Last night, the African Nova Scotian Music Association’s awards highlighted a handful of the ear-exalting excellence that local Black artists put forth in 2020. From the kalimba-soaked single “Outside” by Zamani to Jah’Mila’s reggae resistance song “Chant Their Names” to Keonté Beals’ anthemic track “KING” (from an album of the same name that was so good, it made our Best of 2020 list) it’s been a fruitful year for superlative sonic stylings in Halifax. Yup, even in a year plagued by the biggest global pandemic of our time, our ears wanted for nothing—thanks in large part to the following ANSMA Award winners:
Emerging Artist of the Year Award: Jah’Mila
Rising Star of the Year Award: Mark Riley
Artist of the Year Award: Zamani
Single of the Year Award: A tie between Owen O’Sound Lee and Keonté Beals
Album/EP of the Year: Gary Beals
Peep our playlist below for a taste of the tunes these artists are being recognized for: