Building a Legacy

As the region’s largest event venue, Scotiabank Centre was proud to host concerts and music events that build lasting legacies for the city and province this year, including the 35th Annual 2023 East Coast Music Awards and the 2024 JUNO Awards.

"It doesn't get any better than the ECMAs!"

- Mike Savage, Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality. 
 

In May, Scotiabank Centre was proud to be a sponsor, partner, and host of the 2023 East Coast Music Awards, the regional industry association’s monumental thirty-fifth celebration of east coast music. The ECMAs were a week-long festival with a conference and 60 events that brought more than 18,000 visitors to downtown Halifax, including 1,500 delegates from the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.

Hosted by Trent MacLellan, the East Coast Music Awards were broadcast live from our venue and featured some of the region’s top performers like Natalie MacMaster, Ashley MacIsaac, Neon Dreams, Jah’Mila, Adam Baldwin, Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire, Aquakultre, and more. The show also featured the induction of the late Myles Goodwyn into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, recognizing the importance of supporting emerging artists who go on to build lifelong legacies. Scotiabank Centre was proud to partner with the East Coast Music Association, creating opportunities for artists to sustain music careers and music businesses in Atlantic Canada. By hosting the 2023 ECMAs, Scotiabank Centre positioned and promoted Halifax and the entire east coast as a premiere music community and destination.
 

"I am proud to be part of that network -- that Nova Scotia, east coast, Maritime network, Atlantic provinces music -- that can go anywhere in the world." 

- Natalie MacMaster, Winner of the 2023 Director's Special Achievement Award. 
 

The 2023 Awards also celebrated Indigenous artists from across the Atlantic region, with six Indigenous nominees in 2023, including Inuk singer Deantha Edmunds and acclaimed Mi’kmaq fiddler Morgan Toney, who won the 2023 Indigenous Artist of the Year: "The ECMAs mean so much to me. I hope this win shows our Mi'kmaw youth that dreams can come true." 

At the 2023 JUNO Awards in Edmonton, Alberta, Halifax was announced as the next host city of the 2024 JUNO Awards from March 21 to March 24, 2024. But the journey to the JUNO Awards began long before the announcement, and the impact of the JUNOS will continue long after the event. Building on Scotiabank Centre’s legacy of hosting amazing musical moments, and with Nova Scotia’s deep musical history, we brought together partners in the music and hospitality industry, provincial and municipal governments, and business and community, to rally behind this amazing opportunity to feature Nova Scotia’s rich musical culture and talent to the world.

"With the support of key lead partners – the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Province of Nova Scotia and Halifax Regional Municipality – the 2024 JUNO Halifax Host Committee delivered an ambitious legacy plan with investments in signature programs to support the growth of the region’s music industry.”

- Allan Reid, President & CEO, Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.

Along with the 2024 JUNO Awards, in partnership with CARAS, the 2024 JUNO Host Committee began planning a week-long celebration of music with events leading up to JUNO Week to build industry capacity, provide access for emerging talent, support education and mentorship, promote cultural diversity and representation, and leave a legacy of the JUNOS. In October, the Host Committee launched the JUNO Wavemakers Tour, a series of five concerts in five regional cities (Halifax, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Sydney, and St. John's) that featured local performers, from which one was chosen as a Wavemaker Ambassador to attend the JUNOS and perform on a JUNO Fest stage. As Chair of the Host Committee Allegra Swanson said, the Wavemakers Tour was "an incredible opportunity to showcase the unparalleled, raw talent found in Nova Scotia" and support local artists as they develop their careers. 

"Winning the JUNO Wavemakers tour was a really cool accomplishment. Playing at the JUNOs was an exciting, incredible feeling that I will never forget, especially in my hometown. I am grateful for the opportunities that I've had since winning Wavemakers.”

- Maggie Andrew, Winner of the JUNOS Wavemaker Tour (Halifax).

