The Cottars (Celtic, folk)

The Cottars were founded in late 2000 when two sets of siblings Ciarán and Fiona MacGillivray of Albert Bridge, Nova Scotia joined with Rosie MacKenzie and Jimmy MacKenzie of Baddeck, Nova Scotia. In 2001, they released their first CD, Made In Cape Breton, on Warner Music. The disc, with their single, a cover of Tom Waits's "The Briar and the Rose", showcased John McDermott's vocals along with Fiona's in two duets. In 2003, they won the New Group of the Year award at the 2003 East Coast Music Awards. The members were each individually nominated for a Gemini Award in the same year in the category of Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series for their performances at the 2003 East Coast Music Awards.