The 2021 Credit Union Music will take place from March 3–7, celebrating the nominees of the 2021 Music PEI Awards. 2020 was a tough year but music from these Island artists continued to flow, often through new or seldom used platforms online.
In addition to the awards for nominated categories, six additional Board Awards—as selected by the Music PEI Board of Directors—will be handed out. Those include Long & McQuade Educator of the Year (OTY), Industry Person OTY, Upstreet Lifetime Achievement, Deep Roots Distillery Rooted to the Island, Live Music Production Professional OTY, and ABCE Community Contributor OTY.
The nominees of this year’s awards will be celebrated during 2021 Credit Union Music PEI Week with four days of live performances and live streamed events at the Trailside Music Cafe and The Guild, including the SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Concert (hosted by Matt Rainnie), Diggin’ Deep Roots, Block Party, Sounds for the Soul, and Red Dirt Rock.
The awards will be handed out on Sunday afternoon, March 7 at the Awards Party, and the week will close off with the Festival Finale on the Confederation Centre Mainstage Sunday night featuring top nominees Catherine MacLellan, Rachel Beck, Dylan Menzie, Brielle Ansems, and a classical music treat with pianist Sarah Hagen and vocal ensemble Sirens.
Tickets will be on sale starting February 1. All of the festival details will be available at musicpei.com.
Here are the nominees for the 2021 Music PEI Awards:
PEI Symphony Achievement in Classical/Jazz Music
Sarah Hagen; Sirens; Winterjazz Quartet
Credit Union Album OTY
Catherine MacLellan—Coyote; Dylan Menzie—Lost in Dreams; KINLEY—KINLEY; Rachel Beck—Stronger Than You Know; Sarah Hagen—Women of Note
The Buzz Album Art OTY
Brielle Ansems—This New Hurricane (Lead Artist/Graphic Designer (LA/GD): Sarah Eddie and Brielle Ansems); Catherine MacLellan—Coyote (LA/GD: Heather Millar and Jason Alward); Dylan Menzie—Lost in Dreams (LA/GD: Ashley Anne Clark and Cohen McDonald); Lawrence Maxwell—Almost Natural (LA/GD: Aidan Searle); Sirens—Boundless (LA/GD: Alana Reddin)
Digital Achievement OTY
Brandon Howard Roy; Cory Gallant; Dylan Menzie; KINLEY; The East Pointers
Copper Bottom Event OTY
Feelin’ Mighty Proud—Confederation Centre of the Arts; Harvest Home Festival; Indian River Festival; The Island Drive-In Festival
Francophone Artist OTY
Adrienne Gallant; Sirène et Matelot; Vishtèn
City of Charlottetown Group Recording OTY
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 OTY
Inn Echo—Inn Echo; Luka Hall—Category 1; Sarah Hagen—Women of Note; Wrong Planet Band—Wrong Planet Band
Livestream OTY
Confederation Centre of the Arts—Kierrah Celeste; Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival; Royal North; Scott Parsons; Vishtèn
Holland College Musician OTY
Eric Broadbent; Mark Haines; Roland Beaulieu
Maritime Electric Lloyd Doyle New Artist OTY
Brandon Howard Roy—Little Reasons; Brielle Ansems—This New Hurricane; Logan Richard—Everyday; Sarah Hagen —Women of Note; Shane Pendergast—Place to the Name
Cymba Music Publishing Producer OTY
Adam Gallant; Colin Buchanan; Daniel Drouin; Jon Matthews
Recording Studio OTY
The Hill Sound Studio; The Sound Mill; Up West Production
SOCAN Songwriter OTY
Catherine MacLellan; Dylan Menzie; KINLEY; Logan Richard; Rachel Beck
Crabbe Road Productions Solo Recording OTY
Brielle Ansems—This New Hurricane; Catherine MacLellan—Coyote; KINLEY—KINLEY; Rachel Beck—Stronger Than You Know; Sarah Hagen—Women of Note
Music Publishers Canada Song OTY
Brielle Ansems—”More Than My Heart”; Catherine MacLellan & Tara MacLean—”This Storm”; Cory Gallant—”Easily Addicted”; Rachel Beck—”Warrior”; Nikkie Gallant—”Free (I Remember)”
Venue OTY
Celtic Performing Arts Centre; Copper Bottom Brewing; Mainstage Theatre—Confederation Centre of the Arts; Stompin’ Tom Centre
FilmPEI Video OTY
Adjust the Facts—”Human Virus” (Dir: Day1 Media); Catherine MacLellan & Tara MacLean—”This Storm” (Dir: Catherine MacLellan & Tara MacLean); KINLEY—”Run With You” (Dir: Jenna MacMillan); Lennie Gallant—”Sequoia” (Dir: Lennie Gallant and Evan Christensen); Rachel Beck—”Dancin’” (Dir: Millefiore Clarkes); Sirens—”In Her Image” (Dir: Millefiore Clarkes)
Contemporary Roots/Country Recording OTY
Amanda Jackson Band—Ocean; Catherine MacLellan—Coyote; Dylan Menzie—Lost in Dreams; Lawrence Maxwell—Almost Natural; Shane Pendergast—Place to the Name
Electronic Recording OTY
Hailey MacIsaac—Down2U (feat. Mossboy); Lee Rosevere—Promise; Phyzxx—01.10 (feat. AKAninja)
Loud/Rock Recording OTY
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 OTY
Brielle Ansems—This New Hurricane; KINLEY—KINLEY; Rachel Beck—Stronger Than You Know
Rap/HipHop Recording OTY
Adjust the Facts—Go Play Outside; Braeden Van Asperen—Voices; Eric Broadbent—Serendipitous Bastards; Slime da Garbage Mane—In da Crib Music; Spivey—Vibein; Vince the Messenger—Nowhere 2 Grow
FACTOR Entertainer OTY
Catherine MacLellan; Dylan Menzie;
Rachel Beck; The East Pointers; Vishtèn