The Host Committee ensured that events at JUNO Fest and the JUNO Block Party were accessible to the community with non-ticketed shows and performances across all genres of music from diverse talent. The stages were curated to feature Mi’kmaw and African Nova Scotia artists, as well as offer dedicated spaces to highlight Nova Scotia’s thriving musical culture. Other programming included education programs for youth and mentorship opportunities with industry professionals designed to nurture talent and stimulate long-term growth. The Host Committee also worked with partners at the Halifax Regional Municipality to encourage broad use of the transit system during JUNO events through extended ferry and bus services, free transit for volunteers, and commemorative JUNO bike racks at cultural locations across the city to encourage sustainable active transportation. These initiatives culminated in the 2024 JUNO Awards on March 24, broadcast live on CBC.

       "I was inspired to see such genuine collaboration across the city in support of the music community.
       From day one, Events East was an incredible support for the 2024 JUNOS; their professionalism,
       commitment, and passion was the backbone of our Host Committee and the Wavemakers execution.”

          - Allegra Swanson, Host Committee Chair & Executive Director, Music Nova Scotia.

        “It was exciting to have the JUNOS back in Halifax after 18 years. This city loves music, celebrates artists,
         and knows how to host a party. The 2024 Halifax JUNO Host Committee ensured the JUNOS impact will be
         felt for many years to come.”

– Allan Reid, President & CEO, Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. 

For over five days, production crews, stage designers, sound and light technicians, and hundreds of staff and volunteers worked together to transform Scotiabank Centre into a national stage. As the most diverse and inclusive JUNO Awards to date, the show was hosted by international superstar Nelly Furtado with performances from Canada's best contemporary artists, including The Beaches, the first-ever JUNO winner of Punjab descent Karan Aujla, Charlotte Cardin, Josh Ross, TALK, with appearances by music icons Anne Murray and Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy, and 2024 Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Maestro Fresh Wes. With 38 Indigenous nominees in 2024, the most in JUNO history, the show featured several Indigenous artists including Tobique First Nation's Jeremy Dutcher, Inuk artist Elisapie, Mi'kmaq nominee Morgan Toney, Oji-Cree singer Aysanabee, 2022 Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year nominee Shawnee Kish, and Peguis First Nation's William Prince, representing and honouring First Nations people and the rich musical and spiritual traditions across Nations. We were proud to host this tremendous celebration of Canadian culture and talent. 

“There's so many great artists before me, incredible songwriters. . . . I'm proud to be up there and representing my people.”

– Aysanabee, four-time JUNO nominee.

While 3.79 million Canadians watched the live broadcast, more than 8,000 fans attended the show at Scotiabank Centre, including community members who participated in programs and events leading up to the the JUNOS. The award show was a culmination of the 2024 JUNO Halifax Host Committee's efforts to build programs and initiatives that create opportunities for more inclusion of diverse communities in the Canadian music industry, including the African Nova Scotian community. As part of the 2024 JUNOS, the Host Committee partnered with the African Nova Scotian Music Association (ANSMA) to launch an export grant and hosted Celebration Sunday on March 24 to showcase of African Nova Scotia artists and history and create opportunities for inclusion in the industry.

“Scotiabank Centre played a huge role in making the community feel like they have access to the bigger events that happen in Halifax. We need venues and spaces to be willing to take a chance on a variety of programming to support these artists to help them develop.”

– Julien Matwawana, Executive Director, African Nova Scotian Music Association (ANSMA).

The 2024 JUNO Awards was a significant technical, cultural, and financial achievement for the city and province, while showcasing the incredible talent and diversity of musicians from across Canada. The exceptional work of the Scotiabank Centre teams - including over 200 event technicians, event managers, event attendants, technical professionals, security services, and more, made the 2024 JUNO Awards a success. 

 "We have an amazing team  with such an incredible variety of skills, years of experience and the unique ability to collaborate around the art of the possible. We always want to make our partners, sponsors, and, most importantly, our community proud. We wanted to ensure the JUNO legacy lived on beyond the awards, and show Canada what authentic east coast hospitality is all about. For us, that means creating amazing events." 

– Suzanne Fougere, Host Committee Vice Co-Chair & Executive President, Scotiabank Centre.