May 12th, 2025 | Alex Harris | Seaside FM News

Cover photo: The Ship Pub, St. John’s, Newfoundland. (East Coast Music Association, 2025)

The East Coast Music association has released the full list of awards for this year. 20 awards were presented to Nova Scotian artists. 

The East Coast Music Association (ECMA) is a regional collaboration of people in the music industry of Atlantic Canada that fosters, develops, and celebrates East Coast music and its artists locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. The ECMA annually produces the ECMAs, one of the top music industry events in Canada, which includes an Award Show, a Festival, an Industry Conference, and the Accelerator Program.

Nova Scotia’s Classified leads the list with five wins this year including producer of the year, and solo artist of the year. 

Nova Scotia’s Maggie Andrew also won two awards; African Canadian Artist of the Year and Rock/ Alternative Release of the year for her song “DAY JOB”. 

Classical Composer of the year also went to a Nova Scotian. India Gailey won for “Butterfly Lightning Shakes the Earth: I. SKY”

Blues Release of the Year was presented by East Coast Blues Society to Campbell & Johnston for “Find Your Way”. Breakthrough artist of the year was awarded to Loviet. 

Neon Dreams, a world-famous alt-pop duo from Nova Scotia won Group of the Year. They will be on tour in Nova Scotia later this month and in July. 

The first batch of winners was announced Thursday evening during the 37th annual East Coast Music Awards in St John’s Newfoundland. Awards were also given out at the Classical Showcase. The full list was released Sunday after the East Coast Music and Industry Awards show.