In a whirlwind online presentation, the East Coast Music Association announced the winners of the East Coast Music Awards. Technically the 2020 ECMA Pre-Awards Show, the winners of 18 music awards, 11 industry awards, and 3 honorary awards were all announced today, leaving a generous handful of big awards and big performances for tomorrow night’s Award Show proper.
The 2020 ECMA Nominees and Winners are as follows:
(Winners are in bold)
Blues Recording of the Year
Grasshopper – Southern Bones
Matchstick Mike – Dog Up The Road
Mike Biggar – Mike Biggar & Band Live at The BMO Theatre
Myles Goodwyn – Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues 2
Classical Recording of the Year
Atlantic String Machine – The Bayfield Sessions
Christine Carter and Duo Concertante – Invitation
Gillian Smith – Into the Stone
Marc Djokic – Solo Seven
Various – Songs of the Invisible Summer Stars
Contemporary Roots Recording of the Year
Damhnait Doyle – Liquor Store Flowers
Erin Costelo – Sweet Marie
Madison Violet – Everything’s Shifting
Steven Bowers – Elk Island Park
The East Pointers – Yours to Break
Country Recording of the Year
Ben Chase – All Over It
Cory Gallant – Welcome To My World
Dave Sampson – All Types of Ways
Jason Benoit – Revolution Pt. 1
Tomato/Tomato – Canary in a Coal Mine
Dance Recording of the Year
CRaymak – “I’d Do It Again” feat. Saint Yves
Famba – “Swear to God”
Karate Kactus – “SHY” feat. FAANGS
Sparkee – Discovery
Spoutnique – Solace
Electronic Recording of the Year
Dead Horse Beats – Inglaterra
It Could Be Franky – We All Know How This Will End
PINEO & LOEB – Elevation
Rich Aucoin – Release
Rozalind MacPhail – Don’t Let Me Fall Too Far
Folk Recording of the Year
Dave Gunning – Up Against the Sky
Jenn Grant – Love, Inevitable
Old Man Luedecke – Easy Money
Tim Baker – Forever Overhead
Villages – Villages
Group Recording of the Year
Motherhood – Dear Bongo,
Neon Dreams – Sweet Dreams Till Sunbeams
The East Pointers – Yours to Break
Villages – Villages
Wintersleep – In The Land Of
Inspirational Recording of the Year
Chris Stephens – When It Was Dark
Eastern Owl – Qama’si
Ian Foster and Nancy Hynes – A Week in December
One8Tea – Ventilation
Rey D – No Failing Faith
Instrumental Recording of the Year
Florian Hoefner – First Spring
Marc Djokic – Solo Seven
Natalie MacMaster – Sketches
Paul Tynan – Quartet
Sam Wilson – Groundless Apprehensions
Jazz Recording of the Year
Ethan Ardelli – The Island of Form
Florian Hoefner – First Spring
Heather Bambrick – Fine State
Paul Tynan – Quartet
Sam Wilson – Groundless Apprehensions
Loud Recording of the Year
Dischord – Corruption of Innocence
Dumpster Mummy – Dumpster Mummy 2
Hard Charger – Vol 4: Take The Guff And Suffer
Spirit of the Wildfire – Bittersweet Nothings
ZAUM – Divination
Pop Recording of the Year
Neon Dreams – Sweet Dreams Till Sunbeams
Rachel Cousins – Rachel Cousins
Ria Mae – Stars
T. Thomason – T. Thomason
Tara MacLean – Deeper
R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
Chris Kirby – What Goes Around
Jody Upshaw – Guilty One
Laura Roy – Forte
Selby Evans – Forever
Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year
Aquasocks – HOLOS
City Natives – Reborn
Jacobus – Caviar
JYAY – Rambo
Tachichi – Top Ten
Rising Star Recording of the Year
Dave Sampson – All Types of Ways
Leanne Hoffman – What Remains
Motherhood – Dear Bongo,
Quote the Raven – Golden Hour
Villages – Villages
Rock Recording of the Year
Adam Baldwin – No Rest for the Wicked
Andrew Waite – Tremors
Jon Samuel – Dead Melodies
Motherhood – Dear Bongo,
Wintersleep – In The Land Of
Song of the Year
Mo Kenney – “Ahead of Myself” (Producer: Mo Kenney)
Port Cities – “Montreal” (Producers: Dylan Guthro, Thomas Tawgs Salter)
The East Pointers – “Wintergreen” (Producer: Gordie Sampson)
Tim Baker – “Dance” (Producers: Marcus Paquin, Tim Baker)
Wintersleep – “Beneficiary” (Producers: Tony Doogan, Wintersleep)
2020 ECMA INDUSTRY AWARDS
Company of the Year
Foleymore Entertainment
Krista Keough Creative Communications
Parkindale Productions Inc.
Sound of Pop
The Citadel House
The Syrup Factory
Event of the Year
Celtic Colours International Festival
Halifax Jazz Festival
Makin’ Waves presented by Sydney Credit Union
Shivering Songs Festival
Stan Rogers Folk Festival
Graphic/Media Artist of the Year
Aaron Bishop
Deep Hollow Print
James Bennett
Jud Haynes
Launch Media
Management/Manager of the Year
Forward Music Group
Jones & Co
Mary Beth Waldram
Roger Lockyer
Media Outlet of the Year
Canadian Beats
Parkindale Productions Podcast
The East
The East Coast Music Hour
Weekend Mornings with Bill Roach – CBC Radio 1
Media Person of the Year
Alex Cook
Bill Roach
Erin Bond
Greg Smith
Richard Lann
Producer of the Year
Chris Kirby
Daniel Ledwell
Jon Matthews
Mark Adam
Mike “Sheppy” Shepherd
Studio Engineer of the Year
Jamie Foulds
Jason Jenkyns
Jon Matthews
Scott Ferguson
Thomas Stajcer
Studio of the Year
Codapop Studios
Echo Lake
FMP Matrix: STUDIO FMP
Soundpark Studios
The Sound Mill
Venue of the Year
Celtic Performing Arts Centre at The College of Piping
Parkindale Productions: Parkindale Hall & Shepody House
The Capital Complex
The Carleton
The Ship Pub
Video of the Year
Don Brownrigg – “Room For Me” (Directors: Mel Stone & Don Brownrigg)
Ryan Cook – “Memory Foam” (Director: Stephen Cooper)
Tim Baker – “All Hands” (Director: Jordan Canning)
Villages – “Maggie of the Cove” (Director: Jeff Miller)
Vishtèn – “Elle Tempête” (Directors by: Millefiore Clarkes/One Thousand Flowers Production)
The announcement follows on the tails of the 2020 Honorary Award Recipients, with special recognition going to three of the winners during the presentation.
Directors’ Special Achievement Award
Measha Brueggergosman
Industry Builder Award
Tony Murray
Musician’s Achievement Award
Kelly Russell
This online pre-show precedes the 2020 East Coast Music Awards presented by TD – a two-hour special airing on Saturday, July 11 at 9 p.m. AT / 9:30 NT on CBC TV in Atlantic Canada and on CBC Gem across the country.
Nine East Coast Music Awards will be given away over the course of the broadcast: Album of the Year, the Bucky Adams Memorial Award, Francophone Recording of the Year, Indigenous Artist of the Year, Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year, Solo Recording of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Fans’ Choice Entertainer of the Year, and Fans’ Choice Video of the Year. The Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award – an Honourary Award that recognizes artists who have had a profound and lasting effect on the Atlantic Canadian Music Industry – will also be presented.