Jah’Mila Advocates For Change in 2025 East Coast Music Awards Acceptance Speech

Jah’Mila used the 2025 East Coast Music Awards (ECMAs) stage to call for institutional change.

The ECMAs took place on Thursday night (May 8) in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The Halifax-based reggae singer was awarded the trophy for R&B/soul release of the year for her song “Never Fail," and used the opportunity to address the ongoing controversy around this year's event.

Several nominees including Jeremy Dutcher and Mo Kenney withdrew their nominations and announced plans to boycott the ceremony in support of former CEO Blanche Israël, calling for transparency surrounding her removal. Although she chose to still attend the ceremony, Jah’Mila echoed some of the criticism as it related to her award.

The Jamaican-born artist's speech was a call for a more accurate representation of diversity within the structure of the ECMAs going forward, as evidence by her win in what she deemed the wrong category.

“This category being won by a reggae song is a very clear example of the kind of reform that I’m excited for the ECMA to take on, because reggae is not soul,” she told the crowd. “I want to ensure that a reggae song is in the correct category."

Israël was fired in January after ECMA board members launched an online petition claiming that she made key decisions without proper clarity and consultation.

Many of Israël’s decisions, which she claims to have obtained the required approval for, she said she made to improve representation of the diversity of the East Coast music community at the ECMAs. Under her leadership, the 2024 ceremony saw a record number of queer and BIPOC submissions.

“For a lot of members, the former CEO made you feel seen and heard, and that space for open conversations has felt missing in the wake of this decision,” said the ECMA board in a press release regarding her dismissal.

"I'm shaking right now because it took a lot of balls to share what I did onstage, but I felt like it was very necessary, because I love being a part of this community. If we don't all come together to fix it and we just sweep it under the rug, it will keep on persisting," the singer told Canadian Press backstage regarding her decision and its significance toward the underlying issue of representation.

"I'm looking forward to positive, constructive conversations, and some transparency," Jah'Mila said. "For us all as a community, we have such a great thing here on the East Coast. Don't take it for granted."

She received nominations in four other categories this year: African-Canadian artist of the year, album of the year, release of the year and video of the year (fan’s choice).

Watch Jah'Mila's full acceptance speech below:

Head here for a list of ECMA 2025 winners.