The Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (MusicNL) is pleased to announce the artists performing live on our 2009 Awards Gala Sunday November 15th 8pm at the St. John’s Arts & Culture Centre.

Alex Lifeson (RUSH), Red Green (Steve Smith), Jessica Holmes, Rita MacNeil and Stompin’ Tom Connors are just a few of the celebrities who have taken up brushes and paints to create small masterpieces to help the nearly 2 million Canadians who either have kidney disease or are at risk.

Meaghan Blanchard is a 20 year old singer/songwriter from Hunter River PEI. Her passion is music. She is in her third year at the University of Prince Edward Island this fall and studies English and Theater studies. She began performing when she was very young in front ...of school, church and community benefit concert audiences, graduating to all ages shows and coffee houses in high school and now to concert venues, bars, and restaurants. She released her first album “Changing Things” in September 2008. The album was recorded in Charlottetown at Big Grey Sound Studios. It was produced by John Connolly and engineered by Jon Matthews. Mastering was handled by Paul Milner. Meaghan began writing songs at 14 just after she took up the guitar. She plays both acoustic and electric and also dabbles in piano. Meaghan Blanchardwon 4 Music PEI Awards at the annual awards show held in January 2009. She won Female Vocalist , Songwriter of the Year, Folk Album of the Year and New Artist. She was also nominated for two ECMA 2009 awards for rising Star and Folk Album. She also was invited to showcase several times during the event and appeared on the nationally televised awards show. She has played numerous all ages shows, coffee houses and community benefits as she continues to develop her skills and talents. Meaghan Blanchard is also featured in a pod cast series produced by Sandbar Music featuring 15 of the best songwriters from PEI that is now available on line for download and listening at www.closetothecoastradio.com. When you listen to Meaghan Blanchard, you are struck by her powerful but controlled voice and her ability to sing her material with total commitment. In her songwriting you will also notice a maturity beyond her years. She writes songs that connect to listeners much older than herself which is a rare gift in one so young. The stairwell in the family home is still where you can find Meaghan playing her guitar and singing for hours whenever she is home from school. It is where the music of Meaghan Blanchard is shaped and sculpted before it is heard in public. One thing is for certain Meaghan Blanchard is a singer/songwriter with a bright future. Her stage presence, her voice and the songs she writes tell anyone who listens that they will be hearing much more from her sooner rather than later.

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The nominees listed below were selected by the Maple Blues Awards Nominations Panel for their outstanding achievements in blues music in Canada over the past year.