Trews, El Torpedo in running for East Coast Music Awards

Nova Scotia rockers the Trews and Matt Mays & El Torpedo have each received five nominations for the East Coast Music Awards.

The nominations for awards in 28 categories were announced in Charlottetown, where the awards gala will be held Feb. 27.

Mays & El Torpedo are among those nominated for entertainer of the year, the lone award voted on by the public. Also named are folk singer J.P. Cormier, country star George Canyon, singer-songwriter Lennie Gallant and the Cape Breton traditional music group the Barra MacNeils.

Mays and his band from Dartmouth are also contending for group of the year, radio rock recording of the year, album of theyear and single of the year for Cocaine Cowgirl.

The Trews, from Antigonish, N.S., are in the running for album of the year, best video, rock recording, group of the year and single of the year for So She's Leaving.

Other multiple nominees include Gallant, singer-songwriter Gordie Sampson and Cormier, whoeach received four nominations. The Barra MacNeils, Canyon, Celtic pop singers Aselin Debison and Andrea Curry, and the Chucky Danger Band, a rock-pop group from Charlottetown, garnered three nominations each.

"The 2006 East Coast Music Award nominees include many new and rising artists, along with several stars who have firmly established themselves in the Canadian music industry," said Marc Chouinard, chairman of the East Coast Music Association, according to Canadian Press.

"The nominees reflect a truly dynamic and vibrant community of musicians and artists."

Cape Breton fiddler Buddy MacMaster is to be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the gala.

Award nominees are chosen by juries of industry professionals from throughout Atlantic Canada.

The full list of nominees:

