Veteran singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn has a leading four nominations, including best songwriter and best album for Life Short Call Now, heading into the Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Bruce Cockburn, shown in 2006, is still a favourite at summer festivals and in the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
(Canadian Press)

Other multiple nominees, all announced Wednesday, include the Creaking Tree String Quartet of Toronto and David Francey of McDonald's Corners, Ont., each with three nominations.

Foggy Hogtown Boys of Toronto gathered two.

Cockburn, who made his first solo appearance at the Mariposa Folk Festival in 1967, is still a favourite at Canada's summer folk music festivals.

He has also been nominated for best contemporary singer and best solo artist in the annual awards, which celebrate the best in Canadian folk music. In the solo category he is running against another folk veteran, Ian Tamblyn.

Canadian Folk Music Awards selected nominees
Traditional album	Erynn Marshall and Chris Coole, Meet Me in the Music La Part du Quêteux, Paye la Traite Foggy Hogtown Boys, Pigtown Fling John Reischman and the Jaybirds, Stellar Jays Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer, A la grace de Dieu
Contemporary album	Jim Bryson, Where the Bungalows Roam O Susanna, Short Stories The Duhks, Migrations David Francey, Right of Passage Jenny Whiteley, Dear
Contemporary singer	David Francey Jill Barber Jeremy Fisher Dawan Tyler Watson T. Nile Bruce Cockburn
Songwriter	O Susanna, Short Stories Emm Gryner, The Summer of High Hopes David Francey, Right of Passage Bruce Cockburn, Life Short Call Now Jon Brooks, Ours and the Shepherds Nathan, Key Principles
Vocal Group	Nathan The Be Good Tanyas Tanglefoot Blackie and the Rodeo Kings Sirens
Ensemble	Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer Creaking Tree String Quartet The Duhks John Reischman and the Jaybirds Harry Manx & Kevin Breit
Solo artist	Jeremy Fisher Rose Cousins Sarah Noni Metzner Ian Tamblyn Bruce Cockburn
World solo artist	Duane Andrews Kiran Ahluwalia Rita Chiarelli Alex Cuba Sara Renelik
World group	Mighty Popo Kobo Town Labess Autorickshaw Les Gitans de Sarajevo

Scottish-born singer and storyteller Francey is competing for best singer, best songwriter and best album for his 2007 album Right of Passage.

Halifax's Jill Barber has been nominated in the best singer category for For All Time, along with Vancouver's T. Nile  for At My Table, Jeremy Fisher for Goodbye Blue Monday and Montreal's Dawn Tayler Watson for En Duo.

Vancouver-based Fisher also earned a nomination for best solo artist along with Rose Cousins of Halifax, Sarah Noni Metzner of Vancouver and  Tamblyn, now based in Chelsea, Que.

The nominees for best ensemble include Winnipeg's The Duhks, the Creaking Tree String Quartet out of Toronto, Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer of Montreal, John Reischman & the Jaybirds of Vancouver and Harry Manx & Keven Breit of Saltspring Island, B.C.

Two Toronto groups — Tanglefoot and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings — are competing for best vocal group in a field that also includes Winnipeg's Nathan, Vancouver's The Be Good Tanyas and London, Ont.'s Sirens.

Nominees for best world group include Mighty Popo of Ottawa, Kobo Town of Toronto, Labess of Montreal, Autorickshaw of Toronto and Les Gitans de Sarajevo of Montreal.

The awards ceremony, hosted by CBC's Shelagh Rogers and Quebec artist Benoit Bourque, will be held Dec. 1 at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Que.