East Coast Music Awards announces 2017 nominations
2017 East Coast Music Awards show will take place on April 27 in Saint John
Two Halifax-area hitmakers dominated the East Coast Music Awards nominations announced Tuesday.
Rapper Classified leads with nine nominations, followed by frequent collaborator Ria Mae, who received seven nods for her alternative brand of pop.
"This means the world," Mae tweeted. "Can't wait to see you in April."
The front-runners have brought fresh attention to Atlantic Canada's music scene, both maintaining their local roots while
touring widely.
Juno nomination
Classified produced Mae's self-titled album featuring Clothes Off, which went on to become a smash hit on the Canadian radio charts and grabbed a Juno nomination for single of the year — a category based on sales — alongside songs by Justin Bieber, Drake and the Weeknd.
The electro-pop mashup has been certified gold in Canada with more than 50,000 sales, and its music video has garnered more than 2.3 million views.
"Coming from the East Coast, everyone has that traditional guitar-based, drums [sound] and I was listening to pop radio," Mae told The Canadian Press in June. "I just wanted to have more fun with it."
Mae said she and Classified may have never teamed up had it not been for their shared hometown.
'Really funny collaborations'
"[Halifax] makes for some really funny collaborations," said Mae, who is currently touring with Vancouver duo Tegan and Sara.
"If I grew up in Toronto I wouldn't necessarily be collaborating with the most famous hip-hop artist [in that city]."
Classified, who lives in nearby Enfield, N.S., "repped his coast" in hip-hop tribute entitled The Maritimes, rapping about fiddle players, Alexander Keiths and donairs and extolling the region as "the home of the innocents."
His latest album, Greatful, was released last January and included a collaboration with Snoop Dogg, No Pressure. It also reunited him with David Myles, who sang on his biggest hit, 2013's Inner Ninja.
113 Nova Scotian nominations
The artists were in good company, with five of 13 fans' choice nominees hailing from Nova Scotia.
Newfoundland electronic band Repartee racked up five nominations, with six other artists tying with four.
In total, the nominations include 113 people or acts from Nova Scotia, 44 from New Brunswick, 27 from Prince Edward Island and 27 from Newfoundland and Labrador.
The 2017 East Coast Music Awards show will take place on April 27 in Saint John.
5-day party
The ECMAs are a five-day celebration of music showcasing more than 500 East Coast artists.
Performing artists this year will include Classified, David Myles, Paper Lions, Reeny Smith, Ria Mae, Jason Benoit, Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire, Caroline Savoie, Repartee, Tomato/Tomato, Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys, Còig, the Motorleague, and Adam Baldwin.
Here is a complete list of nominees, with links to stories from the past year:
Blues Recording of the Year
Beauwater - Lovers, Fools and Kings
Blues Merchants - Davis Street
Earle & Coffin - Nick Earle & Joseph Coffin: Live at the Citadel House
Furlong & Smith - Blues You Can Use
The Honeyboys - The Honeyboys
Bucky Adams Memorial Award
2 Kings
Ced Marty & Dave
Jody Upshaw
Keonté Beals
Classical Composition of the Year
Amy Brandon - Artificial Light
Duane Andrews - Gigues
Ian Bent - Old Moon
Sean Kemp - Lost Time
Scott Macmillan - Currents of Sable Island
Classical Recording of the Year
Allison Angelo - Moon Loves Its Light
Atlantic String Machine - Lost Time
Duo Concertante - J.S. Bach Six Sonatas for Violin and Keyboard
Halifax Camerata Singers - A Time For All Things
Taktus - Glass Houses for Marimba
Country Recording of the Year
The Divorcees - From Labour to Refreshment
Jason Price - Grit, Guts and Country Pride
RyLee Madison - RyLee Madison Live in Nashville
Tj King - Feels Right
Tristan Horncastle - Turnin' Up A Sundown
Dance Recording of the Year
Alex Byrne - New Life ft. TIM3BOMB
Alex Byrne - Turn Me Up
FWLR - Never Coming Home ft. KINLEY
Lonely Kid - For Your Happiness
PINEO & LOEB - Soul Shakin'
Electronic Recording of the Year
Ben Rama - Initiate
Bustin' - Crystal Clouds EP
It Could Be Franky - Your Friends Don't Buy It At All
Paranerd - Writ EP
Rozalind MacPhail - From the River to the Ocean
Folk Recording of the Year
Dave Gunning - Lift
Heather Rankin - A Fine Line
Lennie Gallant - Searching for Abegweit
Quiet Parade - Quiet Parade
Thom Swift - The Legend of Roy Black
Francophone Recording of the Year
Caroline Savoie - Caroline Savoie
Cy - Deuxième nation
Kevin McIntyre - L'Axe du viseur
Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire - Touche-moi pas là!
