Tourism, Culture and
Recreation
November 16, 2009
Spotlight Shines on
Province�s Music Industry at MusicNL Awards
The Honourable Clyde
Jackman, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation,
today congratulated the best of the province�s music
industry, who were honoured last night (Sunday, November
15) at the 2009 Music Newfoundland and Labrador (MusicNL)
Awards Gala, held at the St. John�s Arts and Culture
Centre.
�Newfoundland and Labrador is a province filled with
tremendous musical talent,�
said Minister Jackman, who attended the event. �While
many of our music industry professionals were honoured
last night, it is also important to acknowledge the
rising stars yet to be discovered. It is both our
established and emerging artists who continue to
contribute to the development of our cultural
industries, which have become increasingly important to
the growth of our economy as a whole.�
The big winners of the night were the folk trio The Once
(Phil Churchill, Andrew Dale and Geraldine Hollett), who
took home four awards: Group of the Year, Album of the
Year, Rising Star of the Year, and Folk/Roots Group of
the Year.
Other winners were:
- Curtis Andrews, Male
Artist of the Year, and Instrumental Artist of the
Year;
- Karla Pilgrim,
Female Artist of the Year, and Country Artist of the
Year;
- Shanneyganock,
Entertainer of the Year;
- The Novaks, Pop/Rock
Group of the Year;
- Terry Penney, SOCAN
Songwriter of the Year;
- Sandy Morris, Side
Musician of the Year;
- Colleen Power,
Alternative Artist of the Year;
- Chris Kirby,
Jazz/Blues Group of the Year; and
- Rod Jackson, Gospel
Artist of the Year
In addition to the above
awards, Minister Jackman presented The Ducats � a
popular five-member rock and roll band formed in Port
aux Basques in the 1960s � with the MusicNL Lifetime
Achievement Award. The award is presented to an
individual, organization or group for contribution and
dedication to the Newfoundland and Labrador music
industry. Other special presentations were made to
Labrador folk singer Gerald Mitchell, who received the
Unsung Hero Award, and the Newfoundland and Labrador
Folks Arts Society, which received the Industry Builder
Award.
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador continues to
support the province�s music industry, which includes
the provision of $325,000 in annual operational and
programming support to MusicNL, along with targeted
project support through the Cultural Economic
Development Program (CEDP), and through funding provided
to the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council (NLAC).
For more information about MusicNL, please visit:
//www.musicnl.ca/
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Media contact:
Heather May
Director of Communications
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
709-729-0928, 69-5061
heathermay@gov.nl.ca
2009 11 16 12:30 p.m.
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