Tim Baker and Wintersleep lead the 2020 East Coast Music Award nominations

Tim Baker and Wintersleep lead the 2020 East Coast Music Award nominations, tied for seven each. It's a fitting year for the former member of Hey Rosetta! to get his first solo nominations, as the awards head back to his hometown of St. John's for the first time in five years the week of April 29. 

P.E.I.'s the East Pointers follow up the lead with six nominations, including songwriter of the year, while Ria Mae, Neon Dreams and Rich Aucoin have five apiece — all up against each other for album of the year. Jenn Grant and Villages each nabbed four nominations, up against each other for folk recording of the year with Grant's seventh album, Love, Inevitable, and Villages' self-titled debut.

While women continue to hold fewer nominations than men — 25 per cent compared to 66 per cent, with the remaining nine per cent accounted for by bands with both men and women — those numbers still appear to be industry standard: women made up 24.7 per cent of Juno Award nominations in 2019, and while this year's numbers bumped up to 34 per cent, that was only within nine major categories.

The ECMAs, a five-day festival and conference, will take place from April 29 to May 3, with the awards night broadcast taking place on Thursday, April 30, and hosted by actor and author Mary Walsh. Here's the complete list of nominees.

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)
• 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
• Myles Goodwyn, Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues 2

Bucky Adams Memorial Award

• Jody Upshaw
• 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
• 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
• The East Pointers, Yours to Break

Country recording of the year

• Ben Chase, All Over It
• Cory Gallant, Welcome to my World
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Wintersleep, In the Land Of

Indigenous artist of the year

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

Inspirational recording of the year

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

Instrumental recording of the year

• 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
• 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
• Spirit of the Wildfire, Bittersweet Nothings
• Zaum, Divination

Pop recording of the year

• 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
• Laura Roy, Forte
• Selby Evans, Forever

Rap/hip-hop recording of the year

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

Rising star recording of the year

• 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,
• 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)
• 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
• 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)
• Wintersleep, "Beneficiary" (producers: Tony Doogan, Wintersleep)

Songwriter of the year

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

Fans' choice entertainer of the year

• Dave Gunning
• Jenn Grant
• 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)
• 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
• The Syrup Factory

Event of the year

• 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
• Deep Hollow Print
• James Bennett
• Jud Haynes
• Launch Media

Management/manager of the year

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

Media outlet of the year

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

Media person of the year

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

Producer of the year

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

Studio engineer of the year

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

Studio of the year

• Codapop Studios
• Echo Lake
• FMP Matrix: STUDIO FMP
• 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
• 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)
• 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)