Music PEI: Vishtèn and The East Pointers Top 2019 Award Winners

In what Executive Director Rob Oakie describes as a “party-like atmosphere” rather than your typical ballroom gala, Music PEI gathered the island’s music community at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel to honour the year’s best musicians with the 2019 Music PEI Awards at the Awards Party.

As part of the annual Music PEI Week, held from January 23rd-27th, 2019, the award show capped off a weekend of performances with Tara MacLean as host. Going in to the award show were some bands with big expectations. Of the 31 awards handed out, Rachel Beck topped the list of front-runners with 8 nominations. Vishtèn, Jenni & The Hummingbird and Meaghan Blanchard were all close behind with 6 nominations each.

In the end, the night’s big winners were Vishtèn, taking home the awards for Congrès Mundial 2019 Francophone Artist, Group Recording and PEI Tea Company Roots Traditional Recording Awards, and The East Pointers who won the awards for the Bandzoogle Digital Achievement of the Year, HopYard Entertainer of the Year and Fly PEI Touring artist of the Year.

Here is the full list of winners for the 2019 Music PEI Awards (winners are in bold):

Achievement in Classical or Jazz Music Award
Always on Stage
Atlantic String Machine
Grahame Rhodes
Island Jazz
PEI Symphony Orchestra

Credit Union Album of the Year
Andrew Waite – Tremors
Dylan Menzie – As The Clock Rewinds
Jenni & The Hummingbird – Your Masterpiece
Lennie Gallant – Time Travel
Meaghan Blanchard – The Great Escape
Rachel Beck – Rachel Beck
Vishtèn – Horizons

Country Recording of the Year
Emerald Junction – Kickin’ It
Kelley Mooney – Caroling
Lawrence Maxwell – Not Your Outlaw
Neil Matthews Family Tribute Band – Beautiful Island, a Tribute to Neil Matthews

Cover Band/Artist of the Year
Cöpy Cät
Danny Drouin
Ryan & Emily

Bandzoogle Digital Achievement of the Year
Andrew Waite
KINLEY
The East Pointers

Electronic Single Recording of the Year
Eric Broadbent – It Is What It Is
Lonely Kid – You Could Be My Queen
Russell Louder – Showdown

Entertainer of the Year
The East Pointers
Lennie Gallant
Rachel Beck
Richard Wood
Vishtèn

Event of the Year
Play the Park
Cloggeroo Folk Festival
Island Jazz
PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls

Francophone Artist of the Year
Adrienne Gallant
Arsenault Trio
Fayo
Vishtèn

Group Recording of the Year
Death Valley Driver – Wolf Crown
Get Well Pharmacy – Story of a House Fire
Little Cities – Friends Floors
Rick Sparkes + The Enablers – The Trouble with the Light
Vishtèn – Horizons

Live Music Programmer of the Year
Jamie Crawford
Cynthia MacLeod
Danielle Rochon and Kathleen Flanagan
Dan Rowswell
Pat Deighan