Music PEI has announced the nominees for their 2021 Music PEI Awards, with one artist taking a fairly substantial lead. Having released her album Coyote in October 2019, veteran performer Catherine MacLellan seemed to stand a fair chance of coming away with at least a few nominations – she now leads with nine.
MacLellan’s nine nominations come in the categories of Credit Union Album of the Year, Album Art of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Producer of the Year, SOCAN Songwriter of the Year, Solo Recording of the Year, FACTOR Song of the Year, FilmPEI Video of the Year, and Contemporary/Traditional Roots/Country Recording of the Year. She followed closely by Rachel Beck with seven nominations, Dylan Menzie, KINLEY and Sarah Hagen with six nominations, and Brielle Ansems with give nominations.
This year, Music PEI notes that there are an additional six Board Awards to be presented by the Music PEI Board of Directors: Educator of the Year, Industry Person of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Rooted to the Island, Live Music Production Professional of the year, and Community Contributor of the Year.
The 2021 Music PEI Award Nominees:
PEI SYMPHONY ACHIEVEMENT IN CLASSICAL/JAZZ MUSIC
Sarah Hagen
Sirens
Winterjazz Quartet
CREDIT UNION ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Catherine MacLellan – Coyote
Dylan Menzie – Lost in Dreams
KINLEY – KINLEY
Rachel Beck – Stronger Than You Know
Sarah Hagen – Women of Note
ALBUM ART OF THE YEAR
Brielle Ansems – This New Hurricane (Graphic Designer/Lead Artist: Sarah Eddie and Brielle Ansems)
Catherine MacLellan – Coyote (Graphic Designer/Lead Artist: Heather Miller and Jason Alward)
Dylan Menzie – Lost in Dreams (Graphic Designer/Lead Artist: Ashley Anne Clark and Cohen McDonald)
Lawrence Maxwell – Almost Natural (Graphic Designer/Lead Artist: Aidan Searle)
Sirens – Boundless (Graphic Designer/Lead Artist: Alana Reddin)
DIGITAL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR
Brandon Howard Roy
Cory Gallant
Dylan Menzie
KINLEY
The East Pointers
EVENT OF THE YEAR
Feelin’ Mighty Proud – Confederation Centre of the Arts
Harvest Home Festival
Indian River Festival
The Island Drive-In Festival
FRANCOPHONE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Adrienne Gallant
Sirène et Matelot
Vishtèn
CITY OF CHARLOTTETOWN GROUP OF THE YEAR
Adjust the Facts – Go Play Outside
Amanda Jackson Band – Ocean
Graves of the Abyss – Burial
Little Cities – Little Cities EP
Sirens – Boundless
Sky Family – Courageous
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Inn Echo – Inn Echo
Luka Hall – Category 1
Sarah Hagen – Women of Note
Wrong Planet Band – Wrong Planet Band
LIVESTREAM OF THE YEAR
Confederation Centre of the Arts – Kierrah Celeste
Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival
Royal North
Scott Parsons
Vishtèn
HOLLAND COLLEGE MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Eric Broadbent
Mark Haines
Roland Beaulieu
MARITIME ELECTRIC LLOYD DOYLE NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Brandon Howard Roy – Little Reasons
Brielle Ansems – This New Hurricane
Logan Richard – Everyday
Sarah Hagen – Women of Note
Shane Pendergast – Place to the Name
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Adam Gallant
Catherine MacLellan
Colin Buchanan
Daniel Drouin
Jon Matthews
RECORDING STUDIO OF THE YEAR
The Hill Sound Studio
The Sound Mill
Up West Production
SOCAN SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Catherine MacLellan
Dylan Menzie
KINLEY
Logan Richard
Rachel Beck
SOLO RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Brielle Ansems – This New Hurricane
Catherine MacLellan – Coyote
KINLEY – KINLEY
Rachel Beck – Stronger Than You Know
Sarah Hagen – Women of Note
FACTOR SONG OF THE YEAR
Brielle Ansems – More Than My Heart
Catherine MacLellan & Tara MacLean – This Storm
Cory Gallant – Easily Addicted
Lennie Gallant – Sequoia
Rachel Beck – Warrior
VENUE OF THE YEAR
Celtic Performing Arts Centre
Copper Bottom Brewing
Mainstage Theatre – Confederation Centre of the Arts
Stompin’ Tom Centre
FILMPEI VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Adjust the Facts – Human Virus (Directed by Day1 Media)
Catherine MacLellan & Tara MacLean – This Storm (Directed by Catherine MacLellan & Tara MacLean)
KINLEY – Run With You (Directed by Jenna MacMillan)
Lennie Gallant – Sequoia (Directed by Lennie Gallant and Evan Christensen)
Rachel Beck – Dancin’ (Directed by Millefiore Clarkes)
Sirens – In Her Image (Directed by Millefiore Clarkes)
CONTEMPORARY ROOTS/COUNTRY RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Amanda Jackson Band – Ocean
Catherine MacLellan – Coyote
Dylan Menzie – Lost in Dreams
Lawrence Maxwell – Almost Natural
Shane Pendergast – Place to the Name
ELECTRONIC RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Hailey MacIsaac – Down2U (feat. Mossboy)
Lee Rosevere – Promise
Phyzxx – 01.10 (feat. AKAninga)
LOUD/ROCK RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Graves of the Abyss – Burial
Kari-Lyn Blacquiere – Hit The Ground
Little Cities – Little Cities EP
Wrong Planet Band – Wrong Planet Band
DOWNTOWN CHARLOTTETOWN INC. POP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Brielle Ansems – This New Hurricane
KINLEY – Kinley
Rachel Beck – Stronger Than You Know
RAP/HIPHOP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Adjust the Facts – Go Play Outside
Braeden Van Asperen – Voices
Eric Broadbent – Serendipitous Bastards
Slime da Garbage Mane – In da Crib
Spivey – Vibein
Vince the Messenger – Nowhere 2 Grow
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Catherine MacLellan
Dylan Menzie
Rachel Beck
The East Pointers
Vishtèn
Membership voting for the give genre awards is open from December 21 to January 5. The award for Entertainer of the Year is also open to the public for voting and will be announced on December 21.
The 2021 Credit Union PEI Music Week kicks off on March 3, 2021, and runs until the 7 March 7, with the Music PEI Awards Party being held of the final day. The full schedule is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.