Simon Daniel - Jaune
Gospel Recording of the Year
The McGuires - Livin' For That Day
One8Tea - Reverence
Rootsdeepdown - Awoke & Raised
The Ryan Sisters - I Can Breathe
We The Rescued - Living Proof
Group Recording of the Year
Hillsburn - In The Battle Years
Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire - Touche-moi pas là!
Paper Lions - Full Colour
Repartee - All Lit Up
The Town Heroes - Please, Everyone
Indigenous Artist of the Year
City Natives
Eskasoni Schools
Old Self & Kam Speech
War Horses (Tian Wigmore)
Wolf Castle (Tristan Grant)
Jazz Recording of the Year
Donald MacLennan - Belleville
Florian Hoefner - Luminosity
Joel Miller - Dream Cassette
Scott 'n the Rocks - Live at Stayner's Wharf
Zoe Leger - The Girl From Yesterday
Loud Recording of the Year
Abysseral Throne - Storming the Black Gate
Counter Clockwork - Counter Clockwork
Last Call Chernobyl - Last Call Chernobyl
Lionsault - Are You Feeling Lucky?
Orchid's Curse - Cynics & Liars
Pop Recording of the Year
Caroline Savoie - Caroline Savoie
Dylan Menzie - Adolescent Nature
Hello Delaware - My Mistake
Repartee - All Lit Up
Ria Mae - Ria Mae
R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
Elise Besler - Lean In
Emily Stuart - Expression
Erin Costelo - Down Below, the Status Quo
Josh Lake - 40cm of Funk
Unidentified Funk Object - Space Funk Party
Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year
Cess - RISE
City Natives - Nomadic
Classified - Greatful
Phakt - Dropping Inwards
Quake Matthews & Kayo (The Search) - Lost & Found
Rising Star Recording of the Year
Devarrow - The Great Escape
Hillsburn - In The Battle Years
Like A Motorcycle - High Hopes
Shannon Quinn - If All The Young Ladies
Waterfront Fire - First Light
Rock Recording of the Year
Adam Baldwin - No Telling When (Precisely Nineteen-Eighty-Five)
Kestrels - Kestrels
Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire - Touche-moi pas là!
