Wintersleep and Tim Baker win big at 2020 East Coast Music Awards

After being postponed for more than two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 East Coast Music Awards took place on July 11 as a special pre-recorded broadcast, with Wintersleep and Tim Baker coming away with multiple awards.

Hosted by Mary Walsh, the show featured performances by Rose Cousins, Damhnait Doyle, Matt Mays, Neon Dreams, Motherhood, Eastern Owl, Zamani, Jacobus, Wintersleep, Baker and Shanneyganock.

Wintersleep walked away with four awards, including one for album of the year, while Baker followed closely behind with three. Neon Dreams, who just won the Juno Award for breakthrough group of the year, won an East Coast Music Award for pop recording of the year.

The music winners were primarily dominated by men nominees, with only four of the 27 categories going to women or bands with women in them. Artists of colour were slightly better represented, with seven of the categories going to an artist or band with at least one artist of colour. 

The industry awards portion of the ECMAs were announced on July 10 via a special ECMA Facebook Live broadcast, hosted by CBC's Bill Roach. 

Find out all the winners, below.

Album of the year

• Neon Dreams, Sweet Dreams Till Sunbeams (producer: Corey Lerue)
• Ria Mae, Stars (producers: Truancy, Joel Stouffer, John Nathaniel, Kristoffer Eriksson, Adam King, Les Cooper, Ryan Kowarsky, Scott Effman)
• Rich Aucoin, Release (producers: Rich Aucoin, Joel Waddell)
• Tim Baker, Forever Overhead (producer: Marcus Paquin)
• Winner: Wintersleep, In the Land Of (producers: Tony Doogan, Wintersleep)

Rich Aucoin | The Fear | First Play Live

6 years ago

Duration 4:26

Rich Aucoin performs "The Fear" for CBC Music's First Play Live

Blues recording of the year

• Grasshopper, Southern Bones
• Matchstick Mike, Dog up the Road
• Mike Biggar, Mike Biggar & Band Live at the BMO Theatre
• Winner: Myles Goodwyn, Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues 2

Bucky Adams Memorial Award

• Jody Upshaw
• Winner: Jon Samuel
• Rey D
• Tachichi
• Zamani

Classical recording of the year

• Atlantic String Machine, The Bayfield Sessions
• Christine Carter and Duo Concertante, Invitation
• Gillian Smith, Into the Stone
• Winner: Marc Djokic, Solo Seven
• Various, Songs of the Invisible Summer Stars

Contemporary roots recording of the year

• Damhnait Doyle, Liquor Store Flowers
• Erin Costelo, Sweet Marie
• Madison Violet, Everything's Shifting
• Steven Bowers, Elk Island Park
• Winner: The East Pointers, Yours to Break

Country recording of the year

• Ben Chase, All Over It
• Cory Gallant, Welcome to my World
• Winner: Dave Sampson, All Types of Ways
• Jason Benoit, Revolution Pt. 1
• Tomato/Tomato, Canary in a Coal Mine

Dance recording of the year

• Craymak, "I'd Do It Again" feat. Saint Yves
• Winner: Famba, "Swear to God"
• Karate Kactus, "Shy" featuring Faangs
• Sparkee, Discovery
• Spoutnique, Solace

Electronic recording of the year

• Dead Horse Beats, Inglaterra
• It Could Be Franky, We All Know How This Will End
• Pineao & Loeb, Elevation
• Winner: Rich Aucoin, Release
• Rozalind MacPhail, Don't Let me Fall too Far

Folk recording of the year

• Dave Gunning, Up Against the Sky
• Jenn Grant, Love, Inevitable
• Old Man Luedecke, Easy Money
• Winner: Tim Baker, Forever Overhead
• Villages, Villages

Tim Baker | Dance | First Play Live

6 years ago

Duration 5:32

Tim Baker performs for CBC Music's First Play Live

Francophone recording of the year

• Cy, Acadian Dream
• Winner: Jacobus, Caviar
• Jacques Surette, Marche, marche, marche
• Sirène et Matelot, Sirène et Matelot
• Spoutnique, Solace

Group recording of the year

• Motherhood, Dear Bongo,
• Neon Dreams, Sweet Dreams Till Sunbeams
• The East Pointers, Yours to Break
• Villages, Villages
• Winner: Wintersleep, In the Land Of

Indigenous artist of the year

• Carolina East
• City Natives
• Deantha Edmunds
• Winner: Eastern Owl
• Shift from tha 902

Inspirational recording of the year

• Chris Stephens, When it Was Dark
• Eastern Owl, Qama'si
• Winner: Ian Foster and Nancy Hynes, A Week in December
• One8Tea, Ventilation
• Rey D, No Failing Faith

Instrumental recording of the year

• Winner: Florian Hoefner, First Spring
• Mark Djokic, Solo Seven
• Natalie MacMaster, Sketches
• Paul Tynan, Quartet
• Sam Wilson, Groundless Apprehensions

Jazz recording of the year

• Ethan Ardelli, The Island of Form
• Winner: Florian Hoefner, First Spring
• Heather Bambrick, Fine State
• Paul Tynan, Quartet
• Sam Wilson, Groundless Apprehensions

Loud recording of the year

• Dischord, Corruption of Innocence
• Dumpster Mummy, Dumpster Mummy 2
• Hard Charger, Vol 4: Take the Guff And Suffer
• Winner: Spirit of the Wildfire, Bittersweet Nothings
• Zaum, Divination

