MusicNL unveils its honorary awards for 2025
MusicNL’s Board of Directors has announced the recipients of the 2025 Honorary Awards.
Lifetime Achievement: Dave Panting
Denis Parker Industry Builder: June Hiscock
Unsung Hero: Paul Boomer Stamp
Dave Panting is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and producer, and a founding member of two of Atlantic Canada’s most influential bands — Figgy Duff and Rawlins Cross. For more than four decades, he has stood at the creative forefront of Newfoundland and Labrador’s music community, shaping its sound through performance, songwriting, and production.
In addition to his work with these pillar bands, he has performed and recorded with Panting Brothers Band, Tanglecove, Cotillion, and Panting & Boland, alongside numerous solo projects, session work and producer credits. His songs, rooted in tradition yet forward-looking, helped define Rawlins Cross’s signature Celtic-rock sound.
A passionate educator and mentor, he has taught at programs such as Vinland Music Camp, inspiring generations to explore the province’s instrumental traditions and incorporate modern expression.
June Hiscock is a tireless champion of Newfoundland and Labrador’s live music community and one of the province’s most influential independent promoters of the 1990s.
She became a driving force behind St. John’s vibrant scene at a time when information about live performances was hard to come by. Through her company Moonlighting Promotions, she created the iconic Moonlighting posters — colourful, city-wide listings connecting audiences with live shows across St. John’s. Each week June tirelessly phoned every music venue in the city and compiled their listings on posters, connecting audiences and artists, and building a connected music scene. She also produced a series of zines featuring interviews and profiles of local artists, capturing the energy of a growing scene.
In 1993, she launched Wom/men Jammin’, a groundbreaking weekly showcase that featured women as the main acts and invited men to join the open jam. The series ran throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, giving voice and visibility to women in what was then a male-dominated scene. Many well-known performers, including Colleen Power, credit June’s encouragement for their start on stage and trace their first public performances back to those nights at The Ship.
Hiscock also provided opportunities behind the scenes, hiring young musicians to help with shows, promoting their gigs, and mentoring them. Her generosity, enthusiasm, and belief in the power of a connected scene inspired a generation of artists and contributed immeasurably to the foundation of the local industry.
Today, she lives in Burgeo and continues a life of service and connection, serving as the community’s Harbourmaster. Her Moonlighting posters – a cherished record of St. John’s musical life – are archived at Memorial University.
Paul “Boomer” Stamp has sat in the background of many venues, holding the band together with his incredible timing both musically and comedically. While he has certainly played with many of the greats during his career, he has always preferred to let his playing do the talking. Never one to seek the limelight or recognition, he is foremost a proud musician — a drummer’s drummer — one who could play any kit, anytime, anywhere, with any artist.
For nearly 20 years, he has been the resident drummer at Spirit of Newfoundland. Regardless of age or work load, he will still play an early show at Spirit before heading downtown to play a bar gig with any number of bands. Never missing a beat or a note, Boomer gives his all every time. A member of the legendary Wonderful Grand Band, Boomer’s musicianship and comedic instincts were central to the group’s success on television and stage.
Drummer, friend, and collaborator to The Man of A Thousand Songs, Ron Hynes, Boomer was there through every step of Ron’s storied career: touring, recording, and even taking care of Ron in his final days. His extensive credits also include Huski (with Brian “Too Loud” McLeod of Chilliwack & Headpins fame), Private Eye, Snook, The Irish Descendents, John White, Brothers in Stereo, and The Punters. As a recording artist, even he might not know how many albums he’s appeared on.
In the early 2000s, the ECMA surprised him with their prestigious Musicians Achievement Award, but knowing he’d never attend to accept it, they hired him to play house drums and surprised him on stage. That’s Paul “Boomer” Stamp to a tee. Try searching for him online and you’ll find little, because he truly is a real unsung hero.
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