Earlier this week, Music PEI announced the nominees for the 2018 Music PEI Awards, to be presented during Credit Union Music PEI Week (January 25-28, 2018).

The Music PEI Awards Party, where the majority of the awards will be presented, is taking place Sunday, January 28 at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel Ballroom (75 Kent St, Charlottetown).

The nominees and other PEI artists will be showcased at multiple events during Credit Union Music PEI Week, including the SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Concert, Music Mosaic and the Closing Concert, as well as events on January 26 and 27 at Baba’s Lounge, Hunter’s Ale House, The Pour House, The Old Triangle, and Fishbones Oyster Bar. Performer details for these events will be announced in December.

“I would encourage everyone to come out to support our local artists as we celebrate their success and achievements,” said Jennifer Campbell, President of Music PEI in a release. “The awards are often an important stepping stone as our artists develop their careers and public support is crucial to that development.”

Prince Edward Island musicians The East Pointers, Ashley Condon, and the duo of Dennis Ellsworth & Kinley Dowling lead this year’s nominees, each with nominations in six categories.

“As we’ve come to expect…the nominees for the 2018 Music PEI Awards include well known Island artists who perform regularly here on Prince Edward Island and many of whom tour the world,” said Doug Bridges, Marketing and Communications Officer with the Provincial Credit Union. “At the same time the nominees include a number of emerging artists, and we look forward to supporting them and watching their careers develop in the years to come.”

About half of the awards are decided by member voting and half are decided by a jury.

Here is the full list of 2018 Music PEI Awards nominees:

Album of the Year
● Catherine MacLellan “If It’s Alright With You – The Songs of Gene MacLellan”
● The East Pointers “What We Leave Behind”
● Dennis Ellsworth & Kinley Dowling “Everyone Needs to Chill Out”
● Liam Corcoran “Nevahland”
● Ashley Condon “Can You Hear Me”

Country Recording of the Year
● Danny Drouin “It’s Been A Long Week”
● Marcella Richard “Marcella Richard Sings Roy MacCaull”
● Small Town Jokurs “Our Little Piece of Heaven”

Female Solo Recording of the Year
● Alicia Toner “I Learned The Hard Way”
● Ashley Condon “Can You Hear Me”
● Catherine MacLellan “If It’s Alright With You – The Songs of Gene MacLellan”
● Marcella Richard “Marcella Richard Sings Roy MacCaull”

Group Recording of the Year
● Amanda Jackson Band “Fire in the Blue”
● Dennis Ellsworth & Kinley Dowling “Everyone Needs to Chill Out”
● The East Pointers “What We Leave Behind”
● Stabbing Joy “Loved It More Than You Could Ever Know”
● Small Town Jokurs “Our Little Piece of Heaven”

New Artist of the Year
● Alicia Toner I Learned The Hard Way
● Dennis Ellsworth & Kinley Dowling Everyone Needs To Chill Out
● Amanda Jackson Band Fire In The Blue
● Aaron Hastelow Aaron Hastelow
● Stabbing Joy Loved It More Than You Could Ever Know

Male Solo Recording of the Year
● Liam Corcoran Nevahland
● Rick Sparkes Dirty, Little Love Songs
● Element & Broadbent Safe Spaces
● Danny Drouin It’s Been a Long Week
● Aaron Hastelow Aaron Hastelow

Pop Recording of the Year
● Aaron Hastelow “Aaron Hastelow”
● Liam Corcoran “Nevahland”
● Stabbing Joy “Loved It More Than You Could Ever Know ”

Urban Recording of the Year
● Amanda Jackson Band “Fire in the Blue”
● Element & Broadbent “Safe Spaces”
● Norm Strangely “Owlephant”

Roots Contemporary Recording of the Year
● Catherine MacLellan If It’s Alright With You – The Songs of Gene MacLellan
● The East Pointers What We Leave Behind
● Ashley Condon Can You Hear Me
● Alicia Toner I Learned The Hard Way
● Dennis Ellsworth & Kinley Dowling Everyone Needs To Chill Out

SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
● Dennis Ellsworth & Kinley Dowling “Panorama High”
● Nick Doneff “Old Dog”
● Ashley Condon “Oh MY Love”
● Alicia Toner “Back to Fine”
● Liam Corcoran “Tick Tock”

Song of the Year
• The East Pointers “Two Weeks”
• Nick Doneff “Old Dog”
• Ashley Condon “Oh My Love”
• Dennis Ellsworth & Kinley Dowling “Panorama High”
• Liam Corcoran “Tick Tock”
• Calm Baretta “Chilly Bones”

Entertainer of the Year (Publicly Voted Award hosted on the Bell Aliant Website)
● The East Pointers
● Dylan Menzie
● Ashley Condon
● Catherine MacLellan
● The Royal North

Event of the Year
● Cavendish Beach Music Festival
● Mont-Carmel Summer Concert Series
● PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls

Producer of the Year
● Andrew A Melzer
● Jon Matthews
● Brent Chaisson

Touring Artist of the Year
● Catherine MacLellan
● Dylan Menzie
● The East Pointers

Video of the Year
● Alicia Toner “I Learned the Hard Way”
● Nick Doneff “Old Dog”
● Norm Strangely “Autismatic”
● Rick Sparkes “Western Wind”