Musicians and industry members from Newfoundland and Labrador have landed 59 nominations for the 2023 East Coast Music Awards.
The province is represented in more than 30 categories, including Album of the Year, Country Recording of the Year and Indigenous Artist of the Year.
Reggie Morales of St. John’s, nominated for Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year for his album Regicide, said he feels “pretty crazy” to be nominated alongside prominent Canadian rapper Classified.
“I grew up listening to Classified,” he said.
The candidate Albert Dalton – in the running for his album If I can’t have it – mastered the Morales album. Morales said more young people in the province are getting more involved in hip-hop.
“The hip-hop scene is definitely growing here,” he said.
Kellie Loder of St. John’s has been nominated for Songwriter of the Year — where they compete with band Conception Bay South Quote the Raven — thanks to songs they wrote for Mallory Johnson and the Ennis Sisters.
“I love writing songs and I really love writing songs for other artists. And that’s why I’m nominated for Songwriter of the Year this year,” they said. .
Loder, the 2022 Canada’s Got Talent finalist, is also nominated for Artist of the Year, which is voted by music fans.
Peter McDonald of St. John’s, known professionally as Pete, is up for child entertainer of the year.
Although he says he never thought he would be considered for this category, he is excited about the nomination.
“This particular album was born when my brother had a little girl named Macy. And when she was born, my sister-in-law, Megan, kept saying I wish I had music for her to be. ‘asleep,’ he said.
At the same time, two of the album’s other writers, Sarah Newell and Spencer Fitzgerald and Sarah Newell, became an aunt and uncle.
“There was a lot of love in the room and a lot of thoughts about babies. Lots of thoughts about lullabies and just being relaxed and chilling. And that’s kind of what we wrote about,” he said. -he says.
Other Newfoundland and Labrador nominees include Fortunate Ones, Jason Benoit, Andrew Staniland, Rawlins Cross, Mallory Johnson, Kubasonics, Deantha Edmunds and Nick Earle.
The ECMAs take place May 3-7 in Halifax.
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