Musicians say ECMA payments delayed, some still unpaid months later

Musicians who performed at this year's East Coast Music Association (ECMA) awards are voicing frustration over delayed payments, with some still awaiting compensation months after their May showcases. Several artists told Global News they experienced waits of over two months for their performance fees, with some receiving less than agreed or nothing at all.

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You have to kind of plan accordingly, and there are points where it gets pretty detrimental.

Newfoundland musician Jordan Coaker said he is owed $155 for his May 23 showcase, highlighting the financial strain such delays can cause. "You have to kind of plan accordingly, and there are points where it gets pretty detrimental," he stated.

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It’s really frustrating as an artist to have to wait that long for something that’s government funded, and I know a lot of artists are in the same boat.

Nova Scotia musician Jake Ballard reported that his band's $575 payment only arrived after he posted about the issue on social media, leading him to reconsider future participation in ECMA events. "It’s really frustrating as an artist to have to wait that long for something that’s government funded, and I know a lot of artists are in the same boat," Ballard said.

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We were aware that it was going to be challenging to pay everybody immediately after the event, and we didn’t communicate that fact as much as we could.

ECMA executive director Bob Hallett acknowledged the payment issues, admitting the association was aware of potential delays and did not communicate this effectively. He explained that a quarter of the association's $1.5 million annual budget is currently outstanding. Hallett assured that the association's financial status is stable and all remaining artist payments are expected to be processed by the end of August.

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I don’t think it’s true that (the artists weren’t prioritized), but in order to pay it out fully, I guess we would have needed a significant amount of funds available the day the event was over, which was just not the case.