News Article

Music PEI is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2023 Music PEI Awards! These awards recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions of Prince Edward Island’s talented musicians and industry professionals. The awards were adjudicated by a selection of independent music industry professionals both regionally and internationally.

This year, the leading artist with seven nominations goes to rising star Lawrence Maxwell. Maxwell had nominations in every top category including FACTOR Album of the Year, SOCAN Songwriter of the Year, Lennox Island First Nation Music Video of the Year, Whitecap Entertainment Entertainer of the Year and Holland College Musician of the Year. His album Ballad of Miles was also nominated for the Caledonia House Roots Recording of the Year and The Buzz Album Art of the Year.

The other top nominees this year, with four nominations each are – Alicia Toner, Andrew Waite, Lennie Gallant, and The Burning Hell.

Our public vote category, Whitecap Entertainer of the Year, opens today, December 19th until January 6th, 2023. You can cast your vote on Music PEI’s online awards platform at https://awards.musicpei.com. Nominees in this category are Alicia Toner, Andrew, Waite, Cory Gallant, Lawrence Maxwell, and Lennie Gallant.

The winners will be announced during the 2023 Music PEI Week, which will be held March 8th-12th, 2023. Tickets will be on sale in the new year and can be purchased through the Music PEI website.

We congratulate all of the nominees on their incredible talent and achievements and look forward to celebrating with them at the awards party. Thank you to all of the members of the Prince Edward Island music community for your continued support and dedication to making great music. Music PEI would also like to acknowledge and thank the jurors who offered their time and expertise to adjudicate the submissions for the 2023 awards.

Music PEI is grateful to our funders and we acknowledge the financial support from FACTOR (through the Government of Canada and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters), The Province of Prince Edward Island and Innovation PEI, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the City of Charlottetown and SOCAN. 

Music PEI is also fortunate to experience tremendous sponsorship support from our community and we wish to acknowledge Dyne Holdings, Lennox Island First Nation, Hearts and Flowers, Maritime Electric, Souris Credit Union, Hopyard, Whitecap Entertainment, Atlantic Lottery, The Buzz, Combat Computers, PEI Mutual, Holland College, Rising Tide Community Fund Inc., Upstreet Libra, The Guild, Downtown Charlottetown, Fiddling Fisherman Lookout, Discover Charlottetown, Caledonia House,  KENT Building Supplies, Long & McQuade, Arsenault Best Cameron & Ellis, Cymba Music Publishing and SRL Solutions.

The nominees for the 2023 Music PEI Awards are:

1. FACTOR Album of the Year
Dylan Menzie – Modern Classic
Lawrence Maxwell – Ballad of Miles
Lennie Gallant – Christmas Day on Planet Earth
The Burning Hell – Garbage Island
The East Pointers – House of Dreams

2. The Buzz Album Art of the Year
Andrew Waite – Andrew Waite (Artwork: Brendan Henry)
Brielle Ansems – Still Awake (Portrait/Painting: Sarah Eddie, based on Photograph by Emily Coffin; Graphic Design: Brielle Ansems)
Lawrence Maxwell – Ballad of Miles (Art Direction / Illustration / Layout: Aidan Searle)
The Burning Hell – Garbage Island (Artwork & Graphic Design: Emmie Tsumura)
The Moneygoround – Cruisin’ and Swingin’ (Design & Layout: Aidan Searle; Inside Photo: Heather Doyle)

3. Combat Computers Digital Presence Award
Alicia Toner
BraedenV
Brandon Howard Roy
Hailey MacIsaac
Knull

4. PEI Mutual Instrumental Recording of the Year
Atlantic String Machine – A Single Juniper Post
Kevin, Tim & Brent Chaisson – Dad’s Tunes
Lee Rosevere – Calm After the Storm
Natalie Williams Calhoun – Act 3
Tzu-Cheng Wang – Hello, PEI!

5. Rising Tide Community Fund Lloyd Doyle New Artist of the Year
Ava + Lily Rashed
Elijah MacDougall
Hazen Halls
Natalie Williams Calhoun
Nolan Compton

6. Atlantic Lottery Recording Sector Award
Adam Gallant
Andrew A. Melzer
SpaceCamp

7. The Guild Achievement in Classical Music
Atlantic String Machine
Lee Rosevere
Natalie Williams Calhoun
Under the Spire Music Festival

8. SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
Alicia Toner
KINLEY
Lawrence Maxwell
The East Pointers
The Moneygoround

9. Upstreet Craft Brewing Single of the Year
Alicia Toner – Tonight (feat. Joey Landrith)
Brandon Howard Roy – Give Me Love
Cory Gallant – Daddy Was Saturday Night
Lennie Gallant – I’m Gonna Have A Merry Christmas Even If It Kills Me
The East Pointers – Stronger Than You Know

