Your 2018 East Coast Music Award winners

After kicking off Wednesday evening on the waterfront, the ECMAs  coasted to a gentle finish in a downtown Halifax hotel last night. The festival has tweaked its handout system over the years, moving the big show early in the fest (this year it was Thursday), experimented with giving out individual awards at late-night showcases (terrible) and this year moved the traditional industry brunch to an evening celebration (we’ll see if that sticks). The winners, between both evening shows, are:

Album: Rose Cousins, Natural Conclusion
Blues Recording:  (tie) Mike Biggar, Go All In and Matt Minglewood, Fly Like Desperados
Bucky Adams Memorial: Measha Brueggergosman
Country Recording: Makayla Lynn, On A Dare and a Prayer
Dance Recording: CRaymak ft Neon Dreams, Play With Fire
Directors’ Special Achievement: Sloan
Electronic Recording: PINEO & LOEB, LIFEBLOOD
Fans’ Choice Entertainer: Matt Minglewood
Fans’ Choice Video: KINLEY – “Microphone” (Director: Jenna MacMillan)
Folk Recording: Rose Cousins, Natural Conclusion
Francophone Recording: Jacques Jacobus, Le retour de Jacobus
Gospel Recording: Measha Brueggergosman, Songs of Freedom
Group Recording: Les Païens, Carte noire
Indigenous Artist: City Natives
Instrumental Recording: Rosie MacKenzie, Atlantic
Jazz Recording: Paul Tynan & Aaron Lington, Bicoastal Collective: Chapter 5
Loud Recording: ZAUM, Eidolon
Pop Recording: Jenn Grant, Paradise
Rap/Hip Hop Recording: Quake Matthews, Celebrate the Struggle
Rising Star Recording: KINLEY, Letters Never Sent
Rock Recording: Jessie Brown, Keeping Appearances
Roots/Traditional Recording: Còig, Rove
Solo Recording: Mo Kenney, The Details
Song: Rose Cousins, “Grace”
Songwriter: Joel Plaskett

Company: SpinCount
Event: Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival
Graphic/Media Artist: Jud Haynes
Live Sound Engineer: Stephen “Snickers” Smith
Management/Manager: Sonic Entertainment Group
Media Outlet: Halifax Is Burning
Media Person: Hillary Windsor
Producer: Daniel Ledwell
Studio Engineer: Jamie Foulds
Studio: New Scotland Yard
Venue: The Carleton Music Bar & Grill
Video: Kevin Davison, “When Those Sirens Are Gone”

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This article appears in May 3-9, 2018.