SEPTEMBER 27th, 2020 CCMA’s
The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to the promotion and recognition of Canadian country music. Built upon the foundation to educate, elevate and celebrate Canadian talent, the CCMA progressively heralds the spirit, community and creativity that country music fosters.
Since 1976, the CCMA has been committed to ensuring the growth and development of the Canadian country music industry. Through education, communication, information, promotion and recognition, the CCMA offers members these advantages in an increasingly competitive environment. Core to these efforts is Country Music Week. It is the focal point for the organization and its members, providing professional development opportunities, showcasing slots, and an opportunity to heighten awareness and increase exposure for Canada’s country music artists.
Originally founded as the Academy of Country Music Entertainment in September 1976 during an “RPM Magazine” function, the first Board of Directors under President Hank Smith set out to organize, promote and develop a Canadian country music industry, which included the founding of Country Music Week.
The very first awards presented in coordination with Country Music Week were the RPM Big Country Awards. It wasn’t until 1982 that the association inaugurated its very own Canadian Country Music Association Awards.
In 1987, the organization’s name was officially changed to the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA). Growing in both reputation and experience, the CCMA was able to secure a broadcast partnership with CTV Television which allowed the 1987 Canadian Country Music Association Awards to be televised for the first time coast to coast to coast. The CCMA continued its partnership with CTV until 1998.
It was in 1999 that the CCMA entered into a new partnership, now with CBC Television, with encore broadcasts on CMT in Canada. The 2005 Canadian Country Music Association Awards were also broadcast for the first time on the U.S. Network GAC (Great American Country) and on CMC (Country Music Channel) in Australia.
It can be said that music is the very soul of this country, and reflects the true identity of Canada. As the country genre evolves to embrace new styles, it is reflecting new versions of our Canadian identity, as well as our heritage. Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards continue to be a celebration of the music and the artists that represent our unique culture.
CCMA AWARDS OVERVIEW
Each year, the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) honours its members who have excelled during the past year, with a Canadian Country Music Association Award.
The CCMA Awards are voted upon by the membership* in a three stage ballot process; during the first of which, potential Candidates who have released product within the eligibility period and meet the criteria outlined in the Rules & Regulations, are brought forward for consideration and nominated by the voting membership through a ‘write-in’ ballot. The Second Ballot presents the top ten eligible contenders, as verified by the Awards and Balloting Committee, who have received the most votes in each category to be voted upon for the Third (and final) Ballot, which contains the top five contenders in each category, who become the final five nominees.
* Only CCMA Members who have renewed before May 15 may vote; this process does not apply to Fans’ Choice, Top Selling Album of the Year, Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year, and Top Selling Canadian Single of the Year, all of which have their own unique selection process (see 2020 Rules & Regulations for details).
ARTIST AWARDS (15 AWARDS), MUSICIAN AWARDS (7 AWARDS), RADIO AWARDS (5 AWARDS), and INDUSTRY AWARDS (14 AWARDS).
KEY DATES
First Ballot:
Opens Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. ET – Closes Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. ET
Second Ballot:
Opens Thursday, July 2, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. ET – Closes Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. ET
Third and Final Ballot:
Dates will be confirmed in the coming weeks
AWARD NOMINEES 2020
ARTIST AWARDS
TD ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Dean Brody
- Brett Kissel
- The Reklaws
- Dallas Smith
- Tenille Townes
ALBUM OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Black Sheep – Dean Brody
- Love, Heartbreak, & Everything In Between – Tenille Arts
- Now Or Never – Brett Kissel
- Singles Only – James Barker Band
- Wild As Me – Meghan Patrick
FANS’ CHOICE AWARD
- Dean Brody
- Jade Eagleson
- Hunter Brothers
- James Barker Band
- Brett Kissel
- MacKenzie Porter
- The Reklaws
- Dallas Smith
- Tebey
- Tenille Townes
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Lindsay Ell
- Jess Moskaluke
- Meghan Patrick
- MacKenzie Porter
- Tenille Townes
GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR AWARD
- High Valley
- Hunter Brothers
- James Barker Band
- The Reklaws
- The Washboard Union
INTERACTIVE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
- Dan Davidson
- Lindsay Ell
- Aaron Goodvin
- Nice Horse
- Tenille Townes
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Dean Brody
