The East Coast Music Association (ECMA) is a non-profit association purposed towards supporting the music industry in the Canadian east coast, i.e., Atlantic Canada. The ECMA hosts the annual East Coast Music Awards (formerly the Maritime Music Awards) festival.
Each year, the ECMA also awards one person with the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize an artist or band that has had a profound and lasting effect on the Atlantic Canadian music industry.[1]
Association history and mission
In 1989, Halifax music industry promoter Rob Cohn launched the Maritime Music Awards to celebrate music in the Canadian maritime region. Two years later, in 1991, Cohn joined forces with Sheri Jones, Karen Byers, Lee Stanley, Mike Barkhouse, Peter Hendrickson, Bruce Morel, and Tony Kelly to form the East Coast Music Association. The association's event thereby became known as the East Coast Music Awards and covered all of the provinces in Atlantic Canada.
Today, as of 2023[update], the ECMA's mission is "to develop, advance and celebrate East Coast Canadian music, its artists and its industry professionals throughout the region and around the world," as well as advocating "for [its] members to ensure they can sustain music careers while based in Canada's Atlantic region."[2]
The ECMA is a registered non-profit association. Membership is open to all individuals working in any sector of the music industry, or those who support the music industry. Membership includes musicians, artists, agents, managers, record companies, studios, media, related corporation and retailers. As of 2021[update], it has over 1,000 members.[2]
In 2013, Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. initiated an online musical instrument insurance program for members of the ECMA.[3][4]
The East Coast Music Awards (formerly the Maritime Music Awards) is an annual festival hosted by the ECMA to celebrate the music industry in Atlantic Canada.
The awards were created in 1989 by Halifax music industry promoter Rob Cohn as the "Maritime Music Awards". The inaugural award show took place on April 10, 1989, in the Flamingo Café and Lounge in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to focus on the diversity of music and musicians in mainland Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick. Inaugural hosts were JC Douglas and Andrew Gillis of Q104 radio in Halifax.[5]
While being held in Halifax for the first few years, the East Coast Music Awards has been hosted by other Atlantic Canadian cities since 1994,[5] as with the formation of provincial music industry associations, it was decided that the event would move each year, revolving from province to province. The East Coast Music Awards: Festival and Conference is now a five-day event. Since 2002, its awards gala has been aired in a two-hour national broadcast on CBC Television.[5]
Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award
Each year, the ECMA also awards one person with the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes an artist or band that has had a profound and lasting effect on the Atlantic Canadian music industry; the recipient is chosen by the ECMA board of directors. Helen Creighton (1899-1989), after whom the award is named, was an author and pioneer in the field of folklore, both nationally and internationally. In 1958, she was one of the judges at the first Miramichi Folksong Festival, organized by Louise Manny. Recipients of this award include Stompin' Tom Connors (1993), Édith Butler (1997) and Don Messer (1998).[1]
At these awards, The Stompin’ Tom Connors Award was created when Stompin’ Tom Connors was presented with the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award. He preferred to return the award and have an award be created to honour those who have made a significant, or long-term contribution to the East Coast Music Awards Industry.[13]
This year, 7,000 guests attended the televised broadcast in Moncton, with special guest Édith Butler and broadcaster Peter Gzowski. The event attracted 1,500 delegates, including 200 media from around the world, and injected $3-million into the local economy.
This was an economically successful event that allowed the ECMA to gain a sound financial footing. It commemorated the influence of The Rankin Family, Cape Breton's Celtic music family, and launched Radio freECMA, a low-power radio station that, in a partnership with the government of Prince Edward Island, provided coverage over the Internet.[37] It also launched Continuous Jam, a three-day musical extravaganza featuring sets from all genres and from all levels of Atlantic Canadian talent.[38]
At the 15th Gemini Awards, the awards show won Best Music, Variety Program or Series.
2001
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Attracted more than 1,700 delegates and debuted the Jazz/Classical Concert Series.
The event fostered interest in the formation of the Prince Edward Island Music Awards and introduced Soundwaves, a program that sees musicians visiting schools throughout P.E.I., and hospitals, businesses and churches in Charlottetown.[39]
The competitive bid process in New Brunswick sparked community involvement and drew over 2200 delegates. New initiatives were an industry awards brunch, the Warner Roots Room for acoustic performances,[40] the UniSon bilingual concert, and the bluegrass stage that attracted an estimated 5,000 fans.
In addition to the national CBC Television broadcast of the awards show, the MuchMusic ECMA Rock stage got a prime-time special on Much, and CBC Radio's Definitely Not the Opera broadcast live from the main stage.[41]
The Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to famed fiddler Ned Landry.[42]
2003
Halifax, Nova Scotia
The conference celebrated its 15-year anniversary with the City of Stages, or 14 live stages.[43] Approximately 2000 delegates attended.
