East Coast Music Awards 2026
The East Coast Music Association (ECMA) is now accepting Award and Stages submissions for the 2026 East Coast Music Awards, taking place in Sydney, Nova Scotia from May 20–24, 2026. This marks the 38th annual celebration of Atlantic Canadian music.
“As the new Executive Director of the East Coast Music Association, I am delighted to announce that we are off and running for Sydney 2026”, said ED Bob Hallett. “To enhance accessibility to the awards, we have instituted a 48 hour free window for the first two days of submissions.”
Submission Period
- Open: September 2, 2025 at 9:00 AM (ADT)
- Close: October 6, 2025 at 11:59 PM (ADT)
- All application fees waived from September 2 at 9:00 AM to September 4 at 9:00 AM with promo code First48.
After the free submission period, award submissions will require a fee of $20 CAD per award, with the exception of the following categories, which remain free:
- African Canadian Artist of the Year
- Indigenous Artist of the Year
- All Industry Awards
After speaking with over 60 applicants and 20 industry professionals we have developed the guidelines for the 2026 ECMAs. Many of the conversations brought up recurring themes suggesting changes for this year. In light of our on-going Strategic Planning process, we have revised the guidelines for the 2026 ECMAs.
Key changes that came directly from those meetings and member suggestions are:
Stages
- Reinstated evaluation criteria system
- Reinstated the Export program. The popular Accelerator initiatives will now be a part of the Export program.
Music Awards
- Reinstated eligibility period
- Changed evaluation criteria back to even weights
- Some awards are now Album of the Year categories for full length recordings and others are Release of the Year categories that recognize singles.
- Long answer submission form questions have been revised and shortened to a 250 word limit.
- Producer of the Year - applicants whose only project is their own music will not be eligible.
Industry Awards
- Media Excellence Award has replaced Media Person of the Year
- Visual Artist of the Year has been renamed to Content Creator of the Year
- Recording Engineer of the Year has been re-introduced.
The ECMA recognizes the invaluable contribution to the music industry made by live technicians and we are currently discussing a way to honour these individuals. Please contact us with any ideas and suggestions.
We also heard concerns around AI, and after an industry review found that our policy is in line with the current practices. These guidelines, however, are living documents that are updated annually, and the ECMA will continue to adapt accordingly.
About ECMA:
The East Coast Music Association is a pan-Atlantic organization dedicated to celebrating and promoting the music of Atlantic Canada. Through its annual festival and conference, artist development programs, and industry partnerships, ECMA works to support and showcase the diverse talent of the East Coast.
Website - www.ecma.com/ecma-2026