Spotlight on Island artists
Performers earn nominations in several music, industry categories for annual event to be held in Sydney, N.S., April 13-17
Artists from Prince Edward Island have received more than a dozen nominations for the 2016 East Coast Music Awards in Sydney.
Charlottetown native Jenn Grant figures prominently in those nominations with six, second only to Newfoundland’s Hey Rosetta!, which earned seven.
And the lineup for Hey Rosetta!, it should be noted, includes Charlottetown’s Kinley Dowling, who plays violin, keyboards and percussion with the band.
Grant is nominated for album of the year, folk recording of the year, solo recording of the year, songwriter of the year, entertainer of the year and video of the year.
Grant is not the only artist from P.E.I. with multiple nominations.
Coyote has three nominations, while Tim Chaisson has two.
Coyote earned nominations for group recording of the year, pop recording of the year and rising star. Chaisson was nominated for country artist of the year and entertainer of the year. He was also nominated for roots/traditional group of the year as a member of The East Pointers.
Several Island artists received single nominations.
Kelley Mooney was nominated for gospel recording of the year.
Racoon Bandit was nominated for rock recording of the year.
Vishten was nominated for roots/traditional group recording of the year.
There were also five P.E.I. nominations in the industry awards categories.
The Cavendish Beach Music Festival and the P.E.I. Mutual Festival of Small Halls were nominated for event of the year.
Harmony House Theatre and The Mack were nominated for venue of the year.
Jon Matthews was nominated for studio engineer of the year. Daniel Ledwell was also nominated in that category.
The East Coast Music Awards will take place in Sydney, April 13-17.
“We are thrilled to announce this year’s East Coast Music Awards nominees, which once again demonstrates the incredible musical talent coming out of our region right now,” says Andy McLean, ECMA executive director. “Adding to the excitement is the first round of East Coast Music Week (ECMW) showcasing acts, which features both upcoming and established musicians, as well as the diverse styles and sounds that the East Coast is known for. “