Crowds rock Nova Scotia Music Week

However, the home community was well represented as well at the Nov. 8-11 event. Mersey House in Liverpool won an Industry Award as “Venue of the Year.”

Nova Scotia Music Week was, as expected, a huge success highlighted by over 70 performances from the province’s best musicians in various Liverpool venues. The event featured numerous workshops and, of course, also numerous after-hour parties.

The awards were handed out at the Industry Awards Brunch at White Point Beach Resort and the evening’s Gala Awards Show at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, which ended Nova Scotia Music Week.

The 2007 Nova Scotia Music Award winners are:

Pop Rock Artist/Recording of the Year – Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)

Musician of the Year - Jamie Gatti; Urban Artist/Recording of the Year – Hitch Hikin’ Music (Classified); Jazz Artist/Recording of the Year – Over Time (Jamie Gatti);

Inspirational Artist/Recording of the Year – New Beginnings (Chelsea Nisbett); Folk/Roots Artist/Recording of the Year – Things Have Changed (David Myles) and If You Were For Me (Rose Cousins);

Alternative Artist/Recording of the Year – Coast Is Clear (In-Flight Safety); Blues/R & B Artist/Recording of the Year – Bring on the Storm (Charlie A’Court);

Country Artist/Recording of the Year – Me & Cinderella (RyLee Madison); New Artist/Recording of the Year – If You Were For Me (Rose Cousins);

Video of the year - Fashionable People (Joel Plaskett Emergency); Female Artist/Recording of the Year – For All Time (Jill Barber); Male Artist/Recording of the Year – Things Have Changed (David Myles);

Group/Recording of the Year – Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency); SOCAN Songwriter of the Year - Joel Plaskett, Album of the Year – Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency); and Entertainer of the Year - Joel Plaskett Emergency.

Jeremiah Sparks hosted the Gala Awards Show which featured performances by Drum!, Jill Barber, Jordan Croucher and Classified, Amelia Curran, Scott Macmillan, Brian Doyle and Leanne Aucoin, Chris Mitchell, The Jimmy Swift Band and In-Flight Safety.

“The year’s nominees and winners are among the finest in the country,” said Music Nova Scotia Executive Director, Gordon Lapp. “We’re blessed to have this much talent in Nova Scotia.”

Each year, Music Nova Scotia also honours those who are hard at work behind the scenes at the Industry Awards Brunch.

The 2007 Industry Award winners are:

Booking Agent of the Year - Marcel Cloutier; Company of the Year - Sonic Entertainment Group; Sponsor of the Year - Delta Halifax/Delta Barrington Hotels;

Educator of the Year - Chuck Tee; Event of the Year - Stan Rogers Folk Festival; Industry Professional of the Year - Fred Lavery; Manager of the Year - Lynn Horne;

Media Person of the Year - Stephen Cooke; Producer of the Year - Fred Lavery; Promoter of the Year - Sonic Concerts; Publicist of the Year - Lynn Horne;

Radio Show of the Year - CBC Mainstreet; Recording Studio of the Year - The Sonic Temple; Studio Engineer of the Year - Laurence Currie; Technician of the Year - Carl Gosine;

Venue of the Year - The Mersey House; and Visual Artist of the Year - Chris Smith – funkfactor.

The awards marked the end of Nova Scotia Music Week 2007, a four-day festival and conference showcasing local talent and providing workshops for industry professionals.

For more information on Nova Scotia Music Week 2007 or Music Nova Scotia, visit: www.musicnovascotia.ca.