The full list of nominees is here for the 2024 East Coast Music Awards, and Halifax is well-represented. A total of 48 different local artists, engineers, media personalities and venues made the shortlist for the annual celebration highlighting the best music from the East Coast. That includes six nominations for homegrown singer-songwriter Jenn Grant, on the heels of her Champagne Problems album, and another four for pop duo Neon Dreams in the wake of the summery Love Child Baby Dolphin.
This year’s ECMAs are set for May 1-5 in Charlottetown, PEI. Voting opens for the Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year and Fan’s Choice Video of the Year tomorrow, Jan. 24 at ECMA.com. Check out the full list of nominees below.
***Denotes Halifax-area nominee
MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES
African Canadian Artist of the Year
Baraka
Gary Beals***
Jah'Mila***
Maggie Andrew***
Valmy
Album of the Year
Braden Lam - Strange Paradise***
Jenn Grant - Champagne Problems***
Jimmy Rankin - Harvest Highway
Neon Dreams - Love Child Baby Dolphin***
The East Pointers - Safe In Sound
Tim Baker - The Festival
Blues Recording of the Year
Charlie A'Court - “International Roots & Blues Kitchen Party”
Joe H Henry - Keep the Fire Burning EP
Jon Hines - A Pale Blue Dot
Lookout Tower - Fields
Wayne Nicholson - Gin House***
Children’s Entertainer of the Year
Bingly and the Rogues
Donna & Andy
Levon the Prince***
Mi'kmaq Heritage Actors
The Swinging Belles
Choral Recording of the Year
Choeur Louisbourg - “L’appel”
Halifax Gay Men's Chorus - “Winter Awakening”***
Luminos Ensemble - In the Crystalline Vault of Heaven
Nova Voce - “Painter of Wintertime”***
Polaris - Truly Home
Classical Composer Of The Year
Adam Vincent Clarke - “Prélude”
Andrew Staniland - “Blackwood Sketches”
Edward Enman - Insights
Jason Noble - “Folk Suite”
Monica Pearce - Etiquette
Classical Recording of the Year
Bill Brennan - Kaleidoscope: Music for Mallet Instruments
Kate Read - After
Ofra Harnoy & Mike Herriott - Portrait
Tutta Musica Orchestra - Ovation
VC2 Cello Duo - I and Thou
Contemporary Roots Recording of the Year
Jimmy Rankin - Harvest Highway
Sirène et Matelot - Un monde de dissonances
Tara MacLean - Sparrow
The East Pointers - Safe In Sound
Villages - Dark Island***
Country Recording of the Year
Ben Chase - That Was Then, This Is Now
Émilie Landry - Enfiler mes bottes
Jason Benoit - Time Traveller: The Album
Justin Fancy - Whiskey & Me
Youngtree & The Blooms - Youngtree and The Blooms
Dance Recording of the Year
Alex Byrne - “In My Head”
Cloverdale - “Up To No Good”***
DeeDee Austin - “Stay Dancin’”***
Lee Rosevere - “Needed You” feat. KINLEY
The VOLTA - “Save the Night”
Electronic Recording of the Year
Leaving Laurel - when the quiet comes***
Lee Rosevere - Samplextra
Nicole Ariana - Crybaby***
Qwinn - “Welcome to My Life”
Rich Aucoin - “Space”***
Folk Recording of the Year
Dave Gunning - The Same Storm
Jenn Grant - Champagne Problems***
Nico Paulo - Nico Paulo
Sirène et Matelot - Un monde de dissonances
Tim Baker - The Festival
Francophone Recording of the Year
BAIE - Grand bleu
Beauxmont - Beauxmont
Émilie Landry - Enfiler mes bottes
Julie Aubé - Contentement
La Patente - Le paradis des infidèles
Fusion Recording of the Year
Gina Burgess - “Anuri”***
KAYO - “Afrobeats & Affirmations” ft. aRENYE & Million Vibes Tribe***
Morgan Toney - “Netukulimk”
Pallmer - “Freshet”
XIA-3 - “Dance of the Yi”
Global Recording of the Year
Ana & Eric - Our House From Here
Cuerpos - En Dos Partes
Tzu-Cheng Wang - Hello, PEI!
XIA-3 - XIA-3
Yanan Liu (Tiffany Liu) - “Riding the Waves”
Group Recording of the Year
Hillsburn - Stories EP***
Jessica Rhaye & The Ramshackle Parade - Sunshine Baby
Neon Dreams - Love Child Baby Dolphin***
The East Pointers - Safe In Sound
Voodoo Sometimes - “Hummingbird's Vice”***20
Indigenous Artist of the Year
City Natives
Jason Benoit
Morgan Toney
Silver Wolf Band
Summer Bennett
Instrumental Recording of the Year
Bill Brennan - Kaleidoscope: Music for Mallet Instruments
Duane Andrews and The Hot Club of Conception Bay - “Djangology”
Flying Pooka! - Flying Pooka! The Ecstasy of Becoming
Inn Echo - Hemispheres
Nicole Rampersaud - Saudade
Jazz Recording of the Year
Flying Pooka! - The Ecstasy of Becoming
Jackson\Wilson Duo - New Doors***
James Shaw - III / V***
Jeremie Carrier - Flowing
Paul Tynan - Bicoastal Collective: Chapter 6
Loud Recording of the Year
Dad Patrol - Pleaser
Diner Drugs - 42
Electric Spoonful - Still 2 Poor***
Kilmore - From the Inside***
Orchid’s Curse - The Decay***
Pop Recording of the Year
Good Dear Good - Arrival***
KINLEY - Daylight
Leanne Hoffman - The Text Collector***
Neon Dreams - Love Child Baby Dolphin***
The East Pointers - Safe In Sound
R&B / Soul Recording of the Year
Avery Dakin - Bloom***
Gary Beals - The Melody Within***
JupiterReign - Intergalactic***
KAYO - Trip***
Lindsay Misiner & The 7th Mystic - Lindsay Misiner & The 7th Mystic***
Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year
Black Rook - Black Rook***
Cavy - Energy Thief
City Natives - Still Chief'n
Harmz - Better Watch***
Stephen Hero - Paper Flowers
The Umbrella Collective - WELCOME TO STUDIO UC!
