​East Coast Music Awards Unveil 2019 Nominees

Classified, Ben Caplan, Jeremy Dutcher, Fortunate Ones, Hillsburn and more are all up for awards

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Jan 28, 2019

The East Coast Music Awards will once again be handed out in 2019, honouring Canadian artists from the easternmost provinces, and this year's nominees have just been announced.
 
Rapper Classified earned the most nods with seven, while Ben Caplan garnered nominations in an impressive six categories and Jeremy Dutcher got nominated in five. Not to be ignored, Fortunate Ones, Hillsburn, Paper Lions and Neon Dreams each earned four nods.
 
The top honour of Album of the Year will be a competition between Classified, Dylan Menzie, Fortunate Ones, Paper Lions and Postdata.
 
There will also be a round of industry awards, honouring management, media outlets and venues.
 
See the full list of nominees below.
 
The ECMA's will be handed out in Charlottetown from May 1 to 5.
 
2019 East Coast Music Award nominees:
 
Music Awards:
 
Album of the Year
 
Classified - Tomorrow Could Be The Day Things Change
Dylan Menzie - As The Clock Rewinds  
Fortunate Ones - Hold Fast  
Paper Lions - At Long Creek II  
Postdata - Let's Be Wilderness
 
Blues Recording of the Year
 
Dan Doiron - Livin' Centre Stage
Earle & Coffin - A Day In July
Elise Besler - Truth
Logan Richard - The Split 2.0
Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues - Myles Goodwyn And Friends Of The Blues
 
Bucky Adams Memorial Award
 
Jody Upshaw
Keonté Beals
Owen Lee
Reeny Smith
Tachichi
 
Classical Composition of the Year

Andrew Staniland - "Earthquakes and Islands"
Charke - "Cormier Duo: Ex Tempore"
Jeremy Dutcher - "Mehcinut"
Paul Halley - "God's Grandeur"
 
Classical Recording of the Year
 
Charke - Cormier Duo: Ex Tempore
Duo Concertante - Perfect Light
Jennifer King - O Mistress Moon
New Brunswick Youth Orchestra - Sea to Sea
Paul Halley - In The Wide Awe And Wisdom - Choral Works by Paul Halley
 
Contemporary Roots Recording of the Year
 
Jeremy Dutcher – Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
Jimmy Rankin – Moving East
Lennie Gallant – Time Travel
Museum Pieces – Plain Sight
Meaghan Blanchard – The Great Escape
 
Country Recording of the Year
 
Cameron Nickerson - Detours
Carolina East - Crossroads
Mallory Johnson - Mallory Johnson
Ryan Cook - Having a Great Time
Thomas Stajcer - Will I Learn To Love Again?
 
Dance Recording of the Year
 
Balco - "Real You" (feat. Malia Rogers)
Dion Todd - "Rocketship State of Mind"
Lonely Kid & Dylan Menzie - "You Could Be My Queen"
PINEO & LOEB - "Bump In The Road"
 
Electronic Recording of the Year
Alex Byrne - Come Back
Denique - Shape 1
grej - Chasing the Path
Rozalind MacPhail - LOVE AND LET BE
Sparkee - Technically Impossible EP
 
Folk Recording of the Year

Ben Caplan - Old Stock
Gunning & Cormier - Two
Heather Rankin - Imagine
Ian Sherwood - Bring The Light
The Ennis Sisters - Keeping Time
The Once - Time Enough
 
Francophone Recording of the Year

Chloé Breault - Love
Joannie Benoît - Feux de bengale
Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire - Viens avec moi
Raphaël Butler - Raphaël Butler
Simon Daniel - Nightcrawler
 
Gaelic Artist of the Year

Ben Miller & Anita MacDonald
Dara Smith-MacDonald & Adam Young
Kyle MacDonald
NicNeil
 
Group Recording of the Year

ChessClub - These Flowers Are For You
Fortunate Ones - Hold Fast
Hillsburn - The Wilder Beyond
Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire - Viens avec moi
Paper Lions - At Long Creek II
The Town Heroes - Everything (Will Be Fine When
We Get To Where We Think We're Going)

Vishtèn - Horizons
 
Indigenous Artist of the Year

Alan Syliboy and The Thundermakers
Brandon Arnold
Jeremy Dutcher
Old Self & Kam Speech
SHiFT FROM THA 902
 
Inspirational Recording of the Year
 
Infinitely More - The Beauty Of The One
Matt Linton - Call His Name Jesus
Paul Brace - Liars & Actors
Rootsdeepdown - Live At Selah
We The Rescued - Heartstrings
 
Instrumental Recording of the Year
 
Beaton-Plasse - Beaton-Plasse
Ben Miller & Anita MacDonald - South Haven
Gillian Head - Tidal
Joyful Noise - Cocoloco
Richard Wood - Unbroken
 
Jazz Recording of the Year

Bill Elliott - Canadian Certified Guitar Player
Grahame Rhodes - Giant Steps
Ouroboros - Kitchuses
Tin Pan Darlings - Inside a Melody
Tom Easley - The Starting Point vs The Steep Decline
 
Loud Recording of the Year

Death Valley Driver - Wolf Crown
Hitman - The Offering: Side 1
Kilmore - Call of the Void
Orchid's Curse - Graveyard of the Gulf
The Combine - Void and Vessel
 
Pop Recording of the Year

Adyn Townes - After The Fall
Neon Dreams - Shape Of My Mind
Paper Lions - At Long Creek II
Rachel Beck - Rachel Beck
Simon Daniel - Nightcrawler
 
R&B/Soul Recording of the Year

Amanda Jackson Band - Fire in the Blue
Cyndi Cain - Stand Up
Elijah Wohlmuth (Will) - 3am
Jody Upshaw - Straight Shooter
Reeny Smith - WWIII: Strength. Courage. Love.
 
Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year

Brandon Arnold - A Leo's Dream
Classified - Tomorrow Could Be The Day Things Change
Kayo - Winter in St Lucia
Mitchell Bailey - Season One
Quake Matthews - Drinking Games
 
Rising Star Recording of the Year

FM Berlin - At Least You're Having Fun
Jenni & The Hummingbird - Your Masterpiece
Jeremy Dutcher - Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
LeRiche - X-Dreamers
Rachel Beck - Rachel Beck
 
Rock Recording of the Year

FM Berlin - At Least You're Having Fun
Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire - Viens avec moi
Postdata - Let's Be Wilderness
Tampa - Belated Love
The Stanfields - Limboland
 
Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year

Barra MacNeils - On the Bright Side
Beaton-Plasse - Beaton-Plasse
Rosemary Lawton - Painted Glass
Rum Ragged - The Hard Times
Vishtèn - Horizons
 
Solo Recording of the Year

Ben Caplan - Old Stock
Classified - Tomorrow Could Be The Day Things Change
Gabrielle Papillon - Keep the Fire
Heather Rankin - Imagine
Jeremy Dutcher - Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
 
Song of the Year

Ben Caplan - "Lullaby" (Producer: Graham Scott)
Gabrielle Papillon - "When The Heart Attacks"
(Producers: Corey LeRue, Daniel Ledwell)
Postdata - "Black Cloud" (Producer: Tony Doogan)
Quake Matthews - "Confessions" feat. Neon Dreams (Producer: Street Runner)
The East Pointers - "Two Weeks" (Producer: Gordie Sampson)
 
Songwriter of the Year
 
Ben Caplan
Classified
Fortunate Ones
Gabrielle Papillon
Port Cities
The Town Heroes
 
Fans' Choice Entertainer of the Year
 
Barra MacNeils
Ben Caplan
David Myles
Fortunate Ones
Heather Rankin
Hillsburn
Lennie Gallant
Mo Kenney
Neon Dreams
Paper Lions
Port Cities
The East Pointers
 
Fans' Choice Video of the Year
 
Ben Caplan – "Minimum Intervals"
BRDGS – "All My Friends"  
Christina Martin – "Always Reminding"
Classified – "Powerless"
Hillsburn – "Strange Clouds"
Jimmy Rankin – "Been Away"
KINLEY – "Golden Days"
LeRiche – "River Runs"
Makayla Lynn – "Joyride"
Neon Dreams – "Shape Of My Mind"
 
Industry Awards:
 
Company of the Year

Malkin Music Management
Spincount
Sonic Concerts
Sound of Pop
The Syrup Factory
 
Event of the Year

Cavendish Beach Music Festival
Celtic Colours International Festival
Halifax Jazz Festival
Halifax Pop Explosion
Island Jazz
 
Graphic/Media Artist of the Year

Abracazebra Productions
Brendan Henry
James Bennett
Krista Power
Richard Lann
 
Live Sound Engineer of the Year

Devin Farrell
Stephen "Snickers" Smith
Wayne O'Connor
Zach Lacey
 
Management/Manager of the Year

Carol Doucet (Le Grenier Musique)
Jones & Co. Lynn Colepaugh (Malkin Music Management)
Nigel Jenkins (Laughing Heart Music)
Sonic Entertainment Group
 
Media Outlet of the Year

Canadian Beats
Halifax Is Burning
Tantramar Community Radio CFTA 107.9 FM
The Barbershop Sessions
The East
 
Media Person of the Year

Alex Cook
Bill Roach
Doug Gallant
Greg Smith
Richard Lann
 
Producer of the Year

Chris Kirby
Corey LeRue
Daniel Ledwell
Jon Matthews
Luke Boyd (aka Classified)
 
Studio Engineer of the Year

Dale Murray
Darren van Niekirk
Michael "Sheppy" Shepherd
Scott Ferguson
Scott Hammond
 
Studio of the Year

Codapop Studios
FMP Matrix
Halflife Records
New Scotland Yard
The Sound Mill
 
Venue of the Year

The Capital Complex
The Carleton
"The Mack" (at Confederation Centre of the Arts)
The Ship Pub Trailside Music Café & Inn
 
Video of the Year

ChessClub - "Amelia Earhart" (Director: Matt Power)
Christina Martin - "Always Reminding" (Director: Ryan Thompson)
Classified - "Powerless" (Director: Andrew Hines)
Hillsburn - "Strange Clouds" (Director: Paul Aarntzen)
KINLEY - "Golden Days" (Director: Jenna MacMillan)
Neon Dreams - "Shape Of My Mind" (Director: Zack Facts)

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