10/5/2009

Canadian Radio Star – the 17^th annual national songwriting competition – is now underway. Aspiring songwriters from across Canada are invited to enter for their chance to win $10,000 in cash, thousands in valuable prizes and the opportunity to have their material heard by Canada’s leading radio programmers, recording industry executives, hit songwriters and the potential for a new legion of fans. Sponsored by Astral Media and Canadian Music Week, the contest is one of many events taking place during Canadian Music Week (CMW), March 10 – 14, 2010.

“Our mission continues to discover potential future stars at the regional, grassroots level,” says Rob Braide, Astral Media. “Through competitions like Canadian Radio Star, we can do that.  We are able to support songwriters and their passion of creating music, by arming them with valuable tools and prizes that they can use to master their craft, because at the end of the day, it all begins with a song.”

Entry forms are available as of today (October 5, 2009), at leading musical instrument dealers and participating radio stations or online at www.radiostar.ca. A combination of public voting and a panel of industry judges will determine regional and Grand Prize winners. The Grand Prize winner will be announced during Canadian MusicWeek on Friday, March 12^th. For complete contest details, visit www.radiostar.ca.

“In many ways, this competition offers a launch pad for the careers’ of aspiring Canadian songwriters,” says Neill Dixon, President of Canadian Music Week. “It opens doors to new possibilities, provides unrivaled exposure, and puts the songwriters’ songs directly in front of a commonly unreachable audience.”

The national Grand Prize winner will receive a prize package of: $10,000.00 in cash (first runner up receives $2,500.00 cash); Tascam 2488 NEO PortaStudio – 24-track self-contained audio work station; Neumann TLM 49 Professional Studio Microphone; Yamaha MO6 Music Production Synthesizer; 30 hours of mixing and mastering time from Metalworks, Canada’s #1 recording studio; $5,000.00 national radio promotion package from dB Promotions & Publicity Inc; and a Songwriters’ Resource Library Package featuring some of the bestselling songwriting titles carried by Music Books Plus. Both the Grand Prize winner and the first runner up will each receive one free digital radio station upload to any format of choice by RDR Music Group in conjunction with DMDS.

Each regional winner will receive a prize package of: Acoustic Guitar provided by Gibson Guitar Canada; Sennheiser Studio/Live Package including: E865 condenser vocal microphone, stand, cable and HD280 professional headphones; Yamaha Pocketrak 2G with 3 hours Pcm Recording with tilt-up stereo microphone; 2 ½” Carving Leather Guitar Strap w/ foam padding and garment leather backing from Levy’s Leathers Limited; Planet Waves Custom Pro Series Instrument Cable; Planet Waves S.O.S. Tuner; EXP Coated 80/20 Light Gauge D’Addario Strings; an all expense paid weekend at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto – March 12 – 13, 2010; delegate passes to attend the 2010 Canadian Music Week Conference & Canadian Music Fest; access to some of Canada’s most successful songwriters and music industry professionals through the Songwriters’ Summit; and an opportunity to perform at Canadian Music Fest in Toronto during Canadian Music Week.

All entrants receive a one-year subscription to Canadian Musician Magazine.

Sponsoring Radio Stations:

Virgin Radio 95.3 FM    Vancouver, BC
CJAY 92 FM                Calgary, AB
100.3 FM The Bear       Edmonton, AB
ROCK 102 FM              Saskatoon, SK
Big Dog 92.7 FM          Regina, SK
HOT 103 FM                Winnipeg, MB
Virgin Radio 99.9 FM    Toronto, ON
Virgin Radio 106.9 FM Ottawa, ON
Virgin Radio 96 FM       Montreal, QC
Q104 FM                     Halifax, NS
Big John 98.9 FM         Saint John, NB
K-Rock 97.5 FM           St. John’s, NL

Canadian Radio Star would not be possible without the following sponsors: Astral Media; Canadian Music Week; Canadian Musician; Canadian Music Publishers Association; D’Addario; dB Promotions & Publicity Inc.; DMDS; Fairmont Royal York; Gibson; Levy’s Leathers Limited; Metalworks; Music Nova Scotia; Neumann; Planet Waves; RDR Music Group; Songwriters Association of Canada; Sennheiser; The SOCAN Foundation; Tascam; Yamaha.

Astral Media Radio, an Astral Media Property; Astral Media is a leading Canadian media company, active in specialty and pay television, radio, outdoor advertising and iMedia. Astral Media’s solid and dynamic presence in the country’s major markets rests on its commitment to offer a unique combination of high-quality, targeted media for all its audiences.

Canadian Music Week is Canada’s leading annual entertainment event dedicated to the expression and growth of the country’s music, media and entertainment industries. Combining four information-intensive conferences; a trade exposition; a film festival; four awards shows and the nation’s largest New Music Festival – Canadian Music Fest – CMW spans a five-day period from March 10 to March 14, 2010 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel and various downtown Toronto venues, attracting participants from across the globe. For more information, visit www.cmw.net

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For further information, please contact:
Bessie Bullard – Communications Director
T: 905.858.4747 E: bessie@cmw.net

For more information click here:  www.radiostar.ca