Nova Scotians dominate nominations for 2007 East Coast Music Awards DANIEL SQUIZZATO HALIFAX (CP) - A pair of past winners from Nova Scotia lead the pack, but there's also plenty of new blood among the nominees for the 2007 East Coast Music Awards. Country singer George Canyon of Hopewell and roots artist J. P. Cormier of Cheticamp each picked up five nominations for the ECMAs, to be handed out Feb. 18 in Halifax. Canyon is up for best recording, male solo recording, entertainer, video and country recording. Despite winning four ECMAs and a Juno in the past, Canyon said he was shocked at the news. "My wife and I are extremely humbled by these nominations," he said in a telephone interview. "The nominations sort of give me that little pat on the back that says, 'hey, you're still a part of our community,' which means the world to me." Canyon, who shot to fame in 2004 after competing on the American talent-search show Nashville Star, said he holds the ECMAs dear to his heart. "Born a Maritimer, always a Maritimer," he said. "No matter where I live in Canada, saltwater runs through my blood." Up-and-coming Halifax-based rockers In-Flight Safety collected four nods, including best video and best group recording. The band, formed in Sackville, N.B., also performed at the nomination announcement ceremony Tuesday. Band frontman John Mullane said the nominations represent a "wonderful" end to a year that's included heavy rotation on MuchMusic for their videos, and inclusion of their song "Surround" in an ad campaign for Dell Computers. "It's been a really great year," he said. Mullane hopes the band will win at least one award, but doesn't want to set expectations. "We're really excited just to go to the show. A lot of our friends are nominated as well, so it's just exciting." Halifax singer Jill Barber and Newfoundland's Ron Hynes also picked up four nominations apiece. In all, 97 artists and groups from the four Atlantic provinces - the majority of them based in Nova Scotia - are competing in 28 categories. Blues artist Charlie A'Court of Truro, N.S., said he was "just thrilled" to learn he's nominated in three categories, including best recording. "It would be nice to walk away with any one of those awards," he said. "The whole cliche is, it's just an honour to be nominated, but it really is humbling to be in the category with some of these artists who I've looked up to for years." Hip hop artist Classified was nominated for best video and best rap/hip hop single. While happy to be nominated, he said making music is his No. 1 priority. "All this stuff, it's kind of not even really my thing, but it's good exposure," said Classified, whose real name is Luke Boyd and is from Enfield, N.S. "Hip hop is not covered that much in Canada at all, really, so any kind of avenue we can have where we can get our music out and let people know what we're doing, we'll take it." The ECMA weekend will feature performances by over 30 acts at various venues in Halifax, and will culminate with a nationally televised awards show.