The first Canadian Environmental Music Awards were launched on March 17 at Halifax's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, during a concert put on by Music Declares Emergency.

"There is absolutely no doubt at all that we are in a massive planetary crisis," said Kim Fry, co-founder of Canada's chapter of Music Declares Emergency, an organization that supports musicians and the music industry in reducing their climate impact. "It's easy to feel the weight of that ... and really it's the artists who give us hope. It's the artists who open up our hearts, and let us connect with others."

That hope is why she wanted to start the Environmental Music Awards, to recognize Canadian musicians' legacies as environmentalists. There is no date yet for the awards, but the Climate Emergency concert, as it was titled, kicked off the official fundraising and awareness campaign for the awards. They will celebrate new music being made that addresses themes of ecological and climate emergency, and musicians who raise awareness of these issues outside of their work.

Hosted by CBC's Jeff Douglas, the March 17 Climate Emergency concert also paid tribute to the environmental legacies of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. Fry pointed to Mitchell's history in helping start Greenpeace, and Young's upcoming tour titled Love Earth, as just two examples of the musicians' lasting impact as environmental activists.

For her tribute cover, Windsor, N.S., singer-songwriter Terra Spencer chose to perform Mitchell's 1976 song "Coyote."

"One [reason I chose Mitchell] is that she was very unafraid to use her voice for what she stood for," explained Spencer. "And if that's not your kind of thing, you're not going to enjoy the rest of the show very much," she finished, laughing.

In addition to Spencer, the concert featured performances from singer-songwriters Logan Staats, Jenn Grant, Talia Schlanger, T. Thomason, Braden Lam, Alexsi Campagne, Moira and Claire, Tragedy Ann, Moonfruits, cellist India Gailey and guitarist Donna Grantis. They each performed covers from the two Canadian legends' catalogues, plus a song of their own, often backed by a house band that included drummer Patrick Murphy, bassist Cassie Mann, guitarist Samantha Wilson and pianist/band leader Tania Gill.

"I'm here because I really believe in the power of music to inspire new ideas, new feelings and new connections — both with each other, and with the Earth," said Grantis, who used to play with Prince.

The Climate Emergency concert leads into Juno week in Halifax, where the Juno Awards are taking place on March 24. Music Declares Emergency Canada will have a presence at the festivities all week, including a mini climate summit on Friday, March 22, at the Halifax Central Library.

A date and location for the inaugural Canadian Environmental Music Awards will be announced later this year.