Talent Trust Scholarship Recipients on the Best of Halifax 2018 Ballot

In 2017 22,000 people cast over 800,000 individual votes for The Coast's annual readers’ choice awards.

We scoured the ballot for 2018 nominees, and discovered there's an impressive list of Talent Trust scholarship recipients with either individual nominations or as part of a nominated organization or group.

Voting began August 1 and will close on September 15. The winners will be announced on November 1. Head over to the Best of Halifax website to make your choices.

Best Choreographer

• Jacinte Armstrong
• Veronique Mackenzie
• Sara Coffin

Best Dancer

• Georgia Skinner 
• Sara Coffin
• Lydia Zimmer

Best Dance Company / Group

Mocean Dance 


• Sara Coffin
• Ruth-Ellen Kroll Jackson
• Jacinte Armstrong
• Rhonda Baker
• Sarah Rozee
• Sara Harrigan
• Lisa Phinney Langley
• Melanie Ferro

Halifax Dance


• Sara Coffin
• 
Veronique Mackenzie
• Olivia MacLean

Best Filmmaker

• Michael Melski

Best Theatre Actor

• Mary Fay Coady

Best Theatre Production

Princess Rules, Heist

• Jacinte Armstrong, choreography

Best Visual Artist

• Emily Vey Duke (in collaboration with Shary Boyle, The Illumination Project)
• Caitlin McGuire

Best Classical Artist / Group

Rhapsody Quintet


• Jennifer Jones
• David Langstroth

Blue Engine String Quartet

• Jennifer Jones
• Hilary Brown

Symphony Nova Scotia

• Jennifer Jones
• David Parker
• D’Arcy Gray

Best Jazz Artist / Band
Karen Myatt

Best Music Video
Classified, “Powerless” — Breagh Mackinnon, piano and vocals

Best Pop Artist / Band, Best Folk Artist / Band

Port Cities

• Breagh Mackinnon with bandmates Dylan Guthro and Carleton Stone

Best R&B Artist / Band, Best Solo Artist

• Reeny Smith

Reeny Smith Nominated for Bucky Adams Memorial East Coast Music Award

Reeny Smith is an award-winning R&B and soul artist from North Preston, Nova Scotia. She's adding to her accolades with a nomination for the Bucky Adams Memorial Award at the 2018 East Coast Music Awards.

Reeny's family boasts an impressive group of performers. Her father and grandfather (Wallace Smith Sr. and Jr.) are both former members of the iconic gospel group the Gospel Heirs, and her uncles Carson and Murray Downey are members of the Carson Downey Band. Reeny began singing and playing piano at the age of five. 

Showcasing on the Breakout Stage at the ECMA Awards and Conference in 2016, Reeny performed at the awards show in 2017. She released her first single “Good Girl Swag” in February 2018, and her first full-length album is in the works. 

The ECMA festival and conference runs from May 2-6, with the awards show on May 3 at the Scotiabank Centre.