It wasn't the exact outcome a Swift Current band was hoping for this past weekend at the 2020 Saskatchewan Music Awards but it was an experience they'll relish and look to build off of.

The Moon Runners were one of six bands in Saskatchewan competing for SaskMusic's Metal/Loud Artist of the Year, with the award going to the Basement Paintings on January 24.

With COVID-19 restrictions forcing the event to be done virtually, Stacy Tinant, lead vocals and guitarist for the Moon Runners, said he's happy to live with bandmate/brother so they could somewhat enjoy the awards show.

"I was a little disappointed, I miss the feeling of going to events with other people," he said. "I was a little heartbroken that this year we couldn't have a proper awards ceremony but it was really nice to sit down and watch it with Brett on Sunday night and relax."

This was the first time the band had ever been up for a Saskatchewan Music Award and to be included with some of the musical groups they admire in the list of nominees made their night.

"You don't necessarily make music or perform for awards but when you do get acknowledged and recognized that's always a good feeling," he said. "It was really nice to see us up there with all these great acts and all the other nominees that we're fans of like Dream Creeps and Black Thunder."

The nomination has certainly garnered more attention towards the Moon Runners from the general public in parts of the southwest and the rest of the province, whether it be from friends or people just discovering their music.

"Even people that we may know on a personal level, I think it might be interesting for them to see us mentioned in this sort of somewhat grandiose thing," he said. "They just kind of know us as these guys from Swift Current and then they see us mentioned with the likes of the Hunter Brothers.

"It does put us on people's radar, it kind of sends you into this bigger echelon... We've definitely gained a few followers in the past month or so."

Tinant and his brother have been working on some new music to follow up their previous album Wakeless 2095 and they're hoping to be able to drop another album within the next year.

"Kind of use this accolade, this nomination a little in our favour to apply for festivals and maybe even book a tour maybe when it's safe to play shows again," he said.