The Irish Descendants were presented with the VOCM Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year award during the opening gala at the Convention Centre. MusicNL Week kicked off with artists from various genres picking up trophies across 22 categories as the annual celebration got underway in St. John’s.
Opening Gala Awards at the Convention Centre
Pop-rock band With Violet led the evening’s winners by capturing two titles: Group of the Year, presented by Quidi Vidi Brewery, and Pop Artist of the Year, presented by the Churchill Park Music Festival, according to vocm.com. Local singer Paige Penney, who spends time traveling between Newfoundland and Nashville, won Country Artist of the Year, an award presented by O’Briens Music.
Lead singer Con O’Brien of The Irish Descendants received the Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony. MusicNL Week continues with events and performances scheduled to run through Sunday.
Full List of Category Winners
The complete roster of recipients recognized at the Convention Centre includes:
- Alternative Artist of the Year: Liz Fagan Band
- Country Artist of the Year: Paige Penney
- Folk Artist of the Year: Matthew Byrne
- Global Music Artist of the Year: Ana Luisa Ramos
- Group of the Year: With Violet
- Indigenous Artist of the Year: Silver Wolf Band
- International Touring Artist of the Year: Ana & Eric
- Jazz Artist of the Year: Duane Andrews
- L’Artiste Francophone de L’Année: Adrian House
- Loud Artist of the Year: Yes, Officer
- Music Video of the Year: Bill Brennan and Andy McNeill – “Tunnels of Light” (Director, Editor, Producer, Design, Direction, and Animation: Bruce Alcock)
- Pop Artist of the Year: With Violet
- Rap/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year: Albert Dalton
- Rising Star of the Year: Nana Kwame Obese – WEKU
- Rock Artist of the Year: MADELINE
- Solo Artist of the Year: Ben Diamond
- Songwriter of the Year (Non Performer): Amelia Curran
- Sound on Screen Award: Adam Foran
- Traditional Artist of the Year: Kitchinparti
- Ron Hynes Songwriter of the Year: Mallory Johnson
- Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year: The Irish Descendants
- Album of the Year: Bill Brennan and Andy McNeill – Dreaming in Gamelan and Rachel Cousins – What Hasn’t Killed Me
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Con O’Brien
Frequently Asked Questions About MusicNL Week
Where did the MusicNL Awards opening gala take place?
The opening gala was held at the Convention Centre in St. John’s, where artists gathered to kick off MusicNL Week.
Who won multiple awards during the opening night?
With Violet took home two awards, winning both Group of the Year and Pop Artist of the Year.
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