CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Catherine MacLellan didn’t expect to win Crabbe Road solo recording of the year at the Credit Union Music P.E.I. Awards.
But on Sunday afternoon, she took home that trophy and two others, the Music Publishers of Canada song of the year (with Tara MacLean) and contemporary roots recording of the year.
“That list of nominees was amazing,” she said.
“I really love that we live in a community that’s so rich and full of amazing musicians, and I’m so proud to be a part of it.”
MacLellan was nominated for nine awards at the event, which was held at the Delta Hotel’s Charlottetown Conference Centre.
After accepting the first win, MacLellan talked about how making the record, Coyote, gave her that sense of community.
“This record was kind of that for me. (It) was bringing together all of the beautiful people that I love on this Island. Not all of the people I love, but then ones that are on the record, I love them so much.”
At Saturday’s SOCAN songwriter of the year event, MacLellan talked about being asked to write a song during the pandemic.
“It was kind of a gift to be given a commission, like there was a deadline,” she said. “I just haven’t been writing really at all. There was that song with Tara (MacLean) and this one, and it felt so nice to have a point of view to write towards.”
About Music P.E.I.
- The Credit Union Music P.E.I. Awards are part of Music P.E.I. Week, an annual celebration of Island musical talent and industry professionals
- 31 awards were handed out this year. The list can be found by clicking on this story at www.theguardian.pe.ca
- Music P.E.I. was founded in 2001 as a non-profit member services organization that advocates for Island musicians and represents them at a national level
- Music P.E.I. is guided by a board of directors who are elected annually and serve three-year terms
Also present at the songwriter of the year event was the award winner, Dylan Menzie, who won for his record, Lost in Dreams. He won three of the six awards he was nominated for, adding Factor entertainer of the year and tying with Lawrence Maxwell for Buzz album art of the year on Sunday.
On stage Saturday, Menzie talked about being in front of a crowd again.
“It feels amazing. I love playing music for people,” he said. “When I write songs, sometimes I imagine I’m playing them for a room full of people. And so this is exactly what I imagined, except for everybody was closer together in my imagination.”
He also shared his songwriting process with the audience.
“Generally speaking, they all started on guitar or piano, and then change a lot in the production, change a lot in the writing of it, and the playing of it live,” he said.
He makes those changes based on things like audience reaction and how the song makes him feel.
“I’ll play a song totally changed from one night to the next,” he said.
And the winners are…
Following is a list of all award winners from the Music P.E.I. Awards.
1. P.E.I. Symphony achievement in classical music – Sirens.
2. Credit Union album of the year – Rachel Beck, Stronger Than You Know.
3. The Buzz album art of the year – Dylan Menzie, Lost in Dreams (graphic designers Ashley Anne Clark and Cohen McDonald) and Lawrence Maxwell, Almost Natural (graphic designer: Aidan Searle).
4. Digital achievement of the year – KINLEY.
5. Copper Bottom Brewing event of the year – Indian River Festival.
6. Francophone artist of the year – Vishtèn.
7. City of Charlottetown group recording of the year – Amanda Jackson Band, Ocean.
8. Instrumental recording of the year – Sarah Hagen, Women of Note.
9. Livestream of the year – Vishtèn.
10. Holland College musician of the year – Roland Beaulieu.
11. Maritime Electric Lloyd Doyle new artist of the year – Logan Richard, Everyday.
12. Cymba Music Publishing producer of the year – Colin Buchanan.
13. Recording studio of the year – The Sound Mill.
14. SOCAN songwriter of the year – Dylan Menzie.
15. Crabbe Road Productions solo recording of the year – Catherine MacLellan, Coyote.
16. Music Publishers Canada song of the year – Catherine MacLellan and Tara MacLean, This Storm.
17. Venue of the year – Mainstage Theatre, Confederation Centre of the Arts.
18. FilmPEI video of the year – KINLEY, Run With You (directed by Jenna MacMillan).
19. Contemporary roots recording of the year – Catherine MacLellan, Coyote.
20. Electronic recording of the year – Hailey MacIsaac, Down2U (feat. Mossboy).
21. Rock recording of the year – Little Cities, Little Cities EP.
22. Downtown Charlottetown Inc. pop recording of the year – Brielle Ansems, This New Hurricane.
23. Rap/hiphop recording of the year – Vince the Messenger, Nowhere 2 Grow.
24. Factor entertainer of the year – Dylan Menzie.
25. Long & McQuade educator of the year – Karson McKeown.
26. Industry person of the year – Adam Johnston.
27. Upstreet lifetime achievement award – Scott Parsons.
28. Deep Roots Distillery rooted to the Island award – Nancy White.
29. Live Music Production professional of the year – Donald Richard.
30. ABCE community contributor of the year –Frances McBurnie.
Menzie has been so prolific during the pandemic that he had all new material to play at the songwriter awards.
“In the past six months, I’ve written a lot. I find I’m very creative these days,” he said.
“I don't have any CDs for sale — well, any of my new CDs for sale, so I thought, what’s the difference, I’ll just play all new songs.”
Saturday’s award show was invite-only, but it was live streamed for fans to watch at home.
In addition to the more visible artist awards, there were also six awards selected by the Music P.E.I. board of directors. Those included educator of the year, industry person of the year, lifetime achievement, rooted to the Island, live music production professional of the year, and community contributor of the year.
The five genre awards were voted on by Music P.E.I. members, while the entertainer of the year was selected by public vote.
All other awards were determined by juries of industry professionals.
The 2021 Credit Union Music P.E.I. awards were supposed to be March 4-7, but had to be rescheduled because of COVID-19 circuit breaker measures.
Logan MacLean is The Guardian's weekend reporter. He can be reached by email at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @loganmaclean94 .
