Maggie Andrew poses with her 2025 ECMA for African Canadian artist of the year. (Paul Daly/The Canadian Press)
The 2025 East Coast Music Awards took place in St. John's last weekend, after months of protest and calls to action within the local music community.
Nova Scotia rapper Classified led the winners by taking home five of the eight awards he was nominated for, while P.E.I. folk group Vishtèn nabbed three awards, and Newfoundland's own Kellie Loder tied with Nova Scotia's Maggie Andrew for two apiece.
The field of nominees was missing some of the names originally announced in late February, when musicians started boycotting the awards after the East Coast Music Association, the organization that puts on the ECMAs, fired former CEO Blanche Israël. "I do not agree with the lack of transparency around the sudden firing of former CEO @blancheis, and what I would call essentially online bullying leading up to the firing," said Mo Kenney via Instagram, after withdrawing their nomination for rock/alternative release of the year.
Jeremy Dutcher, who originally led the nominees alongside Classified with eight to his name, also withdrew from the nominations, as did Wolf Castle, Sam Wilson, Les Moontunes, Stephen Hero and Aquakultre.
Many of the awards were handed out at the May 8 award ceremony, which began with an emotional tribute to Mark Hiscock, the beloved accordionist from Newfoundland and Labrador who died earlier in the week at 53 years old. Folk band Shanneyganock, of which Hiscock was a founding member, performed its song Music and Friends in tribute, as Hiscock's accordion rested on a stool onstage.
The remaining awards were given out at the East Coast Music and Industry Awards on May 11. Read below to find out who won, with the winners marked in bold.
African Canadian artist of the year
Baraka, Galaxy
Jah'Mila, Never Fail
Kayo, Get Me Right featuring JRDN
Maggie Andrew, About Us
Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, Zombie
Album of the year
Luke's View, Classified
Woman of the Sun, Jah'Mila
Day Job, Maggie Andrew
Map the Dark, Quote the Raven
An Irish Descendants Christmas, the Irish Descendants
Expansions, Vishtèn Connexions
Acadian or francophone artist of the year
Jacques Surette, Conséquences
Joey Robin Haché, Jerrycan
Les Hay Babies, Soyez fiers
Sirène et Matelot, Coeur chaviré
Suzie LeBlanc, Nous partirons
WATCH | The official video for Les Hay Babies' Soyez fiers:
Blues release of the year
The Phoenix, 11th & Duke
Find Your Way, Campbell & Johnston
Ain't No Time, Connor Fox
Dust Jackets, Lookout Tower
Just Don't Know it Yet, Stompbox
Breakthrough artist of the year
Brett Matthews, If I Die Today featuring Classified
Callum Gaudet, Ghosts
Clare Siobhan, Flare
Jacques Surette, Conséquences
Loviet, Broken Lips
Rachel Cousins, Hell & High Water
Children's artist of the year
Art Richard, Bonjour Canada
Heather Feather, Ants in My Pants
Micaela Comeau, I'm Made From Stardust
Miss Kris, The Day Has Just Begun
Mr. Super Dude and KinderChartin', Sticker on My Toe
Classical composer of the year
Bekah Simms, Foreverdark
Florian Hoefner, Bird Island Suite: IV. Song for the Song of the Leach's Storm Petrel
India Gailey, Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth: I. SKY
Julia Mermelstein, Bending, breaking through
Classical release of the year
Benedicite, Blackwood with India Gailey
Problematica, India Gailey
Blizzard, Measha Brueggergosman-Lee
Causes, 1.1 Negative Energy, SHHH!! Ensemble
Pour une Amérique engloutie, Suzie LeBlanc
Country release of the year
If I Die Today, Brett Matthews feat. Classified
I'm Not Scared, Carolina East
I Found Mine, Julie Aubé
She Just Is, Justin Fancy
Suitcase, Mallory Johnson
Dance release of the year
When We Dance, Alex Byrne
Mmam, Bad Friends
Believe in the Music, Cloverdale
Chrome, Pineo & Loeb
Just a Phase (Dave Aude remix), Summer Bennett
Lights Out, the Volta
Electronic release of the year
Something Sawed, Ben Diamond
Ghost Gear, DenMother
Sonica, Rich Aucoin
In Perfect Time, Rozalind MacPhail
Causes, 1.1 Negative Energy, SHHH!! Ensemble
Folk release of the year
