LeBlanc is Up For Country Recording of the Year & Artist Innovator of the Year. Multi-award winning Canadian country singer/songwriter Laurie LeBlanc has received two nominations for the 2021 East Coast Music Awards: Artist Innovator of the Year, and Country Recording of the Year. The nod for Country Recording of the Year celebrates the Bouctouche, New Brunswick-based artist’s second all-English release to date, 2020’s When It’s Right It’s Right — available now!

“I was very happy to receive my first two ECMA nominations,” LeBlanc shares of hearing the news. “The ECMA’s actually played a role in my feeling inspired to record an English album: I received an ECMA showcase in 2017 for my French album, Couleurs, and it created a lot of interest from English-language members of the industry. That sort of started me thinking… “After all, When It’s Right It’s Right!” Best known for his enveloping, all-encompassing east coast Acadian sounds, When It’s Right It’s Right features 10 original songs, each co-written with some of Nashville’s top songsmiths; it was produced by multi-Canadian Country Music Award-winner Jason Barry, and features members of Dean Brody’s touring band. “This album has a little bit of everything I like,” LeBlanc says. “There’s up-tempo, fun stuff, happy love stories, and even some country rock in there, too.”

The Artist Innovator of the Year signals the unique accomplishments and contribution to the Atlantic Canadian music industry through innovation and creativity in light of COVID-19. With When It’s Right It’s Right adding to his almost 4 million streams, previous albums include Couleurs (2018), 20 (2015), Noël de la Pitoune (2014), Noir et Blanc (2012), La Pitoune (2010), and his initial all-English release, Influences (2013). This month’s two ECMA nominations add to LeBlanc’s SOCAN Songwriter of the Year, Josie Music Awards Male Country Artist of the Year, and last year’s Prix Excellence Père Clément-Cormier.

The East Coast Music Awards ceremony is set to be held on May 5-9, 2021.