Here is a look at the year that was - 2021 in Australian Christian Media & Arts!
It has definitely been a wild year of ups and downs across our Nation. Let's take a look at some of the events that happened this year...
JANUARY
- The words of the Australian national anthem, "Advance Australia Fair", are changed for the first time since 1984, amending the line "For we are young and free" to "For we are one and free".
- A three-day lockdown is imposed on January 8th in the Greater Brisbane area to stop the spread of a UK COVID-19 variant.
- New Christian Dating Podcast
- In the lead up to Australia Day, ACCTV partnered with Common Grace to broadcast the #ChangeTheHeart Prayer service for the first time nationally, with more than 90 venues hosting screenings and an estimated 20,000 people tuning in.
- A snap five-day lockdown is imposed on the city of Perth and the Peel region on January 31 because of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
- WEBINAR: Key Elements to Improved Employee Performance
- 19@1900 Prayer initiative to encourage prayer in relation to COVID continues
FEBRUARY
- Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Australia on February 15.
- Facebook blocks all Australian news websites from sharing news content on its social media platform - impacting Christian Media
- WEBINAR: Deconstructing Conflict
- The first doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is administered on February 22.
- CMAA lodges submission to the Ruddock Review into Religious Discrimination on behalf of the Christian Media Sector.
MARCH
- ADM's Annual Funding Event for Women Opens for 2021
- Female CEOs Discuss Women in Developing World
- A three-day lockdown is imposed on the Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, and Redlands on March 29, to stop the spread of a UK COVID-19 variant.
- Paul Colman Trio's TURN Album Re-Released
- WEBINAR: Distracted... Grab Your Listener Before You Lose Them!
- The JobKeeper wage subsidy ends.
APRIL
- Applications for the 2021 National Features and Documentary Series Open
- WEBINAR: Advocacy Starts at Home
- Powerful and Remarkable Podcast from Clayton Bjelan
- CMAA launches the first Social Impact of Christian Media Research Survey with McCrindle Research
MAY
JUNE
- WEBINAR: Christians Working in Film and TV
- Greater Sydney, Wollongong, Blue Mountains and the Central Coast are placed into lockdown as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreads on June 26.
- ACCTV Shares Support Need for the First Time with Viewers
JULY
- WEBINAR: Context is King – The New Rules of Social Media
- Melbourne enters snap lockdown with 18 cases of COVID-19 on July 16.
- Brisbane is announced as the host city for the 2032 Summer Olympics and the 2032 Summer Paralympics.
- Excelsia College Leadership Scholarships Released to CMAA Members
- Hope 103.2 Launches Podcast Collection
- Community Radio Listening Research Released
AUGUST
- WEBINAR: The New Playbook for Leaders
- The National Census of Population and Housing is held on August 10
- CMAA's Nathan Brown Joins Leaders in Day of Prayer for Lockdowns on August 18
- Miracles Day is broadcast across Christian Media on August 19
- New South Wales records 1,029 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours on August 25, becoming the first state in Australia to surpass the 1,000 daily case milestone
- NCLS Partnership with Christian Media provides for 6 Media questions added to the National Church Life Survey – data to be released in early 2022
- New Station Finder launched at www.yourstation.org.au and advertised through the NCLS mailouts and the 360,000 survey forms and website
- CONNECT21 Experience began August 30
SEPTEMBER
- The 2021 Excellence in Media Awards
- CMAA Legacy Award Winners Announced
- WEBINAR: with Journalist and Author - Greg Sheridan
- WEBINAR: Pivots and Disruptors
- WEBINAR: It's Arts for Media Sake
- Jesus the Game Changer Season 3 Launches on New Platform
- Digital Hub Contributor Wins 2021 Book of the Year
OCTOBER
- Excelsia & Sydney Film School Awards Open
- Compassion Docuseries Highlights Complexities of Poverty
- Simplified B66 Form for Community Broadcaster’s relicensing achieved through CMAA Advocacy Team working closely with the CBAA in a joint sector submission to the ACMA.
NOVEMBER
- Legacy Award Winner Rebecca St James releases lead single from her forthcoming album, “Kingdom Come,” featuring her brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone
- The Social Impact of Christian Radio in Australia Report Released
- National Church Life Survey Begins
DECEMBER
- Phillip Randall retires from the CBAA Board after 13 years - 6 years as President
- Gavin Brett joins CBAA Board
- Advocacy Progress Report
- John Marks announces retirement from Rhema Newcastle after 30 years of service
- Jarrod Graetzs steps down from his CEO Role at Positive Media Incorporated after 12 years of service
- Queensland re-opens it's borders to Interstate and Overseas Travel on December 13
- Submission into Religious Discrimination Bill 2021