The Soundwaves Program brought music to 30,000 students throughout the region, and corporate sponsorship and support for ECMA reached new heights. An Urban Music Series featuring hip-hop, R&B and the Black Vibes Showcase were initiated.[44]
ECMA 2003 brought international bookings to several East Coast artists as European music industry professionals were in attendance.[citation needed]
At the 18th Gemini Awards, the awards show was nominated for Best Music, Variety Program or Series.
The ECMA began moving towards a master class format, presenting classes in songwriting, export readiness and musical scoring for gaming and television.[citation needed] The success of the Soundwaves was parlayed into a new program, Sound-off, a band competition among schools across Cape Breton.[citation needed]
The lifetime achievement award was presented to legendary fiddler Buddy MacMaster.[46]
2006
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
For the first time, organizers held the gala dinner and industry awards ceremony on Saturday night. The Songwriters' Circle and the Rogers Television Yamaha 72-Hour Jam [47] were featured events; the CBC moved the televised broadcast from Sunday night to Monday night.[48]
For the first time, the event was introduced as the "East Coast Music Awards, Festival and Conference." The four-day conference had 50+ international music industry delegates.
The focus this year was on Aboriginal musical talent, via the Aboriginal Partnered Showcase.[52]
The music awards gala was held at the Aitken Centre, and Steven Page from the Barenaked Ladies hosted the entire event (coining the term "Barenaked East Coast Music").
This year's event was not televised; instead, a TV special was broadcast with scenes of venues, awards presentations and hotel antics.[53]
New this year was the Stompin' Tom Award, dedicated to the unsung heroes of Atlantic music. Stompin' Tom Connors created the concept for this award in 1993 to pay homage to musicians that have made long-term contributions to the East coast music industry, and artists from each Maritime province were honoured.
A 2009 study found that, in 2007 and 2008, the ECMA generated a local economic impact of $8 million, not including sales by artists and companies.[54]
The Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the Acadian group 1755.[1]
The Stompin' Tom Award was given to Ivan and Vivian Hicks (New Brunswick),[56] The Ducats (Newfoundland and Labrador),[57] The Tremtones (Prince Edward Island),[58] Oakley (Mainland Nova Scotia),[59] and Aldun MacVicar (Cape Breton).[60][61]
The East Coast Music Association changed program's format this year: the number of awards was down to 28, and they were presented on different days, and at different venues and concerts around the city, culminating with the "Bell Aliant 2011 East Coast Music Awards Gala presented by RBC."
This was the first year of A Sound Celebration, which brings together pop stars and musicians from orchestras. This year, it was PEI artists Jenn Grant, Meaghan Blanchard, Paper Lions, Richard Wood, Vishtèn and Symphony Nova Scotia.
This year saw the launch of the ECMA Breakout Stage, a new program for emerging artists that uses workshops and performances to foster new artists. ECMA partnered with the Province of New Brunswick and the local Capitol Theatre to host a First Nation's showcase.
Multiple winners were Anderson, Myles, Hey Rosetta!, Keith Mullins and Scott MacMillan. Jimmy Rankin led with eight nominations but won the Fans’ Choice Video of the Year award.
Roch Voisine was presented with the Director's Special Achievement Award.
Catherine McKinnon was presented with The Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award.
Rita MacNeil, who died in 2013, was posthumously honoured with the Directors' Special Achievement Award.
The Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award went to The Chaisson Trio;[68] the Industry Builder Award to Grady Poe;[69] and the Musician's Achievement Award to Jay Smith, who also died in 2013.[70]
This year, the East Coast Music Association received the National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring in the Performing Arts, for its long-standing commitment to promoting touring by musicians from Atlantic Canada, both at home and abroad.[80]
The awards show was hosted by the British comedian James Mullinger, who now lives in Atlantic Canada.
Plans to hold an in-person conference and awards broadcast were once again thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a virtual conference was held on June 9-13, 2021. The awards ceremonies were broadcast on YouTube, during which Rita MacNeil was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award was received by Joella Foulds.
The Fans' Choice Entertainer of the Year went to Beòlach. [87]
2022
Fredericton, New Brunswick
The annual conference and awards ceremony was held in person and broadcast online, with . The band 1755 were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Hillsburn was presented with a total of three awards.
The Director's Special Achievement award went to Patsy Gallant.
The Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award was received by Cutting Crew.[88]
2023
Halifax, Nova Scotia
The 35th anniversary edition of the East Coast Music Awards and Conference will take place in person in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from May 3-7, 2023.