- Jade Eagleson
- Brett Kissel
- Dallas Smith
- Tebey
RISING STAR AWARD
- Tenille Arts
- Matt Lang
- Tyler Joe Miller
- Emily Reid
- Sons Of Daughters
ROOTS ALBUM OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Everbound – The Washboard Union
- Fingers Crossed – JJ Shiplett
- Kalsey Kulyk – Kalsey Kulyk
- Love Wins – Kelly Prescott
- The Other Way – Donovan Woods
SINGLE OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Count The Ways – Jade Eagleson
- Drop – Dallas Smith
- Keep It Simple – James Barker Band
- Single Man – High Valley
- Whiskey In A Teacup – Dean Brody
SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Skip Black, Aaron Goodvin, Matt Nolen
- Song: Good Ol’ Bad Days (Performed By: Aaron Goodvin)
- Brad Rempel, Ben Stennis, Jenna Walker, Stuart Walker
- Song: I Do Too (Performed By: The Reklaws)
- Tina Parol, Gordie Sampson, Tenille Townes
- Song: Jersey On The Wall (I’m Just Asking) (Performed By: Tenille Townes)
- Jeff Coplan, Tim Hicks, Bruce Wallace
- Song: No Truck Song (Performed By: Tim Hicks)
- MacKenzie Porter, Jordan Sapp, Parker Welling
- Song: These Days (Performed By: MacKenzie Porter)
VIDEO OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Country Thunder – The Washboard Union
- Drink About Me – Brett Kissel
- Jersey On The Wall (I’m Just Asking) – Tenille Townes
- No Truck Song – Tim Hicks
- Silver Lining – Hunter Brothers
MUSICIAN AWARDS
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Kirby Barber
- Lisa Dodd
- Curtis Ebner
- Doug Elash
- Matt Genereux
- Justin Kudding
*Please note, there are more than 5 nominees in this category*
DRUMMER OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Matthew Atkins
- Ben Bradley
- Spencer Cheyne
- Flavio Cirillo
- Rob Wells
- Greg Williamson
*Please note, there are more than 5 nominees in this category*
FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Linsey Beckett
- Tyler Beckett
- Denis Dufresne
- Matt Piche
- Mike Sanyshyn
- Tyler Vollrath
*Please note, there are more than 5 nominees in this category*
GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESENTED BY PRS GUITARS
- Paul Chapman
- Ryan Davidson
- Matt McKay
- Chad Murphy
- Darren Savard
KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Mike Little
- Brendan Waters
- Scott Wilkinson
SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Mitch Jay
- Connor Riddell
- Tyler Vollrath
STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Chris Altmann
- Doug Johnson
- Mitch Jay
RADIO AWARDS
MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR (LARGE MARKET)
- Steph Hansen – CISN-FM/CKRY-FM – Edmonton, AB/Calgary, AB
- Jaxon Hawks – CJJR-FM – Vancouver, BC
- A.J. Keller – CFCW – Edmonton, AB
- Amanda Kingsland – CKBY-FM – Ottawa, ON
- Peter Walker – CJKX-FM/CHKX-FM – Oshawa, ON/Hamilton, ON
MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR (MEDIUM / SMALL MARKET)
- Shilo Bellis – CJXL-FM – Moncton, NB
- Paul Ferguson – CHCQ-FM – Belleville, ON
- Cal Gratton – CJVR-FM – Melfort, SK
- Luca James – CKGY-FM – Red Deer, AB
- Peter Morena – CKYY-FM – St. Catharines, ON
COUNTRY PERSONALITY(IES) OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Wendy Boomer – CKBY-FM
- Shannon Ella – Pure Country
- Paul McGuire – Stingray
- Randy Owen – CJDL-FM
- Sarah Scott – CFXO-FM
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (LARGE MARKET)
- CFCW – Edmonton, AB
- CJKX-FM – Oshawa, ON
- CKBY-FM – Ottawa, ON
- CKKL-FM – Ottawa, ON
- CKRY-FM – Calgary, AB
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (MEDIUM / SMALL MARKET)
- CFXO-FM – High River, AB
- CHCQ-FM – Belleville, ON
- CICX-FM – Orillia, ON
- CJXL-FM – Moncton, NB
- CKGY-FM – Red Deer, AB
INDUSTRY AWARDS
BOOKING AGENCY OF THE YEAR AWARD
- The Feldman Agency
- Invictus Entertainment Group
- Paquin Artist Agency
- Sakamoto Agency
- United Talent Agency
COUNTRY CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Cook County Saloon – Edmonton, AB
- Cowboys Roadhouse – Winnipeg, MB
- King Eddy – Calgary, AB
- Ranchman’s Cookhouse And Dancehall – Calgary, AB
- Rock ‘N’ Horse Saloon – Toronto, ON
COUNTRY FESTIVAL, FAIR OR EXHIBITION OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Boots And Hearts Music Festival – Oro-Medonte, ON
- Calgary Stampede – Calgary, AB
- Cavendish Beach Music Festival – Cavendish, PE
- Centerfield Music Festival – St. Paul, AB
- Diesel Bird Digital Music Festival – Online
COUNTRY MUSIC PROGRAM OR SPECIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD
- A Kissel Country Christmas – BAK 2 BAK Entertainment Inc./Stingray
- Canada Together: In Concert – Corus Entertainment
- Casey Clarke Country Countdown – Casey Clarke Productions
- Girl Power Hour – Rogers Media
- The Paul McGuire Show – Stingray
MANAGEMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Big Loud Management
- Invictus Entertainment Group
- MDM Artist Management Services
- RGK Entertainment Group
- Starseed Entertainment
MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Anthem Entertainment
- Big Loud Publishing
- Sony / ATV Music Publishing
- Universal Music Publishing Group
- Warner Chappell Music Canada
RECORD COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD
- MDM Recordings Inc.
