Joel Plaskett Cleans Up ECMAs

I'll never understand why most Canadian Media outlets give extensive coverage to the Grammy Awards and hardly mention the East Coast Music Awards, even though they were on the same night. I suppose it has to do with the assumption in the media that Canadians aren't interested in Canadian artists unless they are succeeding in other countries. That may even be partially true, but if it is it is perpetuated in large part by the media who give extensive coverage to Canadians succeeding abroad and little to Canadians succeeding at home. In short, it's a self fulfilling prophecy. How can Canadians possibly get excited about things they don't know about?

Now that I've finished the Micro Rant: Congratulations to the Joel Plaskett Emergency who won Best Video (for Fashionable People), Songwriter of the Year, Group Recording of the Year, Rock Recording of the Year and Recording of the Year for "Ashtray Rock".

Aside from Plaskett's multiple wins George Canyon picked up the ECMA's 'Entertainer of the Year' award, Dave Gunning, the Rankin Family and Jamie sparks each won two awards and Stephanie Hardy won the 'Rising Star' award. Thom Swift won the award for Blues recording and the New Brunswick Youth orchestra won classical recording of the year. The Saddle River String Band took home top bluegrass artist, Nathan Wiley's "The City Destroyed Me" won Alternative Recording of the Year and the Country Recording of the Year went to the Divorcees.

The CBC will air a condensed version of the ECMA's hosted by Stephen Page on March 2nd. You can read CBC Radio 3's Grant Lawrence's take on the ECMA's here and the full breakdown from the Canadian Press over there.