News Article

Accomplished singer-songwriter Catherine MacLellan leads the pack of nominees for the 2012 Music PEI Awards with six nominations. Artist and industry award nominations were announced earlier this evening at a lively nominations party at The Guild. Racoon Bandit, The Express, and Dennis Ellsworth all had strong showings as well with 4 nominations each.

A number of Island artists received multiple nominations this year including Catherine MacLellan (6), Racoon Bandit (4), The Express (4), Dennis Ellsworth (4), Paper Lions (3), Al Tuck (3), Tim Chaisson (3), Ashley Condon (3), Sister Jack (3), Kelley Mooney (3), Death Valley Driver (3), Arrows in the Air (3) and The Wynnes (3). See below for a full list of awards and nominations.

In announcing the list of nominees, Music PEI President Jim Hornby said, “As we look forward to Music PEI Week next month, our nominees demonstrate the continued growth of the Island’s music industry, as Island musicians continue to strive for, and reach, new levels of creativity and new markets. We are pleased to recognize a range of people who have achieved success in the past year.”

A total of twenty-six awards will be handed out at events during Metro Credit Union Music PEI Week 2012, which runs January 13-21 and culminates with the 2012 Music PEI Awards Gala presented by Ocean 100 and K-Rock 105.5.

Music PEI is also excited to announce a new award in 2012, Touring Artist of the Year presented by SpinCount. This award recognizes achievement in regional, national and international touring by an Island artist or group.

Based in Nova Scotia, SpinCount is an ECMA award-winning music promotions company, providing publicity, radio tours, and radio tracking in order to raise artist’s profile, sales, and attendance at shows. The winner of the Touring Artist of the Year will receive a free, national radio campaign at a value of $2400 dollars.

SpinCount founder Kimberly Sinclair says “A working band is a touring band. A tour takes an enormous amount of dedication, hard work and money. This Music PEI award recognizes the challenges faced by touring bands and artists, and the contribution touring makes to Canadian culture by taking the music to the grass roots.”

Now in its 11th year, Metro Credit Union Music PEI Week has grown to an Island-wide event that brings together artists, the music industry and the public for a jam-packed week of concerts, workshops and the Gala Awards Show at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Voting will take place online at www.musicpei.com from December 19 until January 6, 2012.

Music PEI programs and activities are made possible through the ongoing support of the provincial departments of Tourism and Culture and Innovation and Advanced Learning as well as ACOA, Canadian Heritage, the City of Charlottetown and FACTOR.

Music PEI 2012 Nominations

Achievement in Classical Music of the Year
Frances McBurnie
Indian River Festival
Jane Naylor
PEI Symphony Orchestra
UPEI Wind Symphony

Album of the Year (producer in brackets)
Al Tuck – Under Your Shadow (Al Tuck & Joel Plaskett)
Catherine MacLellan – Silhouette (David Baxter & Catherine MacLellan)
Dennis Ellsworth – Strange Boat (Dennis Ellsworth & Adam Gallant)
Racoon Bandit – Into the Hills (Racoon Bandit)
The Express – The Express (Dale Murray)

Bell Aliant Weekend Warrior
Bad Habits
Chris Dalziel
Sunday Punch

Country Recording of the Year
Harold Noye – Dusty Roads
Johnny Oliver – She’s Gonna Love Me
Kelley Mooney – Tomorrow

Entertainer of the Year
Arrows in the Air
Bad Habits
Paper Lions
Richard Wood
Tim Chaisson and Morning Fold

Event of the Year
Festival of Small Halls
Indian River Festival
Night Danger Showcase – Mike Carver
PEI Symphony Orchestra
TD PEI Jazz & Blues Festival “Doug Riley Artist” Concert

Female Solo Recording of the Year
Ashley Condon – Come in From the Cold
Brielle Ansems – Embers & Stars
Catherine MacLellan – Silhouette
Kelley Mooney – Tomorrow

Group Recording of the Year
Arrows in the Air – Shadows on the Skyline
Death Valley Driver – Choke the River
Racoon Bandit – Into the Hills
Sister Jack – Wrong Note Music
The Express – The Express
The Wynnes – The Wynnes

Loud Recording of the Year
Death Valley Driver – Choke the River
Get Bodied – Harbingers
Uigg – Of Moose and Men

Male Solo Recording of the Year
Al Tuck – Under Your Shadow
Dennis Ellsworth – Strange Boat
Johnny Oliver – She’s Gonna Love Me
Jordan Cameron – My, What a Lovely Hate
Ted J Simmons – 61 Dorchester

Musician of the Year
Frances McBurnie
Jon Matthews
Kinley Dowling
Morgan Saulnier
Mark Geddes

New Artist of the Year
Ashley Condon – Come In From the Cold
Death Valley Driver – Choke the River
Kelley Mooney – Tomorrow
Sister Jack – Wrong Note Music
Ten Strings and a Goat Skin – Tri
The Wynnes – The Wynnes

Recording Studio/Technician of the Year
Bruce Alex White
Big Grey Sound Studio
Guernsey Cove Parlour Productions
Lukas Raine Recordings

Hunter’s Ale House Rock Recording of the Year
Jordan Cameron – My, What a Lovely Hate
Racoon Bandit – Into the Hills
Sister Jack – Wrong Note Music

Roots Contemporary Recording of the Year
Ashley Condon – Come In From the Cold
Catherine MacLellan – Silhouette
Dennis Ellsworth – Strange Boat
Ted J Simmons – 61 Dorchester
The Express – The Express

Roots Traditional Recording of the Year
Ten Strings and a Goat Skin – Tri
The Avonlea Show Band – Songs From the Shanty
The Wynnes – The Wynnes

SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
Catherine MacLellan – Eastern Girl
Dennis Ellsworth – Romance is Dead
Paper Lions – Stay Here For a While
Racoon Bandit – Catch/Release
The Express – Midnight Show

SpinCount Touring Artist of the Year
Al Tuck
Catherine MacLellan
Paper Lions
Richard Wood
Tim Chaisson and Morning Fold

Venue of the Year
Hunter’s Ale House
St. Mary’s Church
The Dunk
The Guild

Video of the Year (Director in brackets)
Arrows in the Air – Love and Morals (JP Poliquin)
Boxcar Dan and the Vagabond Strangers – The Way We Do ‘Er (Jason Rogerson)
Catherine MacLellan – Stealin’ (Milles Clarkes)
Christopher Rodgers – Silence, Bloodhound (Susan Rodgers)
Tim Chaisson and Morning Fold – Slippin’ Away (JP Poliquin)

Visual Artist of the Year
Jason Condon & April Condon
Lorne Miller – pixbylorne
Mike Carver
Maureen Chandler
Mike MacDougall – sixeyedcatprintco

Multiple Nominations Breakdown
Catherine MacLellan – 6 nominations

Racoon Bandit, The Express, Dennis Ellsworth – 4 nominations

Al Tuck, Ashley Condon, Sister Jack, Kelley Mooney, Paper Lions, Tim Chaisson, The Wynnes, Arrows in the Air, Death Valley Driver – 3 nominations

Frances McBurnie, Johnny Oliver, Jordan Cameron, PEI Symphony Orchestra, Ted J Simmons – 2 Nominations