- Open Road Recordings
- Sony Music Entertainment (Canada) Inc.
- Universal Music Canada
- Warner Music Canada
INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY MNP
- Steve Coady – Warner Music Canada – Vice President, Radio Promotion
- Warren Copnick – Sony Music Entertainment (Canada) Inc. – Director of National Promotion
- Mike Denney – MDM Recordings Inc – President
- Brianne Deslippe – Big Loud Records – Vice President of Promotion/General Manager Canada
- Anya Wilson – Anya Wilson Promotion – Radio Promoter
Creative Director(s) of the Year Award
- Design Team: Mitchell Nevins, Madeline Merlo, Photography: Emma-Lee
- Digital Single Packaging: Kiss Kiss, If You Never Broke My Heart, It Didn’t, Digital Singles, Newsletter Template, Zoom Digital Background Filter, Instagram Filter, Website (Artist: Madeline Merlo)
- Design Team: Bronwin Parks
- Single: Just Let Go (Artist: Gord Bamford), Album, Vinyl and Artist Merchandise: It Was A Song (Artists: Ryan Langlois) Singles: (Country Thunder, Country Thunder Acoustic, Dock Rock, Artist Branding (Artist: The Washboard Union)
- Design Team: Wes Mack, Kyle Bottoms
- Album: Soul (Artist: Wes Mack)
- Design Team: Nick Perreault, James Murdoch, Ben Shillabeer
- Album: Twenty Something, Single: Homesick For The Holidays, Social Graphics (Artist: The Dungarees)
- Design Team: Brett Kissel, Connor Scheffler
- Album: Now Or Never (Artist: Brett Kissel)
RECORDING STUDIO OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Barrytone Studios – Miramichi, NB
- Bart McKay Productions – Saskatoon, SK
- MCC Recording Studio – Calgary, AB
- Noble Street Studios – Toronto, ON
- OCL Studios – Chestermere, AB
RECORD PRODUCER(S) OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Jeff Dalziel
- EP: Highway Mile (Artist: Aaron Allen), Single: Hot Mess (Artist: Nice Horse), Single: I Do (Artist: Dan Davidson)
- Jacob Durrett, Brett Kissel, Bart McKay
- Album: Now Or Never (Artist: Brett Kissel)
- Karen Kosowski
- Single: Country Thunder (Artist: The Washboard Union)
- Scott Moffatt
- Album: What You See Is What You Get (Artist: Luke Combs)
- Joey Moi, Dave Cohen
- Single: These Days (Artist: MacKenzie Porter)
RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Amazon Music
- Apple Music
- Spotify Canada Inc.
RON SAKAMOTO TALENT BUYER OR PROMOTER OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Paul Biro – Sakamoto Agency
- Jim Cressman – Invictus Entertainment Group
- Adam Oppenheim – Stampede Entertainment Inc.
