And like that another East Coast Music Award celebration has come to an end. After four nights, a dozen or so venues and countless performances, the final bell has rung and the list of award winners has been announced.
“It’s been amazing to celebrate our event in Halifax, the city where the ECMAs all began 30 years ago. Congratulations to all of this week’s winners and nominees, and thank you to all of the incredible artists who’ve performed throughout the week,” says Andy McLean, ECMA Executive Director.
“I also want to thank everyone who helped make this event a resounding success, including our staff, board, volunteers, local committee, delegates, sponsors, partners, venues, hotels and the community of Halifax who have been so welcoming and enthusiastic these past five days. We can’t wait to come back!”
We here at Hafilax would like to extend a round of applause to all of the nominees. I couldn’t even begin to think of picking a single individual from each category. One of these years I’m sure we’ll get a behind the scenes documentary of the entire process, but until then we will continue as we always do.
The following is the list of award winners from the 2018 East Coast Music Awards.
MUSIC AWARDS
Album of the Year:
Rose Cousins – Natural Conclusion (Producer: Joe Henry)
Blues Recording of the Year:
Tie! Mike Biggar – Go All In and Matt Minglewood – Fly Like Desperados
Bucky Adams Memorial Award:
Measha Brueggergosman
Classical Composition of the Year:
Andrew Staniland – “The River Within Us”
Classical Recording of the Year:
Duo Concertante – Incarnation
Country Recording of the Year:
Makayla Lynn – On A Dare and a Prayer
Dance Recording of the Year:
CRaymak – Play With Fire ft Neon Dreams
Electronic Recording of the Year:
PINEO & LOEB – LIFEBLOOD
Fans’ Choice Entertainer of the Year:
Matt Minglewood
Fans’ Choice Video of the Year:
KINLEY – “Microphone” (Director: Jenna MacMillan)
Folk Recording of the Year:
Rose Cousins – Natural Conclusion
Francophone Recording of the Year:
Jacques Jacobus – Le retour de Jacobus
Group Recording of the Year:
Les Païens – Carte noire
Gospel Recording of the Year:
Measha Brueggergosman – Songs of Freedom
Indigenous Artist of the Year:
City Natives
Instrumental Recording of the Year:
Rosie MacKenzie – Atlantic
Jazz Recording of the Year:
Paul Tynan and Aaron Lington – Bicoastal Collective: Chapter 5
Loud Recording of the Year:
ZAUM – Eidolon
Pop Recording of the Year:
Jenn Grant – Paradise
Rap/Hip Hop Recording:
Quake Matthews – Celebrate the Struggle
Rising Star Recording of the Year:
KINLEY – Letters Never Sent
Rock Recording of the Year:
Jessie Brown – Keeping Appearances
Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year:
Còig – Rove
Song of the Year:
Rose Cousins – “Grace” (Producer: Joe Henry)
Solo Recording of the Year:
Mo Kenney – The Details
Songwriter of the Year:
Joel Plaskett
INDUSTRY AWARDS
Company of the Year:
SpinCount
Event of the Year:
Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival
Graphic / Media Artist of the Year:
Jud Haynes
Live Sound Engineer of the Year:
Stephen “Snickers” Smith
Management / Manager of the Year:
Sonic Entertainment Group
Media Outlet of the Year:
Halifax Is Burning
Media Person of the Year:
Hillary Windsor
Producer of the Year:
Daniel Ledwell
Studio Engineer of the Year:
Jamie Foulds
Studio of the Year:
New Scotland Yard
Venue of the Year:
The Carleton Music Bar & Grill
Video of the Year:
Kevin Davison – “When Those Sirens Are Gone”
ECMA Aficionados:
Dalhousie’s Fountain School of Performing Arts
Deloitte
Fred and Elizabeth Fountain
Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel
O’Regan’s Lexus
Stewart McKelvey
Rob Sobey
HONORARY AWARDS
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction:
Allister MacGillivray for “Song for the Mira”
Directors’ Special Achievement Award:
Sloan
Kevin Macmichael
Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award:
Lynn Horne
Industry Builder Award:
Louis Thomas
Musicians’ Achievement Award:
Geoff Arsenault
Stompin’ Tom Awards:
James McQuaid (MCJ) and Richard Gray (Cool G) (NS)
Jon Rehder (PEI)
Liz Solo (NL)
Gordie Tufts (NB)
Winston “Scotty” Fitzgerald (CB)
“On behalf of the ECMA Board of Directors, I want to thank you for your dedication to ensuring that the 2018 ECMAs was a successful and productive event. An undertaking of this magnitude would be impossible to carry out without contributions from all areas of the Halifax community. Thank you to the dedicated team of local volunteers who have made this event work so well at the grassroots level. Thank you to Matt Hebb and Candace Thomas, Co-Chairs of the Local Engagement Committee, who have been integral to ensuring that the ECMAs are in the best position possible with regard to public and corporate partnerships. A big thank you to all the contract staff who work as part of the ECMA team under stressful and time-critical conditions. I also want to especially thank our dedicated full-time staff, who work year round to ensure that this event is a success. Thank you to Andy McLean, Kathryn Herbert, Jeff Lawton, Tara MacDonald and Chantal Caissie,” says Dean Stairs, Chair of the ECMA Board.
“Last but by no means least, thank you to the city and people of Halifax and the Halifax Regional Municipality. We are grateful to be able to celebrate our 30th anniversary in the city where it all began, thank you Halifax!”
