P.E.I. musicians win ECMA awards

Island musicians Whitney Rose and Coyote were among the winners at the East Coast Music Awards this weekend in Sydney, N.S.

Rose, who is from Charlottetown but now lives in Toronto, won for Country Recording of the Year for her hit Heartbreaker of the Year.

Fellow Islander Tim Chaisson was also nominated in that category for Lost in Light, as well as Fans Choice Entertainer of the Year, which went to Cape Bretoners Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy.

The Mack at the Confederation Centre won the ECMA for Venue of the Year. The Harmony House Theatre was also nominated.

• Hey Rosetta! takes home 3 ECMAs from Sydney, N.S. awards gala

Rose was playing a gig in Texas and unable to accept her award in person. But in a Facebook post she said if she could have made an acceptance speech, she would only talk about two people, her "Mam back home on P.E.I. and Pop in heaven."

"They are the reason I love country music and they are the reason I've been able to pursue it as a career, by supporting me in every way imaginable," she wrote.

Indie pop-rockers Coyote won Pop Recording of the Year for Proof of Life. The five-piece band from Charlottetown shared the award with Christina Martin for It'll Be Alright.

"We're pretty ecstatic, we weren't expecting it," keyboardist Bradford Rooney said on the phone as the group was travelling back to P.E.I. Saturday. "When Ashley (MacIsaac), the host, was reading it off he said 'this is interesting' and announced it was a tie. He read our name first and I don't really remember much after that."

Coyote which also includes Josh Carter, Bruce Rooney, Evan McCosham and Mike King was up for Group Recording of the Year and Rising Star Recording of the Year, as well. In 2013, the band was given the ECMA's first People's Choice Rising Star award.

Last week, the band released a new single, Nights.

"We're looking forward to the summer festival season," Rooney said.

Musicians with ties to the Island also took home ECMA awards. Kinley Dowling plays fiddle for Newfoundland band Hey Rosetta!, which wonthree awards: Album of the Year, Group Recording of the Year and Song of the Year.

Jenn Grant, who was born on P.E.I. but is based in Halifax, won Solo Recording of the Year for Compostela.
The Island is also nominated among the industry awards, which will be handed out Sunday.

The Cavendish Beach Music Festival and the P.E.I. Mutual Festival of Small Halls lost to Celtic Colours in Cape Breton for Event of the Year.

P.E.I.'s Jon Matthews was nominated for Studio Engineer of the Year, as was Daniel Ledwell, who is from P.E.I. and is married to Grant. That award went to Mike "Sheppy" Shepherd of Nova Scotia.

• East Coast Music Awards: A look at some of the P.E.I. musicians nominated