Pop recording of the year

• Winner: Neon Dreams, Sweet Dreams Till Sunbeams
• Rachel Cousins, Rachel Cousins
• Ria Mae, Stars
• T. Thomason, T. Thomason
• Tara MacLean, Deeper

R&B/soul recording of the year

• Chris Kirby, What Goes Around
• Jody Upshaw, Guilty One
• Winner: Laura Roy, Forte
• Selby Evans, Forever

Rap/hip-hop recording of the year

• Aquasocks, HOLOS
• City Natives, Reborn
• Winner: Jacobus, Caviar
• Jyay, Rambo
• Tachichi, Top Ten

Rising star recording of the year

• Winner: Dave Sampson, All Types of Ways
• Leanne Hoffman, What Remains
• Motherhood, Dear Bongo
• Quote the Raven, Golden Hour
• Villages, Villages

Rock recording of the year

• Adam Baldwin, No Rest for the Wicked
• Andrew Waite, Tremors
• Jon Samuel, Dead Melodies
• Motherhood, Dear Bongo,
• Winner: Wintersleep, In the Land Of

Roots/traditional recording of the year

• Anna Ludlow, Wherever you Go
• Còig, Ashlar
• JP Cormier, Once
• Keith Mullins, Upward (Howlin' at the Moon)
• Winner: Natalie MacMaster, Sketches
• Shannon Quinn, Watchmaker

Solo recording of the year

• Damhnait Doyle, Liquor Store Flowers
• Jason Benoit, Revolution Pt. 1
• Jenn Grant, Love, Inevitable
• Natalie MacMaster, Sketches
• Rich Aucoin, Release
• T. Thomason, T. Thomason
• Winner: Tim Baker, Forever Overhead

Song of the year

• Mo Kenney, "Ahead of Myself" (producer: Mo Kenney)
• Port Cities, "Montreal" (producers: Dylan Guthro, Thomas Tawgs Salter)
• The East Pointers, "Wintergreen" (producer: Gordie Sampson)
• Tim Baker, "Dance" (producers: Marcus Paquin, Tim Baker)
• Winner: Wintersleep, "Beneficiary" (producers: Tony Doogan, Wintersleep)

Songwriter of the year

• Adyn Townes
• Dave Sampson
• Ria Mae
• Rich Aucoin
• Winner: The East Pointers
• Wintersleep

Fans' choice entertainer of the year

• Dave Gunning
• Jenn Grant
• Winner: Jimmy Rankin
• Lennie Gallant
• Neon Dreams
• Ria Mae
• Rich Aucoin
• The East Pointers
• Tim Baker
• Wintersleep

Fans' choice video of the year

• Devarrow, "Crashed Cars" (directors: Dom Fegan, Graham Ereaux)
• Gabrielle Papillon, "Shout It Out" (director: Teryl Brouillette)
• Winner: Jason Benoit, "Slow Hand" (director: Tim Deegan)
• Jenn Grant, "Keep A Light On" (director: Samantha Scaffidi)
• Madison Violet, "Tell Me" (director: Jillian Martin)
• Neon Dreams, "High School Dropout" (directors: Frank Kadillac, Alex Gayoso)
• Ria Mae, "Hold Me" feat. Frank Kadillac (director: Kat Webber)
• The East Pointers, "Wintergreen" (director: Emma Watkins)
• Tim Baker, "All Hands" (director: Jordan Canning)
• Wintersleep, "Forest Fire" (director: Christopher Mills)

2019 Industry Awards

Company of the year

• Foleymore Entertainment
• Krista Keough Creative Communications
• Parkindale Productions Inc.
• Sound of Pop
• The Citadel House
• Winner: The Syrup Factory

Event of the year

• Winner: Celtic Colours International Festival
• Halifax Jazz Festival
• Makin' Waves presented by Sydney Credit Union
• Shivering Songs Festival
• Stan Rogers Folk Festival

Graphic/media artist of the year

• Aaron Bishop
• Winner: Deep Hollow Print
• James Bennett
• Jud Haynes
• Launch Media

Management/manager of the year

• Forward Music Group
• Winner: Jones & Co.
• Mary Beth Waldram
• Roger Lockyer

Media outlet of the year

• Canadian Beats
• Parkindale Productions Podcast
• Winner: The East
• The East Coast Music Hour
• Weekend Mornings with Bill Roach (CBC Radio One)

Media person of the year

• Alex Cook
• Winner: Bill Roach
• Erin Bond
• Greg Smith
• Richard Lann

Producer of the year

• Chris Kirby
• Winner: Daniel Ledwell
• Jon Matthews
• Mark Adam
• Mike "Sheppy" Shepherd

Studio engineer of the year

• Jamie Foulds
• Jason Jenkyns
• Jon Matthews
• Scott Ferguson
• Winner: Thomas Stajcer

Studio of the year

• Codapop Studios
• Echo Lake
• FMP Matrix: STUDIO FMP
• Winner: Soundpark Studios
• The Sound Mill

Venue of the year

• Celtic Performing Arts Centre at The College of Piping
• Parkindale Productions: Parkindale Hall and Shepody House
• The Capital Complex
• The Carleton
• Winner: The Ship Pub

Video of the year

• Don Brownrigg, "Room For Me" (directors: Mel Stone and Don Brownrigg)
• Ryan Cook, "Memory Foam" (director: Stephen Cooper)
• Winner: Tim Baker, "All Hands" (director: Jordan Canning)
• Villages, "Maggie of the Cove" (director: Jeff Miller)
• Vishtèn, "Elle Tempête" (directors by: Millefiore Clarkes/One Thousand Flowers Production)