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Stephano Barberis
- Video: All The Time (Artist: David James), Video: As If We Won’t (Artist: JoJo Mason), Video: Better On You (Artist: JoJo Mason), Video: Country Girls (Artist: Jess Moskaluke), Video: Country Thunder (Artist: The Washboard Union), Video: Dear Me (Artist: Madeline Merlo), Video: Timeless (Artist: Dallas Smith)
- Emma Higgins
- Video: I Needed That (Artist: Andrew Hyatt), Video: She Drives Me Crazy (Artist: Brett Kissel), Video: Your Mama (Artist: High Valley)
- Ben Knechtel
- Video: Ain’t My Fault (Live @ MOD CLUB) (Artists: Jade Eagleson), Video: Bars & Churches (Artist: Aaron Goodvin), Video: Can’t Help Myself (Artist: Dean Brody x The Reklaws), Video: Count The Ways (Artist: Jade Eagleson), Video: Loved You Like That (Artist: Kris Barclay), Video: Old Country Soul (Artist: The Reklaws), Video: Still Gonna Be You (Artist: Jade Eagleson), Video: The Way You Roll (Artist: Chad Brownlee), Video: There’s A Drink For That (Artist: James Barker Band)
- Raphael Mazzucco
- Video: The Good Ones (Artists: Tebey and Marie-Mai)
- Travis Nesbitt
- Video: Bad Guy – Billie Eilish Bluegrass Cover (Artist: DD and the Butterlovers) , Video: Church (Artist: Dan Davidson), Video: Days Go By – Keith Urban Cover (Artist: Jess Moskaluke), Video: Good Life (Aritst: Nice Horse), Video: Halfway Home (Artist: Jess Moskaluke), Video: I Do (Artist: Dan Davidson), Video: If I Can’t Have You – Shawn Mendes Bluegrass Cover (Artist: DD and the Butterlovers), Video: If The World Was Ending – JP Saxe Cover (Artist: Ryan Lindsay), Video: Resistorz (Artist: Clayton Bellamy & The Congregation), Video: Say My Name – Destiny’s Child Cover (Artist: Jess Moskaluke), Video: Symphony Of Destruction – Megadeath Bluegrass Cover (Artist: DD and the Butterlovers), Video: They Don’t Make Em Like they Used To (Artist: The Dungarees), Video: This Love – Maroon 5 Cover (Artist: Jess Moskaluke), Video: Unkiss Her (Artist: Dan Davidson), Video: Way Back When (Artist: Ryan Lindsay), Video: Wild (Artist: Ryan Lindsay), Video: Wolves At The Door (Artist: Black Mountain Whiskey Rebellion).
2020 CCMA Fans’ Choice
THANK YOU FOR VOTING!
Voting for this year’s Nominees has ended. Tune-in to the 2020 CCMA Award Show on September 27th, at 9 pm ET/PT on Global TV to find out who the winner is!
The Musician Hall of Honour was established in 2000 and is reserved for musicians who have been awarded the same CCMA Musician Award five (5) or more times. Upon achieving their fifth award within the same category their name will forever be included herein celebration of their great contribution to Canadian country music.
HALL OF FAME OVERVIEW – The Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®) has been honoring Canadian Artists and Builders who have made long-term contributions to the growth and development of Canadian country music since 1984. Inductees into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (Hall of Fame) are selected annually by their Canadian peers in the industry. The Hall of Fame is managed by the CCMA Board of Directors’ appointed Hall of Fame Management Committee (Management Committee). In 2020, there will be two (2) Hall of Fame Inductees selected: one (1) Artist and one (1) Builder.
2020 CCMA Inductees are:
Watch all the amazing performances and more on Sunday, September 27th, 9 pm ET/PT on Global TV#2020CCMAAwards
Big announcement today! We are excited and proud to announce the 2020 CCMA Awards presented by TD performer line up! #2020CCMAAwards see photos below for
The CCMA Foundation’s vision is to change lives through the power of music. With the support of the music community, artists, partners and fans, the foundation works to meet this vision through three pillars: music for change, music for healing and music for youth.
With a focus on maintaining the health and welfare of our music community during these trying times, the CCMA Foundation is raising much needed funds for the Unison Benevolent Fund, a Canadian charitable organization whose mission is to help provide emergency relief services to the Canadian music community especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
The CCMA Foundation’s vision is to change lives through the power of music. With the support of the music community, artists, partners and fans, the foundation works to meet this vision through three pillars: music for change, music for healing and music for youth.
The CCMA Foundation’s vision is to change lives through the power of music. With the support of the music community, artists, partners and fans, the foundation works to meet this vision through three pillars: music for change, music for healing and music for youth.
With a focus on maintaining the health and welfare of our music community during these trying times, the CCMA Foundation is raising much needed funds for the Unison Benevolent Fund, a Canadian charitable organization whose mission is to help provide emergency relief services to the Canadian music community, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
DONATE TODAY TO UNISON BENEVOLENT FUND AND TO THE COVID Relief x CCMA Foundation.
The Unison Benevolent Fund is an assistance program – created and administered for the music community, by the music community – designed to provide discreet relief to music industry professionals in times of crisis. There are two distinct types of support available through the fund. Financial Assistance and Counselling and Health Solutions supported by RBC Foundation.