Cereal, Noah Malcolm
My Status Is the Baddest, Old Man Luedecke featuring Bahamas
The Road to Lushes Bight (Island Stock), Rum Ragged
Real Love, Terra Spencer featuring Ian Sherwood
Kouma, Vishtèn Connexions
Fusion release of the year
The Dream Canoe, Alan Syliboy & the Thundermakers
Not My One, Capital 6
Gossamer, Ian foster
Problematica, India Gailey
Kouma, Vishtèn Connexions
Global music release of the year
Clouds, Ana Luísa Ramos
Just Friends, Dee Hernandez
Lightning in a Bottle, Kayo
CareBear Forever, Richard Wood
Keep Your Head Above the Water, Zay Nova
Group of the year
Moira & Claire, no hesitation
Neon Dreams, The Art of Letting Go
Rum Ragged, The Road to Lushes Bight (Island Stock)
The Once, Oh You
The Town Heroes, Hockey Fights
WATCH | The lyric video for Neon Dreams' The Art of Letting Go:
Indigenous artist of the year
Deantha Edmunds, Angmalukisaa: IV. Rings 4
DeeDee Austin, Tell Me ( Why Am I So Different)
Summer Bennett, Just a Phase
Instrumental release of the year
Passages, Blackwood with India Gailey
Bird Island Suite, Iris Trio
The Simple Life, Mark Fewer
Sound Mind, Shaun Ferguson
Piano Concerto in One Movement, Symphony Nova Scotia
Jazz release of the year
St-Antoine's March, Amirault Brothers
Not My One, Capital 6
Zombie, Measha Brueggergosman-Lee
Good Machines, Natasha Blackwood
Loud release of the year
Ascension, Blevk
Famine, Elevate the Virus
Cosmic Convergence, Omnivide
Suffer & Die, the Order of the Precious Blood
Pop release of the year
Is this as good as it gets?, chasing luma
Unrequited Love Blues, Logan Richard with Moira & Claire
About Us, Maggie Andrew
Church Street, Mat Elliott
January, Noah Malcolm
Producer of the year
AA Wallace, Archiviste
Ben B. Creelman, Bad Habit
Classified, Luke's View
Cloverdale, Believe in the Music
Jeremy VanSlyke, Alikeness
R&B/soul release of the year
City on Fire, aRenye and Nulo featuring Kayo and Basyl
Lesson #1, Bakers Duz'n
Blessed, Dee Hernandez
Never Fail, Jah'Mila
Church Street, Mat Elliott
Hip-hop release of the year
Sure Enough, Classified
Family Highs, Harmz
Better Half, Michael J. Foxx
Same Old Feeling, Mischief
Burn the House, Todd.
Release of the year
The Dream Canoe, Alan Syliboy & the Thundermakers
Amnesia, Classified
Never Fail, Jah'Mila
When it Comes to You, Kellie Loder
The Bend, the Once
Rock/alternative release of the year
By Fright, Absolute Losers
Day Job, Maggie Andrew
Agis comme du monde, Sluice
In Your Head, the Town Heroes
Roots release of the year
Rocky Hills, Bill Preeper, Jessica Rhaye, and Sandy MacKay
Already Gone, Quote the Raven
East to West, Terra Spencer
Gaillard, Vishtèn Connexions featuring De temps antan
Solo artist of the year
Amnesia, Classified
Gossamer, Ian Foster
When it Comes to You, Kellie Loder
Alberta, Kylie Fox
Sonica, Rich Aucoin
Songwriter of the year
Classified, Wonder featuring Ian janes
Kellie Loder, When it Comes to You
Natasha Blackwood, Pleading Guilty
Old Man Luedecke, The Raven and the Dove
Terra Spencer, Real Love featuring Ian Sherwood
Fans' choice entertainer of the year
Alan Syliboy & the Thundermakers
Andrew Rodgers
Daniel James McFadyen
Dylan Menzie
Ian Foster
Justin Fancy
Kellie Loder
Lennie Gallant
Mallory Johnson
Rum Ragged
The Once
Fans' choice video of the year
Amnesia (Classified), directed by Classified
Devil Talking (David Myles), directed by Griffin O'Toole
East Coast Family (Jah'Mila), directed by Jeff Miller
Can't Go Back (Kellie Loder), directed by Ashlea Wessel
About Us (Maggie Andrew), directed by MooseCanFly
The Art of Letting Go (Neon Dreams), directed by Dan Lewis Cole & Frank Kadillac
She Told Me Where to Go (Old Man Luedecke), directed by Pangalactic Pictures Inc.
Already Gone (Quote the Raven), directed by Cody Westman
Hockey Fights (the Town Heroes), directed by Matt Corkum
WATCH | The official video for Kellie Loder's Can't Go Back:
Traditional release of the year
Whale Hunting Song, Alan Syliboy & the Thundermakers
Radio Sweethearts, Lucy MacNeil
The Quartermaster, Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen
Paddy Hyde, Rum Ragged
Gaillard, Vishtèn Connexions featuring De temps antan
