Halifax wins big at the 2023 East Coast Music Awards

There's never been a shortage of proof that Halifax is a music city. It's pouring out of the front door of Gus' Pub seven nights a week, bubbling up from the basement of the Seahorse every weekend, spilling out onto Argyle Street thanks to The Carleton—and that's all in a roughly 20 minute walk around the central peninsula. But if you ever wanted some big guns to back up an argument that this city has one of the strongest sonic scenes around, the East Coast Music Awards came thru with receipts at last night's ceremony. The first of two awards shows that are part of this year's festival—which is taking over town with concerts and events until May 7—skewed heavily Haligonian when it came to announcing who the winners are. Here, we're recapping who took home what:
Album of the year went to David Myles's It’s Only A Little Loneliness
while song of the year was a win for Dartmouth singer-songwriter Adam Baldwin and his hit "Lighthouse In Little Lorraine."
Halifax R&B sensation Zamani was awarded African Canadian Artist of the Year, while the city's reggae queen, Jah'Mila, took home Global Recording of the Year for her feature-length debut, Roots Girl. Nicole Ariana, another Halifax-based powerhouse delivering alt-R&B—won Fans' Choice Video of the Year.
Nova Scotians Natalie MacMaster and Morgan Toney took home the Director's Special Achievement and Indigenous Artist of the Year awards, respectively.

The East Pointers's House of Dreams won Group Recording of the Year. City Natives were awarded Hip Hop Recording of the Year for the album The People of The Dawn. Lisa LeBlanc's Polaris Prize-shortlisted Chiac Disco took home Francophone Recording of the Year. Fortunate Ones's That Was You and Me nabbed Folk Recording of the Year. Kellie Loder, meanwhile, won double: She was Fan's Choice Entertainer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year.