The East Coast Music Association has announced its nominees for the 38th annual East Coast Music Awards. Nova Scotia is heavily represented with 46 nominations in total.
Leading the pack in nominations is Cape Breton’s own Goldie Boutlier with seven nominations. Boutlier released her third album Goldie Boutlier Presents… Goldie Montana in September 2025 and is also nominated for a 2026 Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year.
Right behind Boutlier is Daniel James McFadyen, a singer-songwriter based in Halifax who has been dominating Nova Scotia’s folk scene, with six nominations. The Nova Scotian sibling folk duo Cassie and Maggie are trailing McFadyen with five award nominations, tied with alt-country star Mallory Johnson, who recently released her latest album Over the Party.
A list of all the nominations can be found below. The East Coast Music Awards is taking place in Sydney from May 20-24. Hosting the awards show this year are Cape Breton comedians Bette MacDonald and Maynard Morrison.
Music Award Nominees
Entertainer of the Year (TD Fans’ Choice)
Andre Pettipas
Bailey Jordan-Neil
Cassie and Maggie
Charlie A’Court
Daniel James McFadyen
DeeDee Austin
Goldie Boutlier
Kellie Loder
Mallory Johnson
Rachel Cousins
Richard Wood
Video of the Year (TD Fans’ Choice)
Aaron MacDonald – “Beaches and Bands”
Ben Chase – “Small Town Talking” (dir. Matt Gaudet)
Brett Matthews – “Lucky Ones” (dir. Classified)
Burry – “TV Glow” (dir. Annaka Gale)
Daniel James McFadyen – “Landmine” (dir. Tim Mombourquette)
Elyse Aeryn – “Unstoppable” (dir. Jess Alexis)
Goldie Boutlier – “Favorite Fear” (dir. Chevy Tyler and Greg Swales)
Justin Fancy – “Break My Heart Again” (dir. Stephen Green)
Kellie Loder – “When We Kiss” (dir. Kellie Loder and Daniel Adams)
Mallory Johnson – “fck that” (dir. Cecil Johnson)
African Canadian Artist of the Year
Blessing Tangban
Judith Ifeadi
JupiterReign
Mayaya
Michael J Foxx
Rightflow
Album of the Year
Cassie and Maggie – Gold and Coal
Daniel James McFadyen – Back to the Country
Goldie Boutlier – Goldie Boutlier Presents… Goldie Montana
Kellie Loder – Transitions
Morgan Toney – Heal The Divide
The Irish Descendants – Those Were The Days
Acadian or Francophone Artist of the Year
HieroPhunk & Wuzzô
Jacques Surette
Kristen Martell
La famille LeBlanc
Pierre Guitard
Blues Release of the Year
Aging Disgracefully – Shatter the Mirror
Angelo Pinazzola – Harp-Centric
Geoff Arsenault – Hired Hand
JP LeBlanc – All In My Blood/Je l’ai dans l’sang
Jon Hines – Memphis Sun
Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Ben Chase
Elyse Aeryn
Goldie Boutlier
Lindsay Misiner
Robert Thomas and the Sessionmen
Sean Michael Ryan
Children’s Artist of the Year
Donna & Andy
Heather Feather
Molly Whuppie
Port-Aux-Poutines
Sugarwoods
Classical Composer of the Year
Amy Brandon
Andrew Staniland
Bekah Simms
Jason Noble
Jim O’Leary
Classical Release of the Year
Catherine Little & Greg Myra – Light and Dark
Duo Concertante – Maier Franck Schumann: Sonatas for Violin and Piano
India Gailey – Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth
Jean-Guy Boisvert – Album pour la jeunesse XXI
Jennifer King – Souvenance
Country Release of the Year
Danny Drouin – Five O’clock Shadow
Jamie Fontaine – Jamie Fontaine
Mallory Johnson – Over the Party
The Mainlanders – Just About Ready
The Martin Boys – Burn the Boats
Dance Release of the Year
Apryll Aileen – Take Me
Cloverdale – Dream Operator
Pineo & Loeb – Love Yourself
Potem – What I Gotta Be
Will Rad – Wonderland
Electronic Release of the Year
Andrew Staniland – Dancer Portrait No. 4
Green Eyes, Witch Hands – Gin
HieroPhunk & Wuzzô – Fait de Terre
Lee Rosevere – Float (Part 3)
Rich Aucoin – Frequency Modulation
Folk Release of the Year
Daniel James McFadyen – Back to the Country
Joel Plaskett – One Real Reveal
Lennie Gallant – Shelter from the Storms
Logan Richard – Character Traits
Mallory Johnson – Over the Party
Fusion Release of the Year
Claire Porter – Time Alone
Diana Delirio – Junto a mí
Jason Noble & Steve Cowan – Folk Suite
Morgan Toney – Golden Regalia
Sacred Wolf Singers & Simon Walls – Powwow Crow Hopper
Global Music Release of the Year
Ana Luísa Ramos – Clareia (Live)
Dee Hernandez – Danzón
Diana Delirio – Junto a mí
HieroPhunk – Dragon Bone
XIA-3 – Interworlds
Group of the Year
Cassie and Maggie
Les Hay Babies
Nick Earle & the Reckless Hearts
The Irish Descendants
Two Hours Traffic
XIA-3
Indigenous Artist of the Year
Bailey Jordan-Neil
Gearl
Joseph Rue
Little Stone Crow
Morgan Toney
Summer Bennett
Instrumental Release of the Year
Adam Cicchillitti – Lyrique
Andrew Staniland – The Laws of Nature
Jennifer King – Souvenance
Joel Miller – What If?
Richard Wood – Richard Wood Live! An Evening of Celtic Music
Jazz Release of the Year
Atlantic Jazz Collective feat. Norma Winstone & Joe LaBarbera – Seascape
Claire Porter – Time Alone
Joe Bowden – Music Is Life
Joel Miller – What If?
Kevin Brunkhorst – After the Fire
Loud Release of the Year
Dali Van Gogh – Wicked Way
Direwolf – Thunder Calls
The Order of the Precious Blood – Dark Hallucinations
Thunderor – Cape Breton Home
Where Giants Once Stood – Dead To You
Pop Release of the Year
Brett Matthews – Lucky Ones
DeeDee Austin – Somebody New
Logan Richard – The Grass Is Blue (Everywhere I Go)
Maggie Andrew – How to Sing for Money
Rachel Cousins – Nora
Producer of the Year
Aaron Lewis
Clint Curtis
Cloverdale
Colin Buchanan
Daniel Adams
R&B/Soul Release of the Year
Godwin Ohuabunwa – MY MEDICINE
Judith Ifeadi – Fooling Me
JupiterReign – All Mine
Lindsay Misiner – I Saw an Angel
Mayaya – Tha Vodou
Rap/Hip-Hop Release of the Year
Gearl – Gearl Ji’j
HINCH – Poetry Is the Art of Death
Michael J Foxx – Off the Stoop Vol. 1
Siddhu Sneh – i am
Todd. – Plus One
Release of the Year
Ben Chase – “Saltwater Cowboy”
DeeDee Austin – “Somebody New”
Elyse Aeryn – “Unstoppable”
Kelly McMichael – “Open (Hurts to Have a Heart)”
Mallory Johnson – “the circus”
Rich Aucoin – “Synthetic: Season 4”
Rock/Alternative Release of the Year
Absolute Losers – In the Crowd
Goldie Boutilier – Goldie Boutilier Presents… Goldie Montana
Nick Earle & The Reckless Hearts – Nostalgia Attack
Strange Plants – Strange Plants
Two Hours Traffic – I Never See You Anymore
XIA-3 – Interworlds
Roots Release of the Year
Cassie and Maggie – Gold and Coal
Charlie A’Court – San Palarino
Mike McKenna Jr. – Smokey Mountain High
Morgan Toney – Heal The Divide
Robert Thomas and the Sessionmen – The Way We Roll
Shane Pendergast – Winter Grace
Solo Artist of the Year
Daniel James McFadyen
Goldie Boutilier
Kelly McMichael
Logan Richard
Maggie Andrew
Songwriter of the Year
Carleton Stone
Daniel James McFadyen
Goldie Boutilier
Kellie Loder
Maggie Andrew
Rachel Cousins
Traditional Release of the Year
Cassie and Maggie – Gold and Coal
La famille LeBlanc – Perdrais-je mon temps…
Matthew Byrne – Stealing Time
Richard Wood – Richard Wood Live! An Evening of Celtic Music
The Irish Descendants – Those Were The Days
Industry Award Nominees
Artist Management of the Year
Faye Williams
Hilda Cousins
Jayden Duplessis (NoLoveNorthern)
Nik MacDonald
Roger Lockyer
Tiffany Martin
Event of the Year
Celtic Colours International Festival
Lawnya Vawnya 15
Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival
Makin’ Waves
The Shediac Lobster Festival / Le Festival du homard de Shediac
Innovator of the Year
Ben Chapman-Smith Music
Chuck Boudreau
Eirinn Fraser
Katrina Lopes
The Marigold Cultural Centre
Media Excellence Award
Andrew Shaver
Darcy Walsh
Greg Smith
Matt Harris
Richard Lann
Recording Engineer of the Year
Jamie Foulds
John D.S. Adams
John Mullane
Matt Dines
Mike “Sheppy” Shepherd
Technical Excellence Award
Ben Czenze
Devin Farrell
Donnie MacNeil
Nick Decker
Venue of the Year
Chester Playhouse
Colaisde na Gàidhlig / The Gaelic College
Sanctuary Arts Centre
The Majestic Theatre
The Ship Pub
Visual Artist of the Year
Anita Cazzola
Ashley Anne Clark
Max Kearns
Richard Lann
Sandra-Lee Layden