Classified leads ECMA nominations with eight
SYDNEY — Classified leads this year's East Coast Music Award nominations with eight nods while Rose Cousins followed with six.
Beòlach, Catherine MacLellan, David Myles, Neon Dreams, and Rich Aucoin each received four. Nova Scotia scored 94 nominations, New Brunswick had 39, Newfoundland and Labrador had 35 and Prince Edward Island scored 25.
The nomination announcement was supposed to be made in Sydney on Tuesday, but instead became a virtual event from Halifax on Facebook and Youtube as a result of provincial restrictions announced Feb. 26 limiting travel from Halifax because of COVID-19 concerns.
“We were really looking forward to reconnecting with everybody,” ECMA CEO Andy Mclean said. “There was going to be opportunity to meet with some of the stakeholders and then the announcement on Friday happened. And since then, I just didn't want to risk bringing my whole team up to Sydney from Halifax. So we've been scrambling like crazy because everything now has to be online.”
This year's awards will be held in Sydney, May 5-9, in an event that will encompass virtual and live events, said Mclean.
In addition to the nominations, several other announcements were also made. The Children's Entertainer of the Year category has be brought back and all showcase submissions have been made free.
As well. fees have been reduced to all award applications to $15 per award and a $20 flat fee for applications to the Export Buyers Showcase program. A new submissions platform that provides a better online experience was introduced and some new awards that address shifts in the industry were introduced. There will be a new African Canadian Artist of the Year Award and the annual Bucky Adams Memorial Award will be now designated as an honorary award. New board members Delvina Bernard, Patricia Bourque and Eva George were also announced to build within marginalized communities.
Further announcements including showcasing artists and conference details will be unveiled in the upcoming weeks.