Atlantic Canadian musicians feted at ECMA gala
Four days of celebrating Atlantic Canadian music culminated in Corner Brook, N.L., on Sunday night with the annual East Coast Music Association Awards.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Hey Rosetta! picked up three awards, with the rising indie rock group’s album Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) snagging the FACTOR recording of the year prize, as well as group and alternative recording of the year.
Taking the awards podium for the third time, Hey Rosetta! frontman Tim Baker quipped that he had “already given the speech that I prepared, twice.”
However, he added thanks to “basically any funding body and anyone who lobbies for the arts and in favour of the arts. Sometimes it’s not a lot of money [we receive], but it means a lot and it means you can make something beautiful and meaningful…. [It] keeps the process really pure. Thank you for that.”
Cape Breton singer-songwriter and producer Gordie Sampson, now based in Nashville, was among the evening’s early winners, taking the single of the year trophy for We Are Young and So Is the Night. Later on, he was also named winner of the SOCAN songwriter of the year trophy.
Halifax singer Jill Barber was also an early ECMA Award recipient. She won for jazz recording of the year for Chances.
After a skit featuring Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams revving up the people of Corner Brook kicked off the televised broadcast of the ECMAs, singer Damhnait Doyle and CBC Radio personality Jian Ghomeshi continued the evening as co-hosts.
Prizes presented prior to the television broadcast included:
Aboriginal recording: This Is the Life for Me, The Flummies.
Instrumental album: Raindrops, Duane Andrews.
Blues recording: Something in Between, Matt Andersen.
Classical recording: A Child’s Cry from Izieu Oskar Morawetz, complete works for violin and piano, Jasper Wood.
Aside from the slate of traditional awards, organizers will also present the inaugural ECMA Fan’s Choice Award, a new publicly voted honour. The evening will also include a star-studded tribute to singer-songwriter, guitarist and Newfoundland musical pioneer Dick Nolan.
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