19 restrictions, West Australian Music (WAM) has announced the annual WAMFest, WAMCon and WAMAwards events planned for November 2020, will be moved to early 2021.
Held annually in November, the highly acclaimed WAMFest celebrations include the two-day WA Music Conference (WAMCon), WAMAwards ceremony, and a series of free outdoor and in-venue live music performances. The event is the peak celebration of WA original contemporary music drawing over 60 international, national and local industry delegates and showcasing over 200 home-grown original artists to the general public each year.
Originally planned from Thursday, November 12 to Saturday, November 14, WAM has elected to shift the events due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 restrictions and their impact on live music events. With WAMFest, WAMCon and WAMAwards providing invaluable industry development, employment and performance opportunities for the WA music sector, a cautious approach ensures delivery of the best event and outcomes possible.
WAM CEO Mike Harris said that while the decision was difficult, it was necessary given the circumstances. “WAMFest, WAMCon and the WA Music Awards are major milestone moments in the local music calendar,” he said. “It’s important we ensure delivery of the best events with the biggest impact, and we feel we would be somewhat compromised in November. By moving our major events to early 2021, we believe we can deliver the best events as possible for all Western Australians.”
In addition to the annual WAMFest events, the State Government of Western Australia has designated $350k funding for WAM to deliver directly to the live music sector over a similar period of time. The funds will provide much needed support to venues, industry workers and artists through additional events and employment opportunities, with details to be released shortly.
While the WAMAwards ceremony will be delayed, nominations and voting will continue to take place in 2020. Over the coming months, WAM will continue to work on the events alongside their ongoing Regional and Audience Development projects. These include the upcoming Girls Rock! WA Mini-Camp and the recording, release and launch stages for two regional recording compilations. During this time, WAM will also be moving from their current office location, with details regarding their exciting new location coming in October.
WAM have announced that WAMFest, WAMCon and the WAMAwards, originally scheduled for November, will be delayed until early 2021. Follow X-Press on Facebook and sign up to our newsletter for updates on this story as they emerge.
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