Media Release: Jason Benoit announced as 2015 CCMA Discovery Atlantic Award Winner

July 13, 2015 (Toronto, ON) – The Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®) is pleased to announce that Jason Benoit, from Newfoundland, is the 2015 CCMA Discovery Atlantic Award winner. The news was shared yesterday evening, live from the main stage at the LOTTO MAX presents Cavendish Beach Music Festival (CBMF).

“What a proud moment for the CCMA – to see all of the hard work and months of planning with program partners come together – when Jason Benoit was presented the inaugural CCMA Discovery Atlantic Award in front of a full audience of country music fans,” said CCMA President, Don Green. “Congratulations to Jason, and kudos to our partners for shining a spotlight on Atlantic Canadian artists. Let’s keep up the momentum as we countdown to Country Music Week 2015 in Halifax.”

“I am so incredibly proud and humbled to have won the first ever CCMA Discovery Atlantic Award,” said Jason Benoit, winner of the pilot CCMA Discovery Program for Atlantic Canada. “It's been such a long, hard road to where I am today in my music career and to have all those thousands of hours writing and singing pay off like this is everything I could have ever dreamed of. Thanks to the CCMA for recognizing the Atlantic region and its incredible talent. All of the finalists are winners in this, and I'm so blessed to have made some incredible new friends that I will never forget.”

The CCMA, in association with the four Atlantic Canada Music Industry Associations (MIAs): Music New Brunswick, Music Newfoundland & Labrador, Music Nova Scotia, Music Prince Edward Island and the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, developed this pilot program, an offshoot of the successful national CCMA Discovery Program. The CCMA Discovery Program – Atlantic Canada, generously supported by the local Country Music Week host committee, the Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), aligns with the CCMA goal of introducing programs that educate, elevate and celebrate country music.

“Our stories build our cultural identity, and country music is all about telling great stories. We’re proud to support our great country music tradition in this province,” said Tony Ince, Minister of Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage.

"The Halifax Host Committee is dedicated to leveraging the opportunities Country Music Week 2015 offers our Atlantic Canadian artists,” said Host Committee Chair, Stacey Jones-Oxner. “Through the first-ever regional CCMA Discovery Program, we’ve given musicians the chance to showcase their art to a broader audience. We hope the coaching and the connections all of the contestants have made through this journey will help propel them to the national stage and beyond."

The finalists of the program first came together last month in Halifax for an intensive Boot Camp Week that saw them learn, in-depth, about the music business and artist development through industry-led panels and seminars, as well as elite performance and vocal training. The week culminated with an exclusive stakeholder showcase at Casino Nova Scotia. All six finalists travelled to CBMF in Cavendish PEI, from July 10 to 12, to participate in a public showcase. The winner was chosen by compiling scores from the finalists’ showcase performance in Halifax, a panel interview, and CBMF performance. Each judged component was juried by industry professionals.

In addition to the accolade of being named the inaugural CCMA Discovery Atlantic Award winner, Jason also receives the opportunity to perform at two Country Music Week 2015 events, among other prizing. For more information on Country Music Week 2015, visit ccma.org.

 

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About the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA):
Established in 1976, the 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 through year-round initiatives, culminating every fall with Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Local sponsors of the CCMA Discovery Program – Atlantic Canada include the Province of Nova Scotia, the City of Halifax and the Government of Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

Media Contact
Sonya Koson
Communications Lead, CCMA
skoson@ccma.org
416-947-1331 x210

Michele Charlton
Halifax Host Committee
micheleelizabethcharlton@gmail.com
902-403-5628

 

Sponsors of Country Music Week and the 2015 CCMA Awards include FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters and The Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund”, Radio Starmaker Fund, the Province of Nova Scotia, the City of Halifax and Destination Halifax.