Last year’s winners, the bands Deaf Radio and I Wear* Experiment, and the EXIT Foundation invite solo artists and bands to apply for the competition, emphasizing the importance of the HMA in collaborating with music experts and reaching new audiences. So far, 168 performers from nine countries have applied.
Most of this year’s applications came from Greece and Romania, followed by Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. The predominant music genres include rock, electro/pop, indie, jazz, World Music, folk, metal, hip hop, R&B, punk & reggae.
“Individual mentoring was one of the most important things we got from HEMI. We got a confidence boost from working with experts, and we’re now motivated to experiment. Getting in touch with other bands and observing how they work was also very important. It showed us what we were doing well and what we needed to change or improve,” says the Nordic electropop band I Wear* Experiment.
“HEMI was an incredible experience for us as well. We learned how the music industry works; we networked with music experts and performed at the EXIT festival,” added the Greek alternative rock band Deaf Radio.
As many as 27 performers from Central and Southeast Europe will be nominated in the first phase of this year’s HEMI Music Awards, which includes training and networking, all with the aim of discovering new music markets. Nine finalists will advance to the second phase, where they will receive personalized support from music industry experts, along with promo support and tours at 10 leading music conferences and festivals across Europe, such as Athens Music Week (Greece), BUSH (Hungary), EXIT Festival (Serbia), Mastering the Music Business (Romania), MENT Ljubljana (Slovenia), PIN Music Conference (North Macedonia), Reconnect (Czech Republic), Tak Brzm Miasto (Poland), Tallinn Music Week (Estonia), Wianki Festival (Poland).
The three winners of the HEMI Music Awards will each receive a prize of €5,000 to cover content creation costs. They’ll also receive marketing and promotion and a chance to perform at a major European music festival.
An international jury comprised of 27 members is in charge of candidate selection. The jury consists of festival organizers, promoters, club managers, and members of the press, while all applicants will receive publicity through 18 media partners in nine HEMI countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia).
Applicants must be 18 years old or older and live in one of the HEMI countries. The application deadline is Wednesday, 23rd January, at 11:59 p.m. All music genres are accepted, and registration is free. You can apply through this link.
About the HEMI Project
The HEMI Music Awards (HMA) is a talent program for artists ready to develop an international career and aim to reach new markets and audiences. It is organized by HEMI (Hub for Exchange of Music Innovation), a European initiative aiming to support artists and music business professionals from the HEMI countries.
The Hub for Exchange of Music Innovation (HEMI) is an initiative of 10 music organizations from Central and Southeast Europe, co-funded by the Creative Europe program of the European Union for four years (2020-2023). The partnership includes public and private organizations, associations, festival and conference organizers, export offices, and a music business school.
HEMI’s vision is to create a sustainable “Music Hub,” aiming to develop innovative business models, co-produce and co-promote new events/products, create an Incubator for music professionals, and support artists to meet current market needs.
Find out more about HEMI: www.hemimusichub.eu
