East Coast Music Association
The East Coast Music Awards have been a springboard for many Atlantic Canadians, including Sarah McLachlan, Ashley MacIsaac, Rawlins Cross, Lennie Gallant, Natalie MacMaster, Gordie Sampson, Joel Plaskett, The Rankin Family, Rita MacNeil, Bruce Guthro, J.P. Cormier and Great Big Sea.Two years later, in 1991, Cohn joined forces with Sheri Jones, Karen Byers, Lee Stanley, Mike Barkhouse, Peter Hendrickson, Bruce Morel, and Tony Kelly to form the East Coast Music Association.The Awards have been a springboard for many Atlantic Canadians, including Sarah McLachlan, Ashley MacIsaac, Rawlins Cross, Lennie Gallant, Natalie MacMaster, Gordie Sampson, Joel Plaskett, The Rankin Family, Rita MacNeil, Bruce Guthro, J.P. Cormier, and Great Big Sea.The award recognizes an artist or band that has had a profound and lasting effect on the Atlantic Canadian music industry; the recipient is chosen by the ECMA board of directors.[9] The Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Stompin’ Tom Connors (who returned it) There was a 76-hour jam session, a Cape Breton Rave Night[24] and a concert series featuring Great Big Sea, Four the Moment,[25] Barachois and Bruce Guthro, who signed with EMI Music Canada that week-end.The event fostered interest in the formation of the Prince Edward Island Music Awards and introduced Soundwaves, a program that sees musicians visiting schools throughout P.E.I., and hospitals, businesses and churches in Charlottetown.[citation needed] At the 2006 Gemini Awards, the event's hosts—Trailer Park Boys' Mike Smith, Robb Wells and John Paul Tremblay—were nominated for Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series.Stompin' Tom Connors created the concept for this award in 1993 to pay homage to musicians that have made long-term contributions to the East coast music industry, and artists from each Maritime province were honoured.[1] The Stompin' Tom Award was given to Ivan and Vivian Hicks (New Brunswick),[56] The Ducats (Newfoundland and Labrador),[57] The Tremtones (Prince Edward Island),[58] Oakley (Mainland Nova Scotia),[59] and Aldun MacVicar (Cape Breton).The show featured the reunion of Rawlins Cross, and introduced the ECMA Fan's Choice Award, presented to Nova Scotia rapper Classified.This year, it was PEI artists Jenn Grant, Meaghan Blanchard, Paper Lions, Richard Wood, Vishtèn and Symphony Nova Scotia.[85] Lennie Gallant, whose song "Peter's Dream" was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, received the Directors' Special Achievement Award.