The East Coast Music Association announced the cancellation on Tuesday, the event was scheduled to take place in the Newfoundland and Labrador capital from April 29 to May 3.
In a statement from the ECMA’s board of directors, the association said the decision was based on the guidance and recommendations of Eastern Health, provincial officials, the City of St. John’s, and other key event partners.
“We are admittedly devastated to cancel this event and our thoughts are with all of the hard-working musicians and industry professionals who are facing a tremendous degree of uncertainty in the face of this unprecedented public health issue,” reads the statement.
“Under the advice of scientific and medical experts throughout Atlantic Canada, the country, and the world, cancelling our event is the right thing to do as we all take necessary preventative measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our region. The ECMA takes the safety of its members, staff, patrons, sponsors, and contractors very seriously. We know this is a difficult time for many in our sector.”
The statement also goes on to urge everyone to follow guidelines and protocols issued by public health officials, and work together for the safety of our communities as the situation surrounding COVID-19 evolves.
“We thank everyone already involved in the 2020 ECMAs for their passion, dedication, and hard work, and we thank you for your understanding and continued support,” said ECMA organizers. “The music industry has, time and again, demonstrated a great wealth of resilience when faced with adversity. Together, we will get through this.”
The ECMA is looking at other ways it can celebrate the achievements of the talent from this region it was created to support and promote, and will still honour the winners of the 2020 East Coast Music Awards in the absence of the annual awards gala, festival and conference.
Details on upcoming developments will be made available at www.ecma.com.
