September 12, 2015
News
Over 20 CCMA Awards Presented at Two Awards Ceremonies in Halifax
September 12, 2015 (Halifax, NS) – The Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®) announced the winners in over 20 award categories this evening at the CCMA Gala Dinner & Awards and the CCMA All-Star Band Awards. These are the second and third of four awards ceremonies taking place over the weekend In Halifax as part of Country Music Week® and the 2015 CCMA Awards Program.
Award presentations were made for the 2015 CCMA Awards of Achievement recipients. MusiCounts, which received the Slaight Music Humanitarian Award and Robert Ott, who received the Leonard T. Rambeau International Award, were both paid touching tributes. Dianne Leigh was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in the artist category, while Elizabeth “Ma” Henning was posthumously honoured with the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Stan Klees Builder Award. Both women, known as leaders and trailblazers in the industry, will join a prestigious list of cherished artists and professionals who comprise the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Among the many award winners this evening was Brett Kissel, who took home the award for Interactive Artist or Group of the Year, which he also won last year. Likewise, Lindi Ortega was named Roots Artist of the Year, a title she was also bestowed with in 2014. Gord Bamford, Buddy Owens and Phil O’Donnell took home the hardware for Songwriter(s) of the Year, with the hit “Where A Farm Used To Be”. Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year went to Yoan for his self-titled work, Yoan, while Top Selling Album of the Year went to Luke Bryan for Crash My Party.
Raquel Cole, from Vernon, BC, took home this year’s CCMA Discovery Award. The award is bestowed upon one of six finalists in the CCMA Discovery Program based upon compiled scores from several major milestones of the program: a panel interview, a written essay, and a showcase performance from Thursday night as part of Country Music Week. The CCMA Discovery Program was developed to educate and support Canadian country music artists in their pursuit of a career in the music industry.
The CCMA All-Star Band Awards closed out the night at Casino Nova Scotia. Seven CCMA Awards were presented to an array of talented and deserving musicians from the Canadian country music industry.
2015 CCMA Award winners announced tonight (organized by award categories, in alphabetical order):
2015 CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
ARTIST INDUCTEE
Dianne Leigh
STAN KLEES BUILDER AWARD – BUILDER INDUCTEE
Elizabeth “Ma” Henning
CCMA AWARDS OF ACHIEVEMENT
2015 SLAIGHT MUSIC HUMANITARIAN AWARD
MusiCounts
LEONARD T. RAMBEAU INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Robert Ott
ARTIST AWARDS
CCMA DISCOVERY AWARD
Raquel Cole
INTERACTIVE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Brett Kissel
ROOTS ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lindi Ortega
SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR
Where A Farm Used To Be
(Written By: Gord Bamford, Buddy Owens, Phil O'Donnell, Performed By: Gord Bamford)
MUSICIAN AWARDS
All Star Band - BASS
Lisa Dodd
All Star Band – DRUMS
Chad Melchert
All Star Band - FIDDLE
Denis Dufresne
All Star Band - GUITAR
Ryan Davidson
All Star Band – KEYBOARDS
Tie: Mike Little/Bart McKay
All Star Band - SPECIAL INSTRUMENT
Robin Pelletier (Mandolin)
All Star Band - STEEL GUITAR
Ed (Peewee Charles) Ringwald
RADIO AWARDS
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
KX 94.7, New Country FM – Hamilton, ON
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM OR SMALL MARKET
CKGY 95.5, KG Country – Red Deer, AB
INDUSTRY AWARDS
MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY OF THE YEAR
ole
RECORD COMPANY OF THE YEAR
MDM Recordings Inc.
RECORD COMPANY PERSON OF THE YEAR
Mike Denney – MDM Recordings Inc.
RON SAKAMOTO TALENT BUYER OR PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Jim Cressman/ Rob Cyrynowski – Invictus Entertainment Group
TOP SELLING ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Crash My Party – Luke Bