Good Dear Good leads Nova Scotia Music Week award nominations

Music Nova Scotia has released its Nova Scotia Music Week award nominations, and Good Dear Good looks to be on top with a total of four nominations.

The Halifax indie pop-rock band released their newest EP sook last September, which is up for Pop Recording of the Year. They are also nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Music Video of the Year for “Better of Dead” directed by the band’s frontman, Tim Hatcher, who is also nominated for the SOCAN Songwriter of the Year award.

Electronic artist Rich Aucoin and producer Israel Ekanem follow Good Dear Good with three nominations each, with a litany of other artists receiving nominations in 16 musical categories and seven industry categories. Voting for Music Nova Scotia members is now open until Tuesday, July 28. The general public can vote for the Entertainer of the Year category here. Nominations for African Nova Scotia Artist of the Year are ongoing via write-in ballot, with a jury scoring submissions and selecting a winner at the Music Nova Scotia Awards Brunch in Truro on Nov. 15. Tickets and wristbands are now available for purchase.

A few categories aren’t active this year due to low nomination rates. This includes:

Americana/Bluegrass Recording of the Year
Blues Recording of the Year
Children’s Artist of the Year
Classical Recording of the Year
Jazz Recording of the Year
R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
Traditional Recording of the Year

Without further ado, here are your nominees for the 2026 Music Nova Scotia Awards.

Music Nominations

Country Recording of the Year

Aaron MacDonald – It’s In My Blood

Amy & Arwen – Catchin’ Nothin’ but a Buzz

Bill Ricky – Shoot The Moon

Cameron Nickerson – The Wagon

Jon Mullane – The Road

DJ of the Year

Badi

DJ Ubuntu

HieroPhunk

KC OKOYE

PINEO & LOEB

Electronic Artist of the Year

HieroPhunk

KC OKOYE

Minus World

PINEO & LOEB

Rich Aucoin

Entertainer of the Year

Braden Lam

Cassie and Maggie

Daniel James McFadyen

Elyse Aeryn

Good Dear Good

HARMZ & Acalus

Laura Roy

Morgan Toney

Nicole Ariana

Rich Aucoin

Folk/Roots Recording of the Year

Daniel James McFadyen – Back To The Country

Dave Gunning – Field Notes

Cassie and Maggie – Gold and Coal

The Dusty Halos – Keep Us This Night

Cameron Nickerson – The Wagon

Hip-Hop/Rap Recording of the Year

Gearl – Escape

Ghettochild + Corey Writes – Life’s Not That Bad But It Still Hurts

Kxng Wooz – Malik

Mayaya – La sirène

Snez – Without a Fight

Indigenous Artist of the Year

Cherise Basque

DeeDee Austin

Gearl

Joe H Henry

Morgan Toney

Loud Recording of the Year

ANGEL GIRL – LIFE OF AN ANGEL

Last Call Chernobyl – VI: Trials & Tribulations

Puffin – Puffin

Where Giants Once Stood – Selling Salvation

YipHerLastName – The Seed of Tragedy Is Buried in My Fate

Music Video of the Year

Braden Lam – Hurricane Season, directed by Griffin O’Toole

Burry – TV GLOW, directed by Annaka Gale

Customer Service – Never Meant To, directed by MOOSECANFLY

Good Dear Good – Better Off Dead, directed by Tim Hatcher

JupiterReign – All Mine, directed by Kardeisha Provo & KekeBeatz

Maggie Andrew – Emotional Touchdown, directed by MOOSECANFLY

Nicole Ariana – Return to Sender, directed by Griffin O’Toole & MOOSECANFLY

Rich Aucoin – Space Western, directed by Rich Aucoin & Ian MacMillan

The Boojums – Burnin’ Up, directed by Willie Stratton

Yung St4k – Retrograde, directed by Jeff Miller

Musician of the Year

Aaron Lewis

Dilshan Weerasinghe

Kate Bo

Leo Cox

Matt Meuse

New Artist Recording of the Year

Dane Pedersen – Travelling Alone

Dilshan – re:fuge

FERAL CAROL – SUPER DUPER!

Malcolm MacNeil – The Bridge

Puffin – Puffin

Pop Recording of the Year

Brett Matthews – Tomorrow

Burry – I’m tired

Good Dear Good – sook

Maggie Andrew – HOW TO SING FOR MONEY

Mat Hughes – South-Facing Dumpster

Prix de l’Acadie

Jacques Surette

Kristen Martell

La Jam Acadjen de Sylvie Marie

Serena Wu

Vickie Deveau

Rock Recording of the Year

Beauts – Marigolds

The Boojums – The Boojums

Customer Service – If You’re Here, You Must Be Fine

Elyse Aeryn – Everybody Loves You…

FERAL CAROL – SUPER DUPER!

SOCAN Songwriter of the Year

Carleton Stone

Laura Roy

Tim Hatcher

Willie Stratton

Yung St4k

Industry Nominations

Artistic Development Award

Chuck Boudreau

Eirinn Fraser

Halifax Jazz Festival

Mi’kmaq Artist Emergence Program – Carol Ann Potter/Andree Gracie

SoundBox Music

Educator of the Year

Eirinn Fraser

Evan Newman

Laura Rae

Reagan Mae Kuzyk

Vladimir Sitnikov

Emerging Industry Professional of the Year

Darcy Walsh

Ebow Darko Dawson

Evan Wiseman

Israel Ekanem

Jayden Duplessis (NoLoveNorthern)

Live Sector Award

Glasgow Square Theatre

Halifax Jazz Festival

Pavilion Youth Association

Sanctuary Arts Centre

The Shore Club

Media Arts Award

Atlantic Broadcasters Ltd

Darcy Walsh

Evan Wiseman (Inside the Scene)

Israel Ekanem

Josh Lavoie

Recording Sector Award

Alex LeBlanc

Alex Meade

John Mullane