If you’re going to write a hit song, you might as well try and do it in a place that looks like paradise. That’s Gordie Sampson’s rationale for bringing Nova Scotia’s youngest and brightest musical talent to the Cape Breton Highlands for a week every summer, to find inspiration in the hills overlooking Ingonish Harbour and to ease them into the songsmith’s equivalent of military training.

Instead of the lonely late-night bedroom, or a fluorescent-lit office on Nashville’s Music Row, they get the sweeping grandeur of Cape Smokey as a backdrop and the comfy surroundings of historic Keltic Lodge. Read more…

We are thrilled to have the Gordie Sampson Songcamp writers nominated for a total of 16 Music Nova Scotia awards! The awards will be handed out during Nova Scotia Music Week, which takes place from November 6-9 in Truro Colchester County.

Here are the list of the Music Nova Scotia award nominees:

Carlton Stone – Entertainer of the Year
Carleton Stone, Draws Blood – Male Artist Recording of the Year
Carleton Stone, Draws Blood – Recording of the Year
Carleton Stone – SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
Carleton Stone, Draws Blood – Pop Recording of the Year
Dave Sampson, No Pressure No Diamonds – Pop Recording of the Year
Gloryhound (Evan Meisner, lead singer/guitar), Loaded Gun – Group Recording of the Year
Gloryhound – Digital Artist of the Year
Gloryhound – Rock Recording of the Year
Mo Kenney – Entertainer of the Year
Molly Thomason, Columbus Field – Female Artist Recording of the Year
Molly Thomason, Columbus Field – Rock Recording of the Year
Neon Dreams (Corey LeRue) – Digital Artist of the Year
Nicole Ariana, 4 Seasons EP – Urban Recording of the Year
The Brood (Seamus Erskine, lead singer/guitar), All Debit No Credit – New Artist Recording of the Year
The Brood, All Debit No Credit – Alternative Recording of the Year

We’ll be hosting our annual Songcamp Songwriter’s Circle at Nova Scotia Music Week and we’ll share more details with you about the show closer to the date.

Congratulations to all the nominees; we’re looking forward to celebrating together!