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
Vocal release of the year
- L’appel, Chœur Louisbourg
- Yôtin (The Wind), Halifax Camerata Singers
- Maybe, Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus
- Lucy, Laura Roy
- Pur ti miro, Measha Brueggergosman-Lee