Now more than ever, Unison’s emergency relief assistance is a critical safety-net for members of our industry deeply affected by the COVID-19 virus itself and the precautions and protocols surrounding it. Please help us as we prepare to support the most vulnerable during this time by
making a donation to Unison.
For every donation made at http://unisonfund.ca and through the CCMA Foundation, Spotify will match it dollar for dollar, up to a collective total of 10 million USD. Visit http://unisonfund.ca to learn more https://ccmafoundation.org/ DONATE TODAY – https://ccmafoundation.org/#donate
Become a member today! – https://members.ccma.org/ccma_membership.html
The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to the promotion and recognition of Canadian country music. Built upon the foundation to educate, elevate and celebrate Canadian talent, the CCMA progressively heralds the spirit, community and creativity that country music fosters.
Section 6 of the current CCMA New General Operating By-law No.1 formally provides the structure around the CCMA Board-approved CCMA Membership Policies that are detailed below in this document. (See APPENDIX A). This policy was approved by the CCMA Board of Directors on January 21, 2015.
Membership Eligibility
In order to qualify for a CCMA Membership, you must be directly and substantially involved in the country music industry and be a member of at least one or more of the twenty (20) following categories.
Categories:
- Artist
- Artist Manager
- Association
- Booking Agent
- Consultant
- Festival
- Media
- Music Publisher
- Musician
- Producer
- Public Relations/Publicity/Marketing
- Radio
- Record Company
- Recording Studio
- Retailer
- Services
- Songwriter
- Talent Buyer/Promoter
- Television/Video
- Venue
Membership
The CCMA has one level of membership, referred to as “Industry Membership,” which is considered to be a Class A Member as outlined in Section 6 of the CCMA New General Operating By-law No. 1.
A CCMA Membership is held by the individual for whom it is purchased. CCMA Memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Membership Dues
| Membership Category | 1 Year | 2 Year (10% discount) | 5 Year (15% discount) |
| Industry | $75.00* | $135.00* | $325.00* |
*Plus applicable taxes based on the member’s province/country of residence.
Membership Period
The CCMA Membership year starts on May 1 and ends on April 30. All CCMA Memberships expire on April 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET at 1 year, 2 year, and 5 year increments based on the number of years purchased.
Renewing Members
Current CCMA Members (members) can renew their membership for the upcoming membership period as early as 3 months prior (February).
A current member who is renewing their membership is still required to meet the minimum eligibility requirements (see Membership Eligibility, page 1). The CCMA Membership Committee has the authority to decline the renewal of a membership if the member no longer meets the eligibility requirements.
New Members
In addition to meeting eligibility requirements (see Membership Eligibility) all new applicants for membership are required to provide two (2) music industry references.
An applicant is admitted to the membership by resolution of, and approval by, the CCMA Membership Committee. If the applicant does not meet the minimum membership criteria the Membership Committee may decline the application for membership. The CCMA Membership Committee may take up to ten (10) business days to review an application for membership.
The cost of membership is pro-rated monthly based on the date of purchase thus all memberships have the same expiry date of April 30. For example, a one-year membership purchased in August would expire on April 30 of the following year and the pro-rated cost would be $56.25 plus tax, reflecting only nine (9) months of membership.
Voting Rights: CCMA Awards
A member who has purchased and has a valid membership as of April 30 at 5:00 p.m. ET for the upcoming membership period, is entitled to one (1) voting right for all applicable CCMA Awards (see APPENDIX B for a list of applicable CCMA Award categories).
Voting Rights: CCMA Corporate Matters
A member, who has a valid membership prior to 48 hours of any eligible CCMA matter that requires membership voting, will be entitled to one (1) voting right.
Termination
A member may terminate their membership at any time by submitting a letter of resignation addressed to the Chair of the CCMA Board of Directors. The letter can be submitted by email to country@ccma.org or via regular mail to: 104-366 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 3X9.
The membership will be terminated upon delivery of the resignation letter to the CCMA Office.
Membership dues are non-refundable and non-transferable.
A membership may be terminated by the CCMA for any of the following:
- In the event of the death of a member
- Upon expiration of the membership
- The member is expelled as a result of disciplinary action (see APPENDIX A)
Other Things to Know
- Every CCMA Membership is required to have a unique email address associated with it. Without a unique email address the member may forfeit their right to vote in the CCMA Awards Program.
- Employees of any one organization may not hold more than four (4) percent of total eligible votes of the CCMA. This number is calculated annually on May 1 of the current membership period.
- An organization may assign an administrator who will have the ability to renew multiple memberships at one time. This administrator has no other rights or the ability to change/edit the individual memberships.