The East Coast Music Awards celebrated 25 years with a video tribute to the late Stompin’ Tom Connors, the iconic artist from Saint John, N.B. who passed away last week.
The tribute received a standing ovation, although it wasn't the only instance where Connors' spirit hung over the ceremony. Not only were four Stompin’ Tom Awards honouring long-term contributions to the East Coast music industry given out at an industry brunch the day before, but artists such as Rita MacNeil and Lennie Gallant also paid homage to the late singer on stage, performing some of his hits with the help of Symphony Nova Scotia.
But as much as the awards looked back on a man who loved and sang about all of Canada over a 45-year career, it also honoured the future of East Coast music, embodied most of all by Rose Cousins. The P.E.I. folk-pop artist not only co-hosted the event with David Myles, but won three awards, taking home solo recording, folk recording and songwriter of the year for her 2012 album We Have Made a Spark.
Nova Scotia musician Dave Gunning won song of the year for “These Hands” off his album No More Pennies, just moments before performing the song for the crowd at the Cunard Centre in Halifax.
"I didn't know the song would take on a life of its own," he said.
Other winners included Nova Scotia’s Matt Mays, who took home best album for Coyote, and the Stanfields, a five-piece alt-rock band from Halifax that won group of the year and the fans' choice award for entertainer of the year.
"Music is such a tough thing, every day you're faced with challenges big and small and to cap off a year and to have this feather in your cap, it makes it pretty easy to walk around with your chin a little higher," lead singer Jon Landry told the Canadian Press, adding that he was surprised by the win.
"You find yourself surrounded by people who sacrifice everything all the time. I sat around and thought about it today and I feel that those people deserve this award maybe more than I do," he said.
It was also a big night for other Halifax artists, with Jenn Grant taking home the award for pop recording of the year for The Beautiful Wild, Ben Caplan and his beard winning rising star recording of the year for In the Time of the Great Remembering, and the Joel Plaskett Emergency winning rock recording of the year for Scrappy Happiness, their fifth LP.
For a full list of winners, visit the East Coast Music Awards website.
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Folk singer Rose Cousins wins 3 East Coast Music Awards