Awards
Songwriting Awards
The Covenant Awards celebrate excellence and artistry in the Canadian Christian music industry. The individuals and music nominated should intentionally reflect, communicate, and/or support Christian faith.
All submissions must meet eligibility requirements, and may be submitted by any GMA Canada member in good standing.
***Ineligible submissions will not be refunded, so please read the eligibility requirements carefully.
To be eligible for a Covenant award in a songwriting category, the songwriter must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Cowritten songs must comprise a minimum of 50% Canadian citizens/permanent residents.
All releases submitted for consideration must have been released during the QUALIFYING PERIOD (May 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023)
Canadian Content:
To be eligible for a Covenant award in individual categories, one must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Groups must comprise a minimum of 50% Canadian citizens/permanent residents. Any music submitted must be at least 50% Canadian content, with the exception of Canadian Christian Song of the Year, Collaboration of the Year, and Video of the Year, which must be 100% Canadian content (derived and produced by Canadians in Canada). In juried categories, preference will be given to members who reside in and actively work in Canada.
Additionally:
- Submissions must be made during the submission period.
- Early-bird submissions will receive a discounted submission rate.
- Work submitted for consideration must have been released during the qualifying period, and in categories where there has been no previous nomination or award.
- A release constitutes the making available of one’s music (or related work) through any public platform (eg. radio airplay, streaming, download, or physical copies)
- The music must be previously unreleased, though new recordings of previously released songs will be accepted.
Nominations and Awards will be decided by member vote, with the exception of select categories (eg. Lifetime Achievement Awards; radio single of the year)
**Eligible submissions for any of the following song awards are welcomed, however, a song will only receive a nomination in one genre category. This can be in addition to nominations in general categories (for example: Canadian Christian Song of the Year, Radio/Streaming Song of the Year). Submissions made in error (eg. the same song being submitted in more than one genre category) WILL NOT BE REFUNDED.
Submitted songs should demonstrate aesthetic excellence in their genre. Industry impact may also be considered. All general eligibility requirements also apply.
Folk Song of the Year
Awarded to the Folk song that has had the most impact in the Canadian Christian Music Industry during the qualifying period. Please note the Canadian Content requirement for this award is 50%. Submissions made in error (ie. they do not meet the eligibility/qualifying criteria) are non-refundable. A category must have at least three eligible submissions to stand.