• The Country Music Association of Ontario
  Announces 2020 CMAOntario Awards Nominees
  
  Meghan Patrick and The Reklaws
  Lead In Nominations with Six Nominations Each 
  Followed by James Barker Band with Five Nominations
  plus Tim Hicks and Tebey with Four Nominations
   
  Carroll Baker to Receive Impact Award
• 
    April 22, 2020 (TORONTO)
   
  The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAOntario) is excited to announce the nominees for the 8th Annual CMAOntario Awards taking place Sunday, October 4, 2020, at Centennial Hall in London. Leading the nominations are 12-time CMAOntario Award winner Meghan Patrick, and two-time CMAOntario Award winners The Reklaws, with six nominations each.
   
  Hosted by Jason McCoy and Jennifer Campbell, the 8th Annual CMAOntario Awards, presented by Slaight Music with support from Ontario Creates, will celebrate the talent and achievements of Ontario’s country music industry across 19 categories, including the Impact Award, Nielsen Compass Award, and the Holly and Steve Kassay Generous Spirit Award.
   
  The Final Nominees for the 8th Annual CMAOntario Awards are:
  
  SINGLE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Pure Country 106
  “If You Met Me First” – Eric Ethridge
  “Keep it Simple” – James Barker Band
  “Old Country Soul” – The Reklaws
  “What A Song Should Do” – Tim Hicks
  “Wild As Me” – Meghan Patrick
             
  ALBUM OF THE YEAR
  Big Deal – The Western Swing Authority
  Cain – Andrew Hyatt
  Freshman Year – The Reklaws
  Singles Only – James Barker Band
  Wild As Me – Meghan Patrick
   
  SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR sponsored by SOCAN
  Jessica Mitchell – “Somebody Gonna Get Hurt”, recorded by Jessica Mitchell ft. Tim Hicks
  Meghan Patrick, Jordan Rager, Michael Whitworth – “Wild As Me”, recorded by Meghan Patrick
  Stuart Walker, Jenna Walker, Brad Rempel, Ben Stennis – “I Do Too”, recorded by The Reklaws
  Tebey Ottoh, Kylie Sackley, Matt Rogers – “The Good Ones”, recorded by Tebey & Marie Mai
  Tim Hicks, Emma-Lee, Karen Kosowski – “What A Song Should Do”, recorded by Tim Hicks
   
  FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by Spring Tree Farm
  Genevieve Fisher
  Jessica Mitchell
  Leah Daniels
  Meghan Patrick
  Nicole Rayy
  Tianna Woods
   
  MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by ECAO/IBEW
  Aaron Allen
  Andrew Hyatt
  Eric Ethridge
  Jade Eagleson
  Jim Cuddy
  Tim Hicks
   
  GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR sponsored by Country 103
  James Barker Band
  Jess and Tay
  The Abrams
  The Reklaws
  The Western Swing Authority
   
  ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR sponsored by Skelton Truck Lines
  Jessica Mitchell
  Kelly Prescott
  The Abrams
  The Redhill Valleys
  The Western Swing Authority
   
  FRANCOPHONE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR sponsored by Desjardins
  Edouard Landry
  Kristine St-Pierre
  Les Rats D’Swompe
  Reney Ray
  Stef Paquette
   
  RISING STAR AWARD sponsored by Slaight Music
  Aaron Allen
  Alli Walker
  David Boyd Janes
  Dustin Bird
  Kelsi Mayne
   
  MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR sponsored by MNP
  “Feels Like That” – The Reklaws
  “If You Met Me First” – Eric Ethridge
  “Keep It Simple” – James Barker Band
  “The Good Ones” – Tebey & Marie Mai
  “ToGetHer” – Leah Daniels
  “Wild as Me” – Meghan Patrick
   
  FANS’ CHOICE sponsored by Ontario Creates
  Jade Eagleson
  James Barker Band
  Meghan Patrick
  Tebey
  The Reklaws
  Tim Hicks
   
  RECORD PRODUCER(S) OF THE YEAR sponsored by Metalworks Recording Studios
  J.R. Hutt – Giselle Sanderson, Jamie Warren, Rebekah Stevens, Sean Hogan, Tianna Woods
  Jason Barry – Amanda Jordan, Charlie Major, Josh David, Western Swing Authority, Billy Ray Cyrus
  Jeff Dalziel – Aaron Allen, The Abrams, Dan Davidson, Chris Labelle, Ryan Langdon
  Mark Schroor & Erik Fintelman – David Boyd Janes, Robyn Ottolini, Emily Clair
  Tebey Ottoh & Danick Dupelle – Tebey & Marie Mai
   
  INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR sponsored by Seeds CPA
  Dave Woods, In the Country
  Johnathan Smalley, Rock N Horse
  KT Timmermans, Country 103/Manitoulin Country Fest
  Ron Kitchener, RGK Entertainment
  Shannon Ella, Pure Country/Complete Country
   
  RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (LARGE MARKET)
  CHKX KX 947, Hamilton
  CJBX Pure Country 93, London
  CJKX KX96, Oshawa
  CKBY Country 101.1, Ottawa
  CKDK NEW Country 104, Woodstock
   
  RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (MEDIUM MARKET) sponsored by Lucknow’s Music in the Fields
  CFCO Country 92.9, Chatham
  CHCQ-FM Cool 100.1 FM, Belleville
  CICS Pure Country 91.7, Sudbury
  CJQM-FM Country 104.3, Sault Ste Marie
  CKXC Country 93.5, Kingston
   
  RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (SMALL MARKET)
  CHAW Country 103, Little Current
  CICX Pure Country 106, Orillia
  CJDL-FM Country 107.3, Tillsonburg
  CKYC Country 93, Owen Sound
  CKYY Country 89, Welland
   
  As part of the evening’s honors, Carroll Baker, an ambassador of Canadian country music, will receive the 2020 Impact Award.
   
  “The CMAOntario is thrilled to be honoring Carroll,” said CMAOntario President Steve Kassay. “Her presence and career achievements have helped pave the way for country singers in this country. It’s about time Carroll’s career takes the center stage spotlight.”
   
  Known as Canada’s First Lady Of Country Music, Carroll Baker epitomizes every value that has made country music the enduring form that it is: honesty, reality, genuine feeling, hard work, love, family, friendship, and respect for others. With a career spanning more than 40 years, she has achieved more than 20 number one records, 12 of which were consecutive. Carroll was the first Canadian Country music performer to be awarded gold record certification and has since received Gold and Platinum records in certified sales in both Canada and Australia. Her catalog comprises more than fifty recorded compositions, including, “Tonight with Love”, “Why I Had to Pass This Way”, “It’s My Party”, “It’s Late I Have to Go”, “Hooked on a Feeling”, “Love Triangle” and “Dreamin’ Ain’t Cheatin’”. Her composition “I’m An Old Rock ‘N Roller” was a country chart hit in 1984 for Tom Jones. 
   
  Carroll is an inductee of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame; recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from both the Province of Nova Scotia and Province of Ontario; multiple winner of JUNO, CCMA and SOCAN/BMI awards; and in 2009, appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. A woman of many firsts, she made the history books in Canada when she became the first Canadian performer to do a television special from Nashville, Tennessee and the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House, followed by her own special on The Nashville Network titled “Carroll Baker’s New Country”, and the first Canadian country singer to perform on the JUNO Awards. She hosted her own TV series for CBC TV along with multiple television specials for CBC and CTV.
   
  The CMAOntario Impact Award recognizes an artist, group, industry personality or company/organization that has left an enduring and indelibly positive footprint on the landscape of country music in Ontario. Previous recipients include The Good Brothers, Michelle Wright, Blue Rodeo, Prairie Oyster, Paula Chopik and Ed Leslie (producers of Havelock Country Jamboree) and Gordon Lightfoot.
  
  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 May 6, 2020.
   
  Music fans can cast their votes for the Fans’ Choice award between May 1 – May 31, 2020, at www.cmaontario.ca/awards/voting.
   
  The CMAOntario Award Show will close out the CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend in London October 1 – 4, 2020.  
   
  The CMAOntario Awards are presented by Slaight Music with support from Ontario Creates.
    CMAOntario Award Show
• Sunday, October 4, 2020, at 7 pm Centennial Hall 550
  Wellington St., London, Ontario TICKETS are $69 – $225 (plus HST and fees) and are available online at www.centennialhall.london.ca or by phone at 1.888.999.8980
• CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend October 1-4, 2020 LONDON, ONTARIO www.cmaontario.ca
   
• Facebook / Twitter / Instagram: @theCMAOntario

• 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 seven annual Awards Shows and six two-day Road to Independence educational conferences with the generous assistance of presenting sponsor Slaight Music and support of Ontario Creates.  
  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.
• www.slaightmusic.com

• About Ontario Creates:
• Ontario Creates (formerly OMDC) is a provincial agency that facilitates economic development, investment, and collaboration in Ontario’s creative industries including the music, book, magazine, film, television, and interactive digital media sectors.
• www.ontariocreates.ca
• Ontario Créatif (anciennement la SODIMO) est un organisme provincial qui encourage le développement économique, les investissements et la collaboration au sein des industries de la création de l’Ontario, notamment dans les secteurs de la musique, de l’édition de livres et de revues, du cinéma et de la télévision, et des produits multimédias interactifs numériques.
  www.ontariocreates.ca/accueil.htm 

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