Awards Hit Close To Home

The nominations for the 2011 East Coast Music Awards were announced this morning. The awards, which are taking place April 13-17 in Charlottetown, celebrate the best that the year had to offer in the way of East Coast talent…and as you know, we harbour a ton out here!

Fredericton’s own David Myles leads the way with five nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, and two bands from my list of Top Albums of 2010 (#4 & #2 respectively) are here too. The Stanfields are up for four awards, including single of the year for The Dirtiest Drunk, and Fredericton’s Ross Neilsen & The Sufferin’ Bastards are up for Blues recording of the year for their album Redemption.

Below are some highlights of Fox artists who are up for awards (Click Here for the Full list* of nominees). Below that is a video from one of my favourite musicians** (it just so happens he’s also from the East Coast) and a link to download his recent iTunes Sessions.

ECMA Nominee Highlights:

The Trews
- DVD of the Year (The Trews Acoustic – Friends & Total Strangers)
- Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year
- Fan’s Choice Video of the Year (Highway of Heroes)
- Single of the Year (Highway of Heroes)

Slowcoaster
- Alternative Recording of the Year (The Darkest of Discos)
- FACTOR Recording of the Year (The Darkest of Discos)
- Group Recording of the Year (The Darkest of Discos)
- Single of the Year (War on War)

The Stanfields
- Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year
- FACTOR Recording of the Year (Vanguard of the Young and Reckless)
- Rising Star Recording of the Year (Vanguard of the Young and Reckless)
- Single of the Year (The Dirtiest Drunk In the History of Liquor)

Wintersleep
- Alternative Recording of the Year (New Inheritors)
- FACTOR Recording of the Year (New Inheritors)
- Group Recording of the Year (New Inheritors)
- SOCAN Songwriter of the Year (Paul Murphy, Tim D’Eon, Loel Campbell, Michael Bigelow - Preservation)

Matt Andersen
- Blues Recording of the Year (Piggyback w/Mike Stevens)
- Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year
- Male Solo Recording of the year (Piggyback)

Sleepy Driver
- Vibe Creative Group Single of the Year (Like a Weapon)

Ross Neilen & The Sufferin’ Bastards
- Blues Recording of the Year (Redemption)

Joel Plaskett & The Emergency
- Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year


**Here’s Matt Mays performing a new song (Chase The Light) - one I consider among his best. You can get a piano driven version from itunes on his iTunes Sessions, which came out last week and has been dominating my speakers.



-Crash-

*Anyone you think was left out of the nominations? Who's your favourite East Coaster?