Cape Breton artists claim ECMA honours

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Sydneyraised singer-songwriter Dave Sampson has joined the ranks of fellow Cape Breton artist as a multiple ECMA winner.

Over the weekend, the 31-year-old who now lives in Halifax, was awarded both the country recording of the year and the rising star recording of the year for his 2019 album "All Types of Ways," which he recorded in Nashville with fellow Cape Breton native Gordie Sampson. Dave Sampson recorded his first album, the independently-released No Pressure No Diamonds, in 2014 .

The 2020 East Coast Music Awards were handed out in two online installments over Friday and Saturday. The event was hosted by Mary Walsh in St. John's, N.L., and was broadcast on the CBC.

Other Cape Breton winners included Jimmy Rankin, who was honoured as the fans choice entertainer of the year and fiddle wizard Natalie MacMaster, whose "Sketches" piece earned her the roots/traditional recording of the year award. And, the Celtic Colours International Festival was named 2020 event of the year.

The big winner was the band Wintersleep and longtime Hey Rosetta! lead singer Tim Baker.

Wintersleep took home four ECMA honours, including album of the year for their "In the Land Of" album, while also picking up awards for song of the year, rock recording of the year and group recording of the year.

Baker captured the folk recording of the year and soul recording of the year for his debut album"Forever Overhead." He also won the video of the year for the song "All Hands."

The blues recording of the year was awarded to longtime April Wine frontman Myles Goodwyn for "Myles Goodwin and Friends of the Blues 2."

The 2021 ECMAs are scheduled for May 5-9 in Sydney.