On October 3, 2023, the Gussapolooza Music Festival announced their 2023 Award Recipients.
The Award for Emerging Singer-Songwriter of the Year recognizes artists’ soul-stirring melodies and captivating storytelling. The recipient for 2023 is Barrie, Ontario’s Megan Anne.
First off, congratulations on being a recipient of an award at Gussapolooza Music Awards 2023. How did you react when you found out?
Thank you so much! I felt very honoured and excited. Having my work be recognized feels awesome, especially to have it be in the singer-songwriter category because songwriting is one of my favourite things about music. I definitely teared up a little when I found out!
How does it feel to be among some amazing talent as an award recipient?
There were so many incredible musicians at Gussapolooza, that to be noticed among them is such a compliment. There’s a reason the tagline of the festival is “Where you see them first” – the quality of musicianship and performance on their stages is so up there. So yeah, it’s very flattering to be a part of it!
What was the highlight of Gussapolooza 2023 for you?
I’ve played at a lot of festivals, and the sense of community at Gussapolooza is second to none. I got to chat with so many other musicians, photographers, vendors, and music lovers, and every conversation felt so joyous and comfortable. So I would say the highlight is definitely the people.
If you return next year, what, if anything would you change about your performance?
There is no ‘if’ – as long as Gussa will have me, I will be back!! As for performance changes – the more I write this year, the more new songs I get to play next year!