Six-time East Coast Music Award (ECMA) winner and legendary songwriter Ron Hynes will be posthumously inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, in a special ceremony during the 2020 ECMAs gala – which has now been re-scheduled to take place as a pre-recorded, two-hour broadcast, on Saturday, July 11, starting at 9:00 p.m. AT / 9:30 p.m. NT on CBC TV in Atlantic Canada, and on CBC Gem across the country. With support from the SOCAN Foundation and peermusic, the tribute to Hynes will bring together longtime members of his backing band, and colleague artists including Shaye, Joel Hynes, and Lennie Gallant.
The 2020 ECMAs are hosted by Mary Walsh, and feature uniquely captured performances by Tim Baker, Rose Cousins, Wintersleep, Damnhait Doyle, Matt Mays, Neon Dreams, Motherhood, Eastern Owl, Zamani, Jacobus, and Shanneyganock. The re-scheduling follows the cancellation of the 32nd annual edition of event – originally scheduled to take place from April 29 to May 03 – due to COVID-19.
“We were devastated to cancel our week of events in St. John’s this Spring in the wake of the pandemic, including our much anticipated Awards Show at Mile One Stadium,” said Andy McLean, CEO of the ECMA. “However, we knew from that moment we wanted to find a unique way to celebrate our local talent and the well-deserving winners of this year’s East Coast Music Awards. Over the past several weeks, our team has worked hard to tape incredible performances and put together a wonderful show so that – across the Atlantic provinces and now across the whole country – we can come together to champion the vibrancy and resiliency of the East Coast music community, and tip our hats to the beautiful city of St. John’s.”
Nine East Coast Music Awards will be given away over the course of the broadcast. The remaining award winners will be announced the day before, on Friday, June 10, via ECMA’s social media channels. For a full list of ECMA 2020 nominees, click here.