Courtenay singers Helen Austin and Emily Spiller were recognized with some of the top awards at the seventh annual Vancouver Island Music Awards.
Austin won the Long and McQuade Artist of the Year award and was named Female Songwriter of the Year during the awards ceremony Thursday night at the Sid Williams Theatre.
Spiller was honoured as Female Vocalist of the Year.
Other award winners were:
• Instrumental Album of the Year: Ocean Tapestry by Sarah M. Wood of Nanaimo
• Producer of the Year: Christian Down and Adam Sutherland from Victoria for Under the Giant Spider by Aegis Fang
• Male Songwriter of the Year: Christian Bergen of Victoria
• Male Vocalist of the Year: Mike Ferguson and Nat Noel of Victoria for Aegis Fang
• Best Live Act: The Turnpike Bandits from Victoria
• Sure Copy Youth Artist of the Year: Alexandria Maillot of Parksville
• SOCAN Song of the Year: Gracehill Fair by The Irish Rovers from Nanoose Bay
• 97.3 The Eagle Album of the Year: Close to Me by Katie Schaan of Victoria
• Island Classic Award: The Irish Rovers
For more information and video from the awards ceremony, visit http://www.islandmusicawards.com.