Long Distance Runners - Elements
The Motorleague - Holding Patterns
Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year
Còig - Carols
Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys - Laugh, Dance & Sing
Rum Ragged - Rum Ragged
Shannon Quinn - If All The Young Ladies
Ten Strings And A Goat Skin- Auprès du poêle
Solo Recording of the Year
Ben Caplan - Birds With Broken Wings
Classified - Greatful
Erin Costelo - Down Below, the Status Quo
Old Man Luedecke - Domestic Eccentric
Ria Mae - Ria Mae
Songwriter of the Year
Ben Caplan
Dave Gunning
Erin Costelo
John McLaggan (Tomato Tomato)
Paper Lions (John MacPhee, Rob MacPhee, Colin Buchanan, David Cyrus MacDonald)
Ria Mae
Traditional Instrumental Recording of the Year
Andrea Beaton - With Betty and Dave
Christine Melanson - Constellations
Doug Dorward - Waves
Fretboard Journey - Fretboard Journey
Samantha Robichaud - Simplicity
Scott Macmillan & Colin Grant - GOOD2GO
Song of the Year
Classified - No Pressure (Producer: Classified)
Caroline Savoie - Y'en aura (Producer: Jay Newland)
David Myles - It Don't Matter (Producer: Classified)
Repartee - Dukes (Producer: Repartee, Young Wolf Hatchlings)
Ria Mae - Ooh Love (Producer: Classified)
Album of the Year
Classified - Greatful (Producer: Classified)
Erin Costelo - Down Below, the Status Quo (Producer: Erin Costelo)
Old Man Luedecke - Domestic Eccentric (Producer: Tim O'Brien)
Repartee - All Lit Up (Producers: Matt DeMatteo, Alexandre Bonenfant, Young Wolf Hatchlings, Howard Redekopp, and Adam King)
Willie Stratton - Della Rosa (Producer: Willie Stratton)
Fans' Choice Entertainer of the Year
Adam Baldwin
Ben Caplan
Classified
Dave Gunning
Dylan Menzie
The East Pointers
Fortunate Ones
Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys
Lennie Gallant
The Motorleague
Paper Lions
Repartee
Ria Mae
The Stanfields
Ten Strings And A Goat Skin
Fans' Choice Video of the Year
Adam Baldwin - Daylight (Director: Scott Simpson)
Alana Yorke - Anthem (Director: Paul McCurdy)
Ben Caplan - Birds With Broken Wings (Director: John Rosborough)
Caroline Savoie - Y'en aura (Director: Dominique Laurence)
Classified - Work Away ft. David Myles (Director: Jason Levangie)
Heather Rankin - We Walk As One (Director: Scott Simpson)
Hillsburn - Run Down (Director: Mat Barkley, Badfunmedia)
Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire - Fais faillite (Director: Jean Vital Joliat)
Long Distance Runners - You Gotta Remind Me (Director: Jeremy Rice)
The Motorleague - The Boards (Directors: Don Levandier & The Motorleague)
Paper Lions - Believer (Director: Mike Enns)
Ria Mae - Gold (Director: Alon Isocianu)
Walrus - Wearing It (Director: Jeff Miller)
2017 INDUSTRY AWARDS
Company of the Year
The Citadel House
GroundSwell Music
Rocking Horse Road Productions
Sound of Pop
SpinCount
Event of the Year
Cavendish Beach Music Festival
Celtic Colours International Festival
Future Forest Music & Arts Festival
In The Dead of Winter
PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls
Graphic/Media Artist of the Year
Abracazebra Productions
Deep Hollow Print
mark young
Tara Thompson
Live Sound Engineer of the Year
Alex Ford
Devin Farrell
Jon Matthews
Kory Bayer
Stephen "Snickers" Smith
Management/Manager of the Year
GroundSwell Music
Jones & Company
Kilbride Music
Nigel Jenkins
Sonic Entertainment Group
Media Outlet of the Year
The Barbershop Sessions
Canadian Beats
East of the Dial
Halifax is Burning
What's the Finish? Podcast
Media Person of the Year
Adria Young
Jean-Étienne Sheehy
Joee Adams
Producer of the Year
Classified
Daniel Ledwell
Jon Landry
Jon Matthews
Scott Ferguson
Studio Engineer of the Year
Classified
Darren van Niekerk
Erien Eady-Ward
Jon Matthews
Michael "Sheppy" Shepherd
Studio of the Year
Lakewind Sound Studio
New Scotland Yard Studio
Shell Lane Studio
The Sonic Temple
Studio FMP Matrix
Venue of the Year
The Citadel House
Garrick Theatre
The Marquee Ballroom
Plan b Lounge
The Seahorse Tavern
Video of the Year
Classified - Work Away ft. David Myles (Director: Jason Levangie)
Like A Motorcycle - Nobody Knows (Director: Dillon Garland)
The Motorleague - The Boards (Directors: Don Levandier & The Motorleague)
Ria Mae - Gold (Director: Alon Isocianu)
The Town Heroes - Outer Space (Director: Dillon Garland)
With files from CBC NS and CBC NB