Several Canadian artists, including East Coast fiddler Natalie MacMaster and Winnipeg's Wailin' Jennys, have been nominated for awards from the North American Folk Alliance.

The Wailin' Jennys have two nominations — for contemporary artist of the year and for best contemporary release, for Firecracker.

Natalie MacMaster is pictured here speaking at an interview in Toronto on Oct. 28, 2003.
(Aaron Harris/Canadian Press)

MacMaster is nominated for best traditional artist, competing against James Keelaghan, who was named best traditional singer at the Canadian Folk Awards.

Quebec traditional musical group Les Tireux d'Roches are competing for best traditional release, for Papier y Ciseaux, against Winnipeg all-female group Madrigaia, for Pleiades.

Toronto's Kiran Aluwahlia, a singer of traditional Punjabi music and ghazals, and Lache Cercel and His Roma Swing Ensemble, out of Vancouver, have been nominated for world music artist of the year.

The Winnipeg Folk Festival has been nominated for a best folk festival award, competing against festivals such as Falcon Ridge in Hillsdale, N.Y., and the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

There is even a Canadian venue among the nominees for best small folk venue. Hugh's Room in Toronto is nominated in competition with venues in Austin, Texas, Fort Atkinson, Wis., Sarasota Springs, N.Y., and Cambridge, Mass.

The winners of the awards from the North American Folk and Dance Alliance are to be named Feb. 21 in Nashville.

Selected nominees include:

Song of the Year:

• Burns Sisters, Bring Them Home.
• Catie Curtis and Mark Erelli, People Look Around.
• Chris Smither, Seems So Real.
• Diana Jones, Pony.
• Janis Ian, Folk Is the New Black.

Traditional release of the year:

• Bruce Springsteen, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions.
• Crooked Still, Shaken By a Low Sound.
• Les Tireux d'Roches, Papier y Ciseaux.
• Madrigaia, Pleiades.
• Pine Leaf Boys, Pine Leaf Boys Two Steps.

Contemporary release of the year:

• Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Seven Is the Number.
• Greg Greenway, Weightless.
• Jeffrey Foucault, Ghost Repeater.
• John Gorka, Writing in the Margins.
• Wailin' Jennys, Firecracker.

Traditional artist of the year:

• Guy Davis.
• James Keelaghan.
• Natalie MacMaster.
• Odetta.
• Old Crow Medicine Show.

Contemporary artist of the year:

• Chris Smither.
• Darrell Scott.
• Greg Brown.
• Janis Ian.
• Wailin' Jennys.

World music artist of the year:

• Kiran Ahluwalia.
• Lache Cercel and His Roma Swing Ensemble.
• Lila Downs.
• Mamadou Diabate.
• Marisa Monte.