• Album of the Year: Dave Gunning, Two-Bit World; J.P. Cormier, The Long River; Lennie Gallant, When We Get There; Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Matt Mays & El Torpedo; The Trews, Den of Thieves.
• Female Artist of the Year: Andrea Curry, Aselin Debison, Colleen Power, Mary Jane Lamond, Patricia Murray.
• Male Artist of the Year: Dave Gunning, Duane Andrews, Joel Plaskett, Lennie Gallant, Matt Andersen.
• Group of the Year: Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Mir, Sons of Maxwell, the Barra MacNeils, the Trews.
• Entertainer of the Year: George Canyon, J.P. Cormier, Lennie Gallant, Matt Mays & El Torpedo, the Barra MacNeils.
• Rising Star of the Year: Andrea Curry, Darcy Mazerolle, Ode a l'Acadie, the Chucky Danger Band, The Novaks.
• Single of the Year: Aselin Debison, Life; Gordie Sampson, You or Somebody Like You; J.P. Cormier, Blackbird; Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Cocaine Cowgirl; Sloan, All Used Up; the Chucky Danger Band, Sweet Symphony; the Trews, So She's Leaving.
• Songwriter of the Year: George Canyon & Gordie Sampson, My Name; Gordie Sampson, T. Verges, B. Daly, You or Somebody Like You; Gordie Sampson, T. Verges, B. Daly, Paris; Joel Plaskett, Happen Now; Lennie Gallant, When We Get There.
• Video of the Year Short Form: Buck 65, Devil's Eyes; George Canyon, I'll Never Do Better Than You; Spesh K, Knockin' Em Down; The Novaks, Goodbye Rock n' Roll Band; the Trews, So She's Leaving; Wintersleep, Danse Macabre.
• Aboriginal Recording of the Year: Jonathan Andrews, Halifax Indie Rock; Keith Dawson, Energy; Project A.D., Together Alone.
• African-Canadian Recording of the Year: Edo-King Matwawana & Afro-Musica, Diaspora Touch; Gary Beals, Gary Beals; Sko-Shun-Tiez, Those Who Like It.
• Alternative Recording of the Year: Buck 65, Secret House Against the World; Mark Bragg, Bear Music; Mir, The Acoustic Record; Slowcoaster, Where Are They Going?; Wintersleep, Wintersleep.
• Blues Recording of the Year: Ada, Blue; Matt Andersen, Solo at Sessions; Matt Minglewood, The Story; Rattlesnakin' Daddies, Rattlesnakin' Daddies; Ross Neilsen, Where I'm From.
• Bluegrass Recording of the Year: Bluestreak, Second Nature; Catherine Lawrence, I See God Everywhere; Crooked Stovepipe, Just In Case; Janet McGarry, He Will Bring You Home; Spinney Brothers Bluegrass Band, If I Were Your Brother.
• Children's Recording of the Year: Art Richard, Les douze jouets de Noel; Celtic & Traditional Lullabies from Our Cape Breton; Donna & Andy, Dinosaurs, Dragons & Me; The Wilderbeats, Live in Concert!; Victoria Playhouse Drama Club, Lord, What Fools!
• Classical Recording of the Year: Denise Djokic, Folklore; Jasper Wood, Charles Ives: Works for Violin and Piano; Rhapsody Quintet, Rhapsody in Red; Roger Lord, Louis Moreau Gottschalk of Louisiana, Selected Works; Sanctuary, The Heart Has Its Reasons.
• Country Recording of the Year: Darcy Mazerolle, Cowboy Enough for Me; Eddy Quinn, Outside of Sneakers Lounge; Jason Greeley, LiveaLoveaSinga; Kevin Collins, Jump in and Swim; RyLee Madison, Christmas at Home; Sons of Maxwell, Sunday Morning.
• French recording of the year: Christian (Kit) Goguen, Christian (Kit) Goguen; Ode a l'Acadie, Ode a l'Acadie; Marie-Jo Therio, Les matins habitables; Sandra LeCouteur, La demoiselle du traversier; Yvette d'Entremont, Mes deux souliers.
• Folk Recording of the Year: Catherine MacLellan, Dark Dream Midnight; Colleen Power, Face and Eyes; Hot Toddy/Isaac & Blewett, Live at the Black Box; John Gracie, Acoustic Jeep; J. P. Cormier, The Long River.
• Gospel Recording of the Year: Cantus Vocum Chamber Choir, CV Spirit; Evangeline Inman, Angels in the House; Stephanie Mainville, Family; The Contact, Paralyzed From the Soul Up; The Quintons, Always There.
• Instrumental Recording of the Year: Bach to Blues, The Art of the Guitar; Duane Andrews, Duane Andrews; Les Paiens, Sphere Epiphonde 2; Norman Learo, Spanish Spirit; Troy MacGillivray, Eleven.
• Jazz Recording of the Year: Jeri Brown & Al Sutherland, Sempra Nina; Patrick Boyle, Hold Out; Paul Bernard & Este Mundo, Tres Guitarras; The Holly Arsenault Trio, Hush; Tom Roach, Piano Trios.
• Pop Recording of the Year: Andrea Curry, If It Doesn't Break Me; Aselin Debison, Bigger Than Me; Erin Crosby, Notice Me; Jason MacDonald, The Day; Kathy Phippard, Premonition; Kris Taylor, Nake; Mitchell Hunter, People Will Believe Anything if You Whisper It; the Chucky Danger Band, 6-pack.
• Rap/Hip-Hop Single Track Recording of the Year: Classified, 5th Element; Eric Broadbent, The Girl at Work; MC Sean One, If I Wasn't so Lazy-Sean's One Way; Practical Academics, Eddie; Spesh K, Knockin' Em Down.
• Rock Recording of the Year: King Konqueror, Fist Magnet; Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Matt Mays & El Torpedo; The Trews, Den of Thieves; The Turning, Scenery; Two Hours Traffic, Two Hours Traffic.
• Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year: Dave Carmichael, Spirit Dance; Glenn Graham, Drive; Jim Fidler, Midnight Rover; Mary Jane Lamond, Storas; Patricia Murray, Failt' Eilein A'; Phrionnsa, Welcome to Prince Edward Island.
• Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year: Borlico, Appel a la tradition; Christina Smith and Jean Hewson, August Gale; Drum, Live; Great Big Sea, The Hard and the Easy; Natalie & Buddy MacMaster, Natalie & Buddy MacMaster; The Barra MacNeils, All at Once.
• Urban Single Track Recording of the Year: Edo-King Matwawana & Afro-Musica, Diaspora Touch; Jamie Sparks, Gonna Get Down; The Chronicles, Gazing at Me.