It’s almost time again for Nova Scotia Music Week, an annual celebration of the province’s music community through awards, showcases, workshops and most importantly, connections.
Just last week, Music Nova Scotia shared its third round of showcasing artists for the 2025 awards, taking place in Yarmouth from Thursday, Oct. 23 to Sunday, Oct. 26. Within the most recently announced lineup are some Halifax-area favourites, such as Customer Service, Good Dear Good, Mat Hughes and Rich Aucoin. Also performing are Leanne Hoffman, Alexander Gallant, and Loviet, along with many more.
In terms of awards, Mi’kmaq singer-songwriter and fiddler Morgan Toney leads the way with a total of five nominations. Following close behind is hip-hop artist KAYO with four nominations. With three nominations each are Braden Lam, Jah’Mila, KC Okoye, Million Vibes, Mo Kenney and PINEO & LOEB.
To Music Nova Scotia executive director Allegra Swanson, the annual event is more than just showcasing and rewarding talent—it’s about fostering relationships.
“I think it’s an amazing community-building opportunity,” says Swanson in an interview with The Coast. “So often, people have competing priorities. They have work they’re doing outside of their jobs. They’re travelling ideally for shows and touring. To get everyone in the same space is a really amazing thing. I had someone say to me last year that it feels like a reunion every year.”
2025 marks the 28th year of Nova Scotia Music Week, having originally started in 1997. Four years ago, they introduced the artists’ lounge—a place for artists and industry colleagues to connect and unwind through what is no doubt a busy week.
“Getting our artists and industry colleagues to connect is one of my favourite parts of the week,” says Swanson.
It’s this chance for connection that allows newer artists to meet mid-career artists and music professionals, getting a sense of what it’s like to be an established artist while opening up opportunities for collaboration and inspiration. Swanson says it’s also a great way for careers to develop.
“There are so many ways that you can take someone’s budding interest in the music industry and turn that into a career,” says Swanson. “We have lots of people who start as artists and then move into the industry side of things, and, you know, to be able to make those connections at Music Week, I think, is really important.”
Another important aspect of Music Week is that not only those accepted to perform are permitted to attend—passes exist for anyone interested in attending Nova Scotia Music Week, from fans to fellow artists.
“You can meet up with delegates, still do that networking,” says Swanson.
Economic and cultural impacts
While there is a bidding process to determine the location of each Nova Scotia Music Week, Swanson says they’ve become more flexible when it comes to location. For instance, last year’s Music Week took place in Wolfville. It was the first time Music Week was hosted in the community.
“In the off-season, it’s so important to go to some of these communities and provide access to you know, between 75 and sometimes up to 100 acts performing,” says Swanson.
It also helps the artists reach a wider audience. It’s one thing if a Halifax-based artist is playing their local venues, but their reach becomes so much wider when they’re incentivized to play in places such as Yarmouth, Wolfville and so on. Swanson says it’s meaningful for both the community and the artists.
Nova Scotia Music Week also accelerates the local economy, with Swanson saying it usually brings over $1 million to any given community through hotel stays, restaurants, bars and more. The cultural impact is just as significant, introducing a wide array of artists and genres where they may not normally be prevalent.
“I think (Music Week) provides a great opportunity for the community to see things they don’t normally get access to, and invite them to maybe travel around to follow some of these acts,” says Swanson. “It’s not only an impact for the businesses in town, those operators outside of the normal tourism seasons, but it really is an opportunity to bring new artists, new music, new culture to the community.”
For Swanson, she’s particularly glad to see that Nova Scotia’s classical music community continues to be spotlighted during Music Week. She is also happy to see artists who previously took part in the Mi’kmaq Artist Emergence Program. Overall, she wants people to know that there are creatives in their communities doing amazing things.
“We want people to know the music coming out of their community,” says Swanson. “We’re excited to be a part of that.”
Tickets and passes for Nova Scotia Music Week, along with a full list of performers and nominees, are available on the website.
This article appears in Aug 1-31, 2025.