Rising Star Recording of the Year
Good Dear Good - “Coffee and Sunshine”***
Jay Heart - “After The Tone”
Kilmore - “Firestone”***
Noah Malcolm - “Feel The Same”
Terra Spencer - “At Your Service”
The Bombadils - “Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming”***
Rock Recording of the Year
Andre Pettipas and the Giants - Under Control
Elyse Aeryn - Joy State of Mind
Fairgale - The Way It Was Before
Good Dear Good - Arrival***
Hillsburn - Stories EP***
Kilmore - From the Inside***
Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year
Brad Reid - The Bridge***
Inn Echo - Hemispheres
Kitchinparti - “No Word of a Lie”
La Famille LeBlanc - “Perdrais-je mon temps...Would I be losing my time…”
Morgan Toney - “Resilience”
Solo Recording of the Year
Braden Lam - Strange Paradise***
Christina Martin - “Storm”***
Dennis Ellsworth - Modern Hope
Jimmy Rankin - Harvest Highway
Tim Baker - The Festival
Song of the Year
Classified - “People”***
Jenn Grant - “Judy”***
Tara MacLean - “Sparrow”
The Bombadils - “Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming”***
The East Pointers - “We Will Meet Again”
Tim Baker - “Some Day”
Songwriter of the Year
Braden Lam***
Carleton Stone
Jenn Grant***
KINLEY
The Bombadils***
The East Pointers
Fans' Choice Entertainer of the Year
Dave Gunning
Derina Harvey Band
Christina Martin***
Classified***
Cloverdale***
Jimmy Rankin
Kellie Loder
Lennie Gallant
Mallory Johnson
Neon Dreams***
PINEO & LOEB***
Rum Ragged
The East Pointers
Tim Baker
Fans' Choice Video of the Year
2nd Generation - “Kina'mu” (Director: Matthew Ingraham)
Ben Chase - “Saltwater Cowboy” (Director: Matt Gaudet)
Brooklyn Blackmore - “Great Minds Drink Alike” (Director: Robb Medwid, Devin Deuville)***
Classified - “People” (Director: Brothers Boyd)***
Daniel James McFadyen - “Sunshine” (Director: Griffin O'Toole)
DeeDee Austin - “Buried Truth” (Director: Michael Reid Boyd)***
Jenn Grant - “Judy” (Director: Tessa Fleming)***
Jessica Rhaye & The Ramshackle Parade - “Come a Little Closer” (Director: Jordan Mattie & Jessica Rhaye)
Lennie Gallant - “On the Minnehaha” (Director: Patricia Richard and Lennie Gallant)
Mallory Johnson - “Surprise Party” (Director: Cecil Johnson)
POSTDATA - “Try” (Director: Griffin O'Toole)***
Rum Ragged - “Lazy Afternoon (Live)” (Director: Tom Cochrane)
Tim Baker - “Echo Park” (Director: Tim Baker)
INDUSTRY AWARD NOMINEES
Artist Management of the Year
Derrick Sturge (Pharos Music Inc.)
Dwayne Marcial
Faye Williams Wood
Hurricane Music
Todd Mercer
Audio Engineer of the Year
Ben B. Creelman***
Jamie Foulds
John D.S. Adams
Matt Dines
Scott Ferguson***
Event of the Year
2023 Canada Games IllumiNATION Festival
Halifax Jazz Festival***
Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival
Under the Spire
We Stand On Guard Again
Innovator of the Year
Before The Dinosaurs
Eirinn Fraser
Katrina Lopes
Lindsay Connolly
Tara MacLean
Media Person Of The Year
Doug Gallant
Katie Kelly***
Mike and Kristen***
Richard Lann
Zach Snow
Producer Of The Year
Andrew A. Melzer
Clint Curtis
Corey LeRue***
Jenn Grant & Daniel Ledwell***
Keith Mullins
Venue of the Year
First Light Centre for Performance & Creativity
The Arts Guild PEI
The Carleton***
The Ship Pub
Under the Spire
Video Director of the Year
Brothers Boyd***
Cecil Johnson
Karen Robinson
MOOSECANFLY
Noah Malcolm
Visual Artist of the Year
Ashley Anne Clark
Heidi-Lyn O'Connor - East Track Mind
Jessica Rhaye
Jud Haynes
Krista Power
