ECMA 2010 INDUSTRY AWARD WINNERS

Broadcast of the Year presented by Atlantic Tractors
Atlantic Airwaves

Event of the Year presented by Cape Breton University
Halifax Pop Explosion

Independent Company of the Year presented by Sampson McDougall
Sonic Entertainment Group

Industry Professional of the Year presented by CARAS
Darren Gallop

Manager of the Year presented by Gillis Home Building Centre
Heather Gibson

Media Person of the Year presented by Tim Hortons
Doug Gallant

Producer of the Year by Shure
Joel Plaskett

Record Company/Distributor/Independent Label of the Year
Sonic Records

Studio of the Year presented by Bay Music
The Sonic Temple

Studio Engineer of the Year sponsored by OIART (Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology)
Mike "Sheppy" Shepherd

Venue of the Year presented by Casino Nova Scotia
The Company House

Visual Artist of the Year presented by Marcato Digital Solutions
Chr!s Sm!th

Stompin' Tom Award presented by Jim Sampson Motors
Billy and Cornelia MacLeod

FACTOR Industry Builder Award
Stephen "Beak" MacDonald

Musician's Achievement Award
Dave McKeough

Atlantic Lottery Volunteer of the Year Award
Marie Doyle and Margie MacNeil

• photo by the lovely Julé Malet-Veale

The Juno nominations were announced this morning, and although the list features the usual suspects (Nickleblegh, Billy Talent, Michael Bublé and yes, despite the fact I quite like him, Joel Plaskett is ubiquitous enough at these award ceremonies that he, too counts as a usual suspect) there are some fresh faces that we are quite excited about.
Amelia Curran has deservedly been recognized for her album (and Six Shooter records debut) Hunter Hunter under the Roots/Traditional Album of the Year category. I'm thrilled that this Coast cover star is getting her due. Whether she wins or not, this is gonna put her name on the map, and that's a good thing.

I've plucked out the local nominations below. The complete list is here.

Single of the Year
Classified - "Anybody Listening"

Rap Recording of the Year
Classified - Self Explanatory

Music DVD of the Year
DRUM! Live
Aaron Young, Doris Mason, Colin Smeltzer, Daniel Brooker Brookes Diamond

Songwriter of the Year
Joel Plaskett - “Through & Through & Through”, “Deny, Deny, Deny”, “All The Way Down The Line”

Adult Alternative Album of the Year
Joel Plaskett - Three

Roots/Traditional Album of the Year
Amelia Curran - Hunter, Hunter

Video of the Year
"Anybody Listening" - Classified (directed by harv)

Music DVD of the Year
DRUM! Live
Aaron Young, Doris Mason, Colin Smeltzer, Daniel Brooker, Brookes Diamond, DRUM!

Dear Video Difference, I’m pretty into you . Let me count the ways: 1) You are the only video store in Halifax that carries The Cramps: Live at Napa State Mental Hospital. (I know. I’ve checked.) 2) You sell me cigarettes at 4am. 3) Your employees are sexy.

Now there’s yet another reason to head up to 6086 Quinpool: VD has officially become a TicketPro outlet. After TP outlet Duly Noted moved to Brenton St., Video Difference's owner Tom Michael says the decision to sell concert tickets came pretty naturally. “So far the reception from customers has been pretty good,” he adds. “We’re currently refining the process to speed things up.” For tickets, it’s cash and debit only, so keep your fancy plastic in your pants, would you?

The Numbered Head made a video for their song "Alligator Gallop" featuring beer, plastic bagheads and chutzpah. It's proof that you don't need big budgets to have major funzies. Watch.

Yes friends, it's Monday and we're once again looking down the barrel of a hairy week. The only things getting me through this damp morning are 1) a giant cup of dark roast from Zona at the King's Wardroom and 2) the memory of Dog Day covering Nirvana's "Drain You" at Friday night's show at the Paragon. It reminded me that Dog Day are the best ever, and also that "Drain You" is pretty good at conveying the ideal "fuck you, Monday" vibe that most of us need. Revisit your angsty past below and good luck with everything today. We'll make it through together, champ.

Pete Freckelton originally got into Bob Dylan out of desperation. “I was a Canadian child of the ‘80s,” says the Port Williams programmer. “What were my options? There was Madonna and Glass Tiger. I started getting into heavy metal—Ozzy Osbourne singing about addiction, Metallica singing about social injustice. I got into Dylan through metal because it seemed like he had something to say, too—and I’ve been a sucker for him ever since.”

Freckelton’s interest blossomed into dylanradio.com: a non-profit streaming webcast that plays interviews and music by or inspired by Dylan. The site has since attracted over 3,000 users, and Freckelton was taken aback. “I love Bob but I can’t imagine listening to nothing but Bob Dylan all the time,” he says. “I guess the coolest thing about Dylan is that he constantly re-arranges his own songs when he plays them live, and so you end up with a library that’s really vast. No two songs are alike.”

Currently the site is hosting the Dylanradio Battle of the Bands—a contest where bands all over the world are invited to submit their versions of Bob Dylan songs. Last year entries ran the gamut, and included submissions by two Japanese schoolgirls who called themselves The Duet and did a spirited a capella cover of “Stuck Inside Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again.” The winners—based on a voting system—were an Italian group called The Maggie’s Farm Southern Band. “They sounded like Bob Dylan if he had an Italian accent,” Freckelton says.

You can browse last year’s winners on the site and Freckelton encourages more Canadian entries: “We didn’t have many last year,” he says. (Deadline for submission is April 30th.)

Below, check out a video of Maggie's Farm Southern Band taking on "Leopard-Skin Pill-box Hat."