Newfoundland pop singer Damhnait Doyle and CBC Radio’s Jian Ghomeshi will help honour fellow Canucks as co-hosts of the 2009 East Coast Music Awards, organizers announced Tuesday.

They also unveiled an initial lineup of performers for the gala, which will take place in Corner Brook, N.L. The bill includes Hey Rosetta!, Jill Barber, Christina Martin, Mir and the recently reunited Rawlins Cross.

A star-studded tribute to Newfoundland musical pioneer Dick Nolan is also scheduled.

Leading the field of nominees for the 21st annual Atlantic Canadian musical showcase are Cape Breton singer-songwriter and producer Gordie Sampson and Halifax rockers Matt Mays and El Torpedo with five nods each.

Both are in contention for recording of the year, Sampson for “For The Few And Far Between” and Matt Mays and El Torpedo for “Terminal Romance.” Also nominated are Hey Rosetta! for “Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood),” Jill Barber for “Chances” and Doyle for “Lights Down Low.”

A new category, the ECMA Fan’s Choice Award, gives the public a chance to make their voices heard. Fans have until midnight on Feb. 27 to vote for any artist who applied to and was eligible for a ECMA music award category or festival showcase.

Click here to see the full list of award nominees at the ECMA website.

The East Coast Music Association’s festival and conference will kick off Feb. 26, building up to the awards gala on March 1.

CBC will broadcast the show live (at 8:30 p.m. NT, 8 p.m. AT and 7 p.m. ET) on its digital channel Bold and online, while the main CBC-TV network will air the awards at 11 p.m. (in all time zones).






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