She went into this year’s Minnesota Music Awards hopeful, and she left the “Best Singer/Songwriter of the Year.”

Now Brenda Weiler hopes to please the Maintenance Shop audience once again with her performance on Friday.

Weiler, who was also nominated for Best Recording of the Year for her album “Brenda Weiler: Live,” will play at 9 p.m. She says she was surprised at her success last month.

“It was an honor and I wasn’t expecting it,” she says.

Winners are selected by a number of votes cast by music critics, committees and fans.

“It is really nice to have,” she says. “It shows I have support out there.”

Weiler is no newcomer to the M-Shop — she has performed there six times already and always sells out, says Eric Yarwood, M-Shop coordinator.

Weiler thinks the M-Shop has a great atmosphere to perform in.

“I really like the M-Shop,” Weiler says. “It is always fun there.”

She prefers to play in places like the M-Shop because of the design of the area.

“There are so many different venues, but any small theaters or clubs set for music, not bars, are nice to play in,” she says. “I like anything that has a stage.”

Weiler has moved to Portland, Ore., from Minnesota since her last M-Shop visit.

“I lived in Minneapolis for four years,” Weiler says. “I wanted to get out of the Midwest for a different music scene.”

Weiler has just started playing gigs at her new location, so her supporters there are small in numbers compared to this area.

“I have a big fan base in the Midwest, and I know people will be there to support me,” she says. “I haven’t been working on it as much on the West Coast.”

Born into a family of 10, Weiler says she was surrounded by music her entire life. She began by playing the cello and piano and always sang.

“It wasn’t until I was 18 that I began playing the guitar and writing my own songs,” she says.

After high school graduation, Weiler was unsure of college, and music was already calling.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do at school, so I was planning on taking a year off anyway. I ended up finishing my first album and kind of fell into it,” she says. “Then I realized I could make money touring and performing and it just snowballed from there. It just happened.”

While in Minneapolis, Weiler performed with a band a couple of times, but for touring purposes, she travels alone.

“It was just too much to travel [with the band] financially,” she says.

Weiler doesn’t mind all of the traveling and likes the feeling it gives her.

“The down side to driving on your own is showing up at a gig tired,” she says, “but it gives me freedom and a sense of independence.”

Weiler has gotten the chance to play with a variety of people through her travel, including Dar Williams, Greg Brown, Kid Dakota and Joan Osborne. She mostly plays her original music, but throws in a few covers.

“My music is acoustic-based folk rock rather than traditional folk, especially live because it is just my guitar and my voice,” she says.

Weiler compares her music to that of Tracy Chapman or Ani DiFranco, but her songs and her words are her own.

“My music is personal and emotional, especially the lyrics,” she says.

Yarwood is a fan of her acoustic style as well.

“Her music is folk with an edge,” he says. “She is an acoustic performer with a beautiful voice.”

Weiler has released four albums, and hopes to have another one in a year, but she prefers performing, rather than recording.

“Playing live is more spontaneous and direct with the crowd,” she says. “The energy in a live show is much different than in the studio.”

Yarwood enjoys her presence and energy during a performance.

“I have seen her go from a very timid performer on stage to someone who is much more comfortable with talking to the audience, telling stories and performing her songs,” he says.

He is anticipating another good show from Weiler.

“I always look forward to Brenda’s return,” he says. “She is very comfortable on the M-Shop stage and that makes the show wonderful.”