ECMA hat tricks for Canyon, Joel Plaskett, In-Flight Safety

George Canyon was chosen asentertainer of the year at the East Coast Music Awards Sunday in Halifax, winning three awards during a gala that also saw triple wins for JP Cormier, Joel Plaskett Emergency and In-Flight Safety.

It isthethird year the Nova Scotia country singer has been chosen for the prestigious fan choice award. He also won video of the year and best country recording for Somebody Wrote Love.

"There are so many great entertainers in the Maritimes that I don't feel right accepting this this award is for all the great entertainers," Canyon said in his acceptance speech.

Indie band Joel Plaskett Emergency, who opened the gala with Nowhere with You, ended up winning three awards for the song, including DVD and single of the year.Joel Plaskett was named songwriter of the year.

Halifax indie band In-Flight Safety, who closed out the televised show, won the rising star of the year award for their album, The Coast is Clear.

The band, who acknowledged theCBC forproviding them with exposure, ended up with a hat trick including bestgroup recording and best alternative recording.

Veteran musician Cormier, a multi-ECMA award winner, won bluegrass recording of the year for Take Five a Banjo Collection and folk and instrumental recording for his Looking Back series of albums.

The Trailer Park Boys Bubbles, Ricky and Julian busted out of jail and into the Halifax Metro Centre to host the awards, two of them still wearing their orange jumpsuits.

It is the second year the foul-mouthed TV and film stars, played by Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay and Mike Smith, have played host.

The boys kept their language clean and performed a heart-warming rendition of Kitties are So Nice, with Bubbles on guitar.

However, Newfoundland and Labradorcomedian Mary Walsh referred to the federal Conservatives as 'the arse-lickers of Satan' before introducing a performer.

The cameras then focused on Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, who had committed a faux pas earlier in the evening, when he mistakenly referred to Halifax as Toronto.

He drew a chorus of boos and was ribbed about it throughout the night.

Silken-voiced Halifax singer Jill Barber won recording of the year and female solo recording of the year for her 2006 album For All Time.

Barber, a transplanted Ontarian, draws on jazz, bluegrass and pop influences in her songwriting.

"We are so lucky here on the East Coast to have so many wonderful women writing songs and performing," Barber said after winning her first award of the night. "I'm very appreciative of this award."

The male solo recording honours went to veteran singer-songwriter Ron Hynes. Hynes dedicated his performance during the gala to Ryan's Fancy singer Dermot O'Reilly, who died Saturday.

Halifax rapper Classified picked up rap/hip hop single of the year for Find Out and Jamie Sparks won urban single of the year for All I Need and African-Canadian recording of the year for Scotia Mix, Vol 1.

The gala included tributes to three influential musicians Atlantic Canada has lost in the last year Denny Doherty, Dutch Mason and John Allen Cameron.

Multi-ECMA and Juno winners George Canyon, Dave Gunning and Doris Mason performed a tribute toDoherty, a former member of the Mamas and the Papas who laterplayed theHarbour Master for Theodore Tugboat.

Fiona MacGillivray of the Cottars joined Cormier, Ashley MacIsaac, the Barra MacNeils, Shaye, and Stuart Cameron in Lord of the Dance, sung to remember his father,John Allan Cameron, legendary Maritime musician, known asthe Godfather of Celtic Music.

Nova Scotia's best-known bluesman Dutch Mason was honoured in song by blues guitarists JP LeBlanc and Charlie A'Court, and Angelo Spinazzola on blues harp.

The gala also featured new singer-songwritersincluding David Myles, Rose Cousins, Catherine MacLellan and Old Man Luedecke.