Halifax's Joel Plaskett, seen here in a file photo, won two awards at the Canadian Folk Music Awards on Saturday. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)

Joel Plaskett's triple album Three earned the Halifax singer-songwriter a double win at the Canadian Folk Music Awards on Saturday.

Although the roots rocker did not attend the Ottawa event where prizes were given in 19 categories, Plaskett's friend, banjoist Old Man Luedecke, picked up his awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and Producer of the Year.

Co-hosted by CBC's Shelagh Rogers and La Bottine Souriante musician Benoît Bourque, the fifth annual awards ceremony at the Dominion Chalmers United Church in Ottawa featured performances by bluegrass outfit Yonder Hill, banjoist Luedecke, Ottawa Valley fiddler April Verch and Canadian folk veteran Valdy.

Former Ottawa resident Chris McKhool rivalled Plaskett as a double winner. His Toronto-based band, Sultans of String, took the award for Instrumental Group of the Year, and his CD FiddleFire! was named Children's Album of the Year.

Halifax's Susan Crowe was crowned English Songwriter of the Year for her CD Greytown. She said the award came as a big surprise.

"A gal like me flies under the radar must of the time, and sometimes you wonder if anyone is listening," she said. "This makes is clear that someone is listening."

Charlottetown's Catherine MacLellan was named Solo Artist of the Year for Water in the Ground. Fellow Prince Edward Island resident Colette Cheverie took the Traditional Singer of the Year award for Hours Before Dawn.

Ariana Gillis of Vineland, Ont., won the Young Performer of the Year award and dedicated her award to the memory of her friend Taylor Mitchell, the 19-year-old Toronto singer-songwriter who died last month when she was attacked by coyotes while hiking on the Cabot Trail.

Other winners include:

• Don Amero of Winnipeg, Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year, Deepening.
• Jim Byrnes of Vancouver, Contemporary Singer of the Year, My Walking Stick.
• Catherine Durand of Montreal, French Songwriter of the Year, Coeurs Migratoires.
• James Hill and Anne Davidson of Brookfield, N.S., Traditional Album of the Year, True Love Don't Weep.

With files from The Associated Press