Meghan Patrick, Tim Hicks, and Robyn Ottolini
Lead In Nominations!

April 6, 2021 (TORONTO) – The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAOntario) is excited to announce the nominees for the 9th Annual CMAOntario Awards, taking place Sunday, May 30, 2021, as a drive-in style event at the Ancaster Fairgrounds in Hamilton, Ontario. Leading the nominations are 15-time CMAOntario Award winner Meghan Patrick, nine-time CMAOntario Award winner Tim Hicks, and viral sensation Robyn Ottolini, with five nominations each.

Hosted by Jason McCoy and Beverley Mahood, the CMAOntario Award Show will close out the CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend May 28 – 30, 2021. After presenting the first ever, live, drive-in country music awards show in October 2020, CMAOntario is happy to do it all again this year in Hamilton. The CMAOntario Awards, presented by Slaight Music, will acknowledge the talent and achievements of Ontario’s country music industry across 18 categories.

The Final Nominees for the 9th Annual CMAOntario Awards are:

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
“All I Can Do” – Buck Twenty
“F-150” – Robyn Ottolini
“Girls Like Me” – Meghan Patrick
“No Truck Song” – Tim Hicks
“Thank Her For That” – Owen Barney

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
All Woman – Nicole Rayy
Highway Mile – Aaron Allen
Jade Eagleson – Jade Eagleson
Love Wins – Kelly Prescott
The I’m Not Always Hilarious EP – Robyn Ottolini

SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR
Callie McCullough, Scotty Kipfer – “After Midnight”       
Recorded by Callie McCullough

Jamie Appleby, Owen Barney, Alyssa Reid, Dave Thomson, Mike Wise – “Thank Her For That”
Recorded by Owen Barney

Meghan Patrick, Jobe Fortner, Ryan Nelson – “Girls Like Me”
Recorded by Meghan Patrick

Robyn Ottolini, Mark Schroor, Erik Fintelman – “F-150”
Recorded by Robyn Ottolini

Tim Hicks, Bruce Wallace, Jeffrey Coplan – “No Truck Song”
Recorded by Tim Hicks

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Elyse Saunders
Kelsi Mayne
Meghan Patrick
Robyn Ottolini
Tianna Woods

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Aaron Allen
Andrew Hyatt
Darcy John
David Boyd Janes
Tim Hicks

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
Buck Twenty
Jess and Tay
The Abrams
The Reklaws
The Western Swing Authority

FRANCOPHONE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Kristine St-Pierre
Les Rats D’Swompe
Melissa Ouimet
Reney Ray
Stef Paquette

RISING STAR OF THE YEAR
Buck Twenty
Callie McCullough
Elyse Saunders
Robyn Ottolini
Sacha

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“All I Can Do” – Buck Twenty
“Broken Boys” – Nicole Rayy
“Girls Like Me” – Meghan Patrick
“No Truck Song” – Tim Hicks
“Where I’m From” – The Reklaws

FANS’ CHOICE
Andrew Hyatt
Jade Eagleson
James Barker Band
Meghan Patrick
Steven Lee Olsen
Tebey
The Reklaws
Tim Hicks

RECORD PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Dustin Olyan – Callie McCullough, Twin Kennedy, Mallory Johnson
Jeff Dalziel – Aaron Allen, David Boyd Janes, River Town Saints
Mark Schroor, Erik Fintelman – Robyn Ottolini, Alexa Goldie, Cory James Mitchell
J. Richard Hutt – Jamie Warren, Sean Hogan, Jessie T, Tianna Woods
Shawn Moore – Ben Hudson, Matt Teed, Emily Clair, Evan Farrell, Emily Kate

ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Kelly Prescott 
The Abrams 
The Good Brothers
The Redhill Valleys
The Western Swing Authority

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (LARGE MARKET) 
CHKX KX 94.7, Hamilton
CIKZ COUNTRY 106.7, Kitchener
CJKX KX 96, Oshawa
CKDK COUNTRY 104, Woodstock
CKKL PURE COUNTRY 94, Ottawa

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (MEDIUM MARKET) 
CFCO COUNTRY 92.9, Chatham
CHCQ-FM COOL 100.1 FM, Belleville
CJQM COUNTRY 104.3, Sault Ste. Marie
CKQM PURE COUNTRY 105, Peterborough
CKXC COUNTRY 93.5, Kingston

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (SMALL MARKET) 
CFDC COUNTRY 105, Shelburne
CHAW COUNTRY 103, Little Current
CHVR PURE COUNTRY 96.7, Pembroke
CICX PURE COUNTRY 106, Orillia
CJDL COUNTRY 107.3, Tillsonburg
CKYY COUNTRY 89, Welland

MUSIC INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR
Amanda Kingsland, Country 92.3/Rogers Communications
Dave Woods, In The Country
Randy Owen, Radio Host/Personality
Steve Coady, Warner Music Canada 
Tommy KW Lam, Reve Music Group Inc.

THE COMPASS AWARD
This recipient is based on a combination of Nielsen Audio On-Demand Streams, Album Sales, Digital Song downloads, and Airplay Spins metrics along with statistics for Facebook, Instagram and, Twitter. The artist, duo, or group with the largest overall outcome of said metrics during the applicable period will be deemed the recipient.

THE HOLLY & STEVE KASSAY GENEROUS SPIRIT AWARD
This award recognizes a person who has dedicated their time and efforts above and beyond the call of duty. It acknowledges that demonstrated passion and dedication plays an integral role in the continued development of the organization and its initiatives. The recipient of this award is determined by the award Sponsor in consultation with the CMAOntario Board of Directors.

Voting for the awards is restricted to CMAOntario members, with the exception of the Fans’ Choice award, which is open to both public and membership voting. Eligible members will have the opportunity to vote on the final ballot as of today up until April 19, 2021. 

Music fans can cast their votes for the Fans’ Choice award beginning on April 19 until May 7, 2021 at www.cmaontario.ca/awards/voting.

Performers, ticket details and additional events from the CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend will be announced in the coming weeks.

The CMAOntario Awards are presented by Slaight Music.

CMAOntario Award Show
Sunday, May 30, 2021 at 7pm
Ancaster Fairgrounds
630 Trinity Road South, Hamilton
Tickets On Sale April 19, 2021

CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend
May 28 – 30, 2021
Hamilton, Ontario
www.cmaontario.ca

All events subject to change due to COVID-19 restrictions and protocols

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram: @theCMAOntario

Media Contact: Damien Nelson, damien@wantandable.ca

About CMAOntario: In 2007, Rob MacArthur and founding patron Linda Wright together with a number of key industry professionals founded the Country Music Association of Ontario. The Association’s mandate is to foster the growth and development of Ontario’s country music and its industry, provincially, nationally, and internationally. The CMAOntario has hosted eight annual Awards Shows and six two-day Road to Independence educational conferences with the generous assistance of presenting sponsor Slaight Music and support from Ontario Creates.  http://www.cmaontario.ca

About Slaight Music: Slaight Music was started in 2011 with a mandate to support the Canadian music community through a variety of initiatives, and to develop Canadian talent via strategic partnerships with industry peers. We work with artists from across the country and across the musical spectrum, helping to further careers and get great music heard. We’re also invested in the technology sphere, helping Canadian music entrepreneurs develop the next generation of digital platforms and services. And, we support a variety of music-related events, causes and charities. http://www.slaightmusic.com

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