For the third year in a row, Joel Plaskett won the SOCAN-sponsored Songwriter of the Year award at the 2008 East Coast Music Awards (ECMAs), where he also earned five other trophies, for a record-breaking total of six.

“I’d like to thank SOCAN” said Plaskett after he won the songwriting award. “Give a hand to SOCAN,” he added, leading the audience in applause for the organization. Plaskett’s other awards were for recording, group recording and rock recording of the year (all for his album Ashtray Rock) and for single and video of the year (both for his song “Fashionable People”).

The awards were held Feb. 10 at The Aitken Centre in Fredericton, N.B. Other multiple winners, with two awards apiece, were Dave Gunning, Cherry Brook, Jamie Sparks and the reunited Rankin Family.

SOCAN also offered an abundance of ECMA weekend events and activities at the pre-awards conference, held Feb. 7-10 in Fredericton.

For more information about the awards, and a complete list of winners, visit the ECMA website.