10. Lennox Island First Nation Music Video of the Year
Andrew Waite – Full Time Tryin’ 2 Luv  (Directed & Animated by Brendan Henry)
Brielle Ansems – 25 (Still Awake)  (Directed by Ryan McCarville)
Knull – Devour  (Directed by Kyle Gallagher)
Lawrence Maxwell – Back to Cape Breton (Directed by Shane Pendergast & Aidan Searle)
The Burning Hell – Nigel the Gannet (Directed by Ariel Sharratt)

11. Caledonia House Roots Recording of the Year
Andrew Waite – Andrew Waite
Brielle Ansems – Still Awake
Lawrence Maxwell – Ballad of Miles
Lennie Gallant – Christmas Day on Planet Earth
Nolan Compton – Born and Raised

12. Discover Charlottetown Rock Recording of the Year
Elijah MacDougall – The Boy That Would Be
Hazen Halls – Our Fires Fade to Candles, Vol.1
Hired Guns – One In The Chamber
Nolan Compton – Born and Raised
The Burning Hell – Garbage Island

13. Fiddling Fisherman Lookout R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
BraedenV – Trendsetter
Dr. Zoo – 20
Hailey MacIsaac – Lumber
Logan Richard – Live at The Trailside
Nadia – Off the High feat. Vince The Messenger

14. Downtown Charlottetown Pop Recording of the Year
Elijah MacDougall – The Boy Who Would Be
Doug Hoyer – Getting Older
KINLEY – Daylight
Nick Doneff – The Late August Days
Nikkie Gallant – Subtle Motions

15. City of Charlottetown Rap/HipHop Recording of the Year
Adam Robbins – Coup de Grâce
BraedenV – Trendsetter
Spivey – Fever Dreams
TNA – Night Scenes
Vince the Messenger – If These Walls Could Talk
X-Plycit – X-It The Premises

16. Whitecap Entertainment Entertainer of the Year
Alicia Toner
Andrew Waite
Cory Gallant
Lawrence Maxwell
Lennie Gallant

17. Maritime Electric Live Sector Award
Craig Fair Music Productions
Open Mic with KINLEY at Baba’s
Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival
Shane Pendergast
Under the Spire Music Festival

MUSIC PEI BOARD AWARDS

18. KENT Community Contributor of the Year
Jay Diss
Maxine MacLennan
Mi’kmaq Heritage Actors
Richard Wood
Zoe & Holly O’Regan

19. Long & McQuade Educator of the Year
Island Rock Camps
Kirk White
Music Alive Program – Richard Pellissier-Lush & Ryan Elliot Drew 

20. SRL Solutions Industry Person of the Year
Alyssa Gallant
Faye Williams Wood

21. Arsenault Best Cameron & Ellis Lifetime Achievement Award
Mark Haines
Maureen McTague
Maxine MacLennan

22. Cymba Music Publishing Live Music Production Professional of the Year
Chris Knox
Kyle Gallagher
Shawna Picard

23. Souris Credit Union Rooted to The Island
Christine Campbell
Jay Diss
Kiwi Jr.

24. Holland College Musician of the Year
Cory Gallant
Lawrence Maxwell
Nick Doneff
Nick Gauthier
Tzu-Cheng Wang

---

Awards by the numbers:

Multiple Award Nominees
Lawrence Maxwell – 7
Alicia Toner – 4
Andrew Waite – 4
Lennie Gallant – 4
The Burning Hell – 4
BraedenV – 3
Brielle Ansems – 3
Cory Gallant – 3
Elijah MacDougall – 3
KINLEY – 3

Natalie Williams Calhoun – 3
Nolan Compton – 3
The East Pointers – 3
Atlantic String Machine – 2
Brandon Howard Roy – 2
Hailey MacIsaac – 2
Hazen Halls – 2
Jay Diss – 2
Knull – 2
Lee Rosevere – 2
Maxine MacLennan – 2
Nick Doneff – 2
The Moneygoround – 2
Tzu-Cheng Wang – 2
Under the Spire – 2

Single Award Nominees

Adam Gallant
Adam Robbins
Alyssa Gallant
Andrew A. Melzer
Ava + Lily Rashed
Chris Knox
Christine Campbell
Craig Fair Music Productions
Doug Hoyer
Dylan Menzie
Dr. Zoo
Faye Williams Wood
Hired Guns
Island Rock Camps
Kevin, Tim, and Brent Chaisson
Kirk White
Kiwi Jr.
Kyle Gallagher
Logan Richard
Mark Haines
Maureen McTague
Mi’kmaq Heritage Actors
Music Alive Program – Richard Pellissier-Lush & Ryan Elliot Drew
Nadia
Nick Gauthier
Nikkie Gallant
Richard Wood
Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival
Shane Pendergast
Shawna Picard
SpaceCamp
Spivey
TNA
Vince the Messenger
X-Plycit
Zoe & Holly O’Regan