In an award ceremony that could only happen in 2020, Vancouver based DJ duo The Funk Hunters (Nick Middleton and Duncan Smith) became the first electronic act to receive Road Gold certification from the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), via a Zoom presentation earlier today.
The Funk Hunters received CIMA's Road Gold certification, in recognition of exceeding 25,000 ticket sales domestically, in the last year. Road Gold is a certification program that celebrates and acknowledges Canada’s hard-working touring artists and bands. The Certification is dedicated to The Funk Hunters 2019“Typecast Tour”.
“CIMA is pleased to award The Funk Hunters with Road Gold certification for their 2019 tour," says Sam Rayner, CIMA Industry Development and Membership Coordinator. "With the live music sector so devastated by COVID-19, it's more important than ever to celebrate and acknowledge the hard work and successes of touring artists and crews, the companies who fuel them forward, the venues that host them, and the fans that fill the seats. The Funk Hunters are the first electronic band to receive this certification, and are an excellent reminder of what we have to look forward to when we can gather for live music and performances again: incredible Canadian music.“
The Funk Hunters Nick Middleton adds: “To say 2020 has been a tough year for our industry is an understatement. We’ve seen the lifeblood of our team, our art, and our fans come to a total halt. So with no touring on the horizon, it feels pretty special today to be able to reflect back on 2019 and the incredible year we shared on the road with our team and all our fans. Thanks to CIMA for this great honour, it feels pretty cool to join the ranks of some of Canada’s best, and to be the first electronic act is something we are really proud of. We share this award with everyone who’s supported us along the way.”
The Funk Hunters 2019 “Typecast Tour” - in support of their debut album - saw the duo tour nationally across the country selling out multiple nights at iconic venues like Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom, as well as headlining Canadian festivals of all styles ranging from institutions like the Calgary Stampede to the electronic-leaning Shambhala Music Festival. In addition to domestic touring, this same year also saw The Funk Hunters perform internationally throughout Australia, New Zealand, and the USA - highlighted with their return to Coachella plus debut appearances at Life Is Beautiful Festival (Las Vegas) and Outside Lands (San Francisco).
With touring shutdown in 2020, The Funk Hunters have pivoted to online streaming where they’re quickly building a massive online following. They were featured in the first ever livestream event inside TikTokearlier this year performing live simultaneously to over 300,000 people around the world. Since then the DJ duo have cultivated a loyal following on Twitch, an online streaming platform, launching their own free weekly shows. In just the last 3 months alone, The Funk Hunters have streamed live DJ sets to fans on their Twitch channel racking up a record 2.1 million minutes watched.
For more information on The Funk Hunters and to keep up to date on their latest livestreams, please visit: thefunkhunters.com.
