East Coast Music Association

rdf:langString East Coast Music Association

rdf:langString The East Coast Music Association is a non-profit association that hosts an annual awards ceremony based in Atlantic Canada for music appreciation on the East Coast of Canada. Its mission is to develop, advance and celebrate East Coast Canadian music, its artists and its industry professionals throughout the region and around the world, and advocate for members to ensure they can sustain music careers while based in Canada’s Atlantic region." 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. Each year, the association awards one person with the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes an artist or band that has had a profound and lasting effect on the Atlantic Canadian music industry, and the recipient is chosen by the ECMA board of directors. Helen Creighton (1899-1989) was an author and pioneer in the field of folklore, both nationally and internationally. In 1958, she was one of the judges at the first Miramichi Folksong Festival, organized by Louise Manny. Recipients of this prestigious award include Stompin' Tom Connors (1993), Édith Butler (1997) and Don Messer (1998). The ECMA is a registered non-profit association. Membership is open to all individuals working in any sector of the music industry, or those who support the music industry. Membership includes musicians, artists, agents, managers, record companies, studios, media, related corporation and retailers. As of 2021, it has over 1,000 members.