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Artists in Durham Region have until Monday to submit their work to a local awards show that seeks to recognize and promote musical talent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Durham Region Excellence in Arts, Music and Sound (DREAMS) music awards \u2014 formerly the Oshawa Music Awards \u2014 is preparing for its seventh ceremony in September.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eligible artists can submit their work for consideration online<\/a>. Categories include album, record\/single, songwriter, music producer and music video of the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We want to acknowledge and reward you for the work that you\u2019ve been doing,” said Will McGuirk, communications liaison for DREAMS and manager of KOPS Records in downtown Oshawa.<\/p>\n He said Durham Region is a vibrant and diverse music hub, home to artists from a variety of genres \u2014 including country, pop, R&B, heavy metal and hip-hop.\u00a0<\/p>\n Prominent artists from the region include Shawn Mendes and Daniel Caesar.\u00a0<\/p>\n McGuirk said he hopes every musician in Durham Region submits their work.\u00a0<\/p>\n Submissions must be from the period between January 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026. Artists must live in or be from Durham Region to apply.\u00a0<\/p>\n The ceremony will take place on September 18 at the Biltmore Theatre in downtown Oshawa.\u00a0<\/p>\n Recognition was a \u2018boost,\u2019 previous winner says\u00a0<\/p>\n The DREAMS Music Awards was rebranded in 2025 to include all artists in the region, McGuirk said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Blues and rock musician Stefan Palicki, who is based in Oshawa, won best emerging artist last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said the win came at a time when he was feeling demoralized about his progress in the music industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I wasn\u2019t getting many shows [or] much recognition,” he said. “Getting that award was a big boost.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Since the win, Palicki has continued playing shows and is preparing to compete as a finalist in the Toronto Blues Society Talent Search on June 28.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Toronto\u2019s music scene is larger than Durham Region\u2019s, he described the music community in the region as being tight-knit and welcoming.\u00a0<\/p>\n “They\u2019re really accepting of all kinds of people,” Palicki said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Durham Region home to diverse music scene\u00a0<\/p>\n The awards are presented by Invest Durham, the region\u2019s economic development division.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2023, Durham Region’s music industry generated $162 million in GDP and supported roughly 5,000 full-time jobs, said Eileen Kennedy, the region’s creative industries specialist and film commissioner.\u00a0She said these numbers were based on a 2023 study<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kennedy oversees the region \u2019s creative industries program, which offers grants, programs and professional development opportunities to artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those resources include Beyond the Music, a series of free networking and workshop events that took place earlier this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last year, the region created a music industry working group, made up of people in the sector who provide advice and direction to support development.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We\u2019re building a stronger, more vibrant music ecosystem that not only entertains but also drives economic and cultural growth,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The region’s geography is one factor that contributes to that ecosystem, McGuirk said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Artists have the freedom to workshop their music in quieter, remote areas in the region, he said, but they also have access to various music venues.\u00a0<\/p>\n Artists have the freedom to workshop their music in quieter, remote areas in the region, he said, but also have access to various music venues.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The urban infrastructure and the rural isolation rub up against each other,” said McGuirk.\u00a0<\/p>\n “It creates a really cool place for people to be able to create,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781349549_550_default.jpg\")
Stefan Palicki, a blues and rock musician based in Oshawa, Ont., won best emerging artist at the DREAMS Music Awards last year. He said the recognition was a ‘big boost’ at a time when he was struggling with his progress in the music industry. (Devina Brown Photography)<\/p>\n![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781349549_181_default.jpg\")
Will McGuirk, communications liason for DREAMS and manager of KOPS Records in downtown Oshawa, said Durham Region offers artists a unique mix of rural areas where they can develop their music and urban settings where they can perform. (Rochelle Raveendran\/CBC)<\/p>\n