A StFX student and a recent grad have been recognized nationally for their musical talents.
Moira & Claire, a pop-folk sister duo who consist of StFX student Claire MacMullin and recent grad Moira MacMullin, have received a national honorable mention in the third annual Her Music Awards, a program designed to celebrate and support female-identifying Canadian music creators on the verge of taking their creative careers to the next level.
The awards are administered by the SOCAN Foundation, with financial contributions made by SOCAN Foundation and Bandzoogle.
This latest honour builds on three East Coast Music Association (EMCA) nominations Moira & Claire received in January. The duo is up for awards in the Rising Star Recording of the Year (South Shore); TD Fans' Choice Video of the Year (Delaney's Dad); and Group Recording of the Year ('i'm not usually this forward but...') They will also showcase at the ECMAs in Halifax in May.
SOCAN CEO Jenn Brown and past Her Music Award winner Haviah Mighty announced the recipients at a celebration hosted by previous award winner Nuela Charles in Toronto, ON on February 9, 2023. Along with the grand prize recipients, Kellylee Evans and Savannah Ré, five Her Music Awards were presented with honourable mention distinctions. Each of these receive a $1,000 cash prize.
Applications were adjudicated on a number of factors, including artistic merit, career potential, and impact.
RECOGNIZED IN CANADA
“It’s really exciting to be recognized all across Canada for song writing and musicianship. It was a happy moment,” says Claire, a fourth year student taking a BSc in earth science with an engineering diploma, on the national nod. Moira is a 2021 StFX graduate with a BA in psychology and a minor in music. She is currently doing a master’s degree in music therapy at Concordia University.
Claire says while you don’t need an award to know people like your work, she says it is validating as it feels there is support out there for you.
“It’s an honour.”
Also neat is the fact that a fellow honourable mention award winner, Haley Blais, is someone who Claire, co-manager of the StFX campus radio station, and Moira, a former musical director with the station, have played on the campus radio station. It’s cool to be recognized alongside her for the same honour, Claire says.
Moira & Claire, who don’t do a lot of music through the school year since they’re both geographically separate and attending university, say they’re excited to have these honours recognizing their music and look forward to where music may take them next.
Claire says music has always been something she’s been drawn to, particularly in being able to express your emotions and feeling.
“And it’s just a fun thing to do, to be able to create something.”
