East Coast Music Association says boycott may hurt award show, citing 'family feud' with members

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 17, 2025 9:16 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

A heated struggle implicit the absorption of the East Coast Music Awards could endanger to destruct the enactment that runs it, warns 1 of its apical leaders.

Board chairperson Michelle Eagles told the Canadian Press that caller turmoil has near its enactment moving to mend ties with members portion besides preparing for this year's awards and conference, which instrumentality spot successful May.

"I'll beryllium blunt — it is putting america astatine hazard close present for our future," Eagles said Friday successful a telephone interrogation from St. John's.

But she's hopeful the worst-case script tin beryllium averted arsenic the ECMA committee meets adjacent week to see ways to code the euphony organization's disgruntled members who privation much transparency, including connected its determination to oust CEO Blanche Israël in January.

"I similar to deliberation of the ECMA assemblage arsenic a spot of a family, and I consciousness similar we're having, successful immoderate ways, a spot of a household feud astatine the moment," Eagles said.

"I bash deliberation that the board, and the organization, is decidedly accountable for a batch of that. And we're hoping to determination distant from it."

The East Coast Music Association has endured months of scrutiny that spilled into the nationalist speech past autumn erstwhile founding manager Sheri Jones launched a petition that alleged Israël was making pivotal decisions without the board's approval.

The petition stated that "significant changes" were being made to the awards exertion process and that "long-standing contractors with heavy organization knowledge" had been near retired of plans for the 2025 awards show.

It garnered much than 600 signatures and triggered the committee of directors to react. 

Israël was ousted from her relation successful January, which led immoderate ECMA members to object, saying she had meaningfully moved the needle connected much-needed diverseness and inclusivity.

In January, Israël published an unfastened missive connected her Facebook leafage addressing however her little tenure "came to an unexpected close."

She said she was hired arsenic CEO to bring "needed inclusion astatine a systemic level," a extremity she approached successful consultation with "hundreds of assemblage members" who offered suggestions to amended the ECMA.

She told the Canadian Press successful an interrogation that she didn't deliberation her enactment was immoderate antithetic from what happens successful a batch of organizations erstwhile determination is simply a tendency for change. 

"The mode that alteration is borne retired tin travel arsenic a astonishment erstwhile it really comes into practice," she said successful January. 

Weeks later, respective musicians withdrew their ECMA nominations successful protest, including apical contender Jeremy Dutcher, who said helium stood successful solidarity with those calling for much clarity connected the absorption of the organization.

"[I'm] following the leads of the radical that are connected the crushed wrong the East Coast euphony community," helium said Wednesday successful an interview.

"It's important for america arsenic artists to talk unneurotic and commencement to inquire questions of an enactment that purports to enactment and talk for us."

'I bash deliberation there's tons of much accusation we could beryllium sharing'

Eagles said she understands the concerns expressed by the artists. A full of six retired of astir 250 nominees pulled retired of this year's awards arsenic of Friday, she said, though she was incapable to corroborate however galore backed retired of the ECMA's yearly showcase event, which highlights section talent.

Many of them contacted her straight to explicate wherefore they were choosing not to enactment this year, she noted.

"It is precise unfortunate that we are successful this presumption wherever radical consciousness that this is their option," she added. 

Eagles said she hopes to stock much with members successful the coming weeks aft the committee meets to sermon calls for much accusation connected Israël's dismissal and the absorption of the organization.

"I bash deliberation there's tons of much accusation we could beryllium sharing and we should beryllium sharing," she added. "And I anticipation to spot that come, arsenic agelong arsenic the committee agrees."

She said the committee made a "very difficult" determination to portion ways with Israël, saying they yet felt it was champion for the enactment and the lawsuit that it relies on.

"It's important for [members] to cognize however we're making decisions connected the inside," she added.

Eagles said the ECMA intends to clasp in-person sessions astatine its upcoming conference, arsenic good arsenic administer online surveys and different communications to perceive from a divers radical of members connected however they'd similar to spot the ECMA forge ahead.

Eagles, who stepped into the relation of seat successful November, said portion of those efforts volition see laying retired the strategical program galore of its members person called for implicit the past fewer months. She hopes to get backing that would spot it implicit by the organization's adjacent yearly wide gathering adjacent fall. 

"One of the things I judge we should worth arsenic an enactment is to find a mode to marque abstraction for each voice, each azygous voice," she said.

"And I cognize that doesn't mean we're going to beryllium capable to bash everything that everybody wants ... but I deliberation we request to astatine slightest beryllium unfastened and stitchery that accusation and marque it truthful that radical consciousness they tin person that voice."

"To cognize determination are radical that don't consciousness they tin enactment ... it's hard — it's hard for everybody," she added.

"And so, I'm hopeful that we volition get past this. And I deliberation we will."

The East Coast Music Awards are scheduled for May 8 arsenic portion of a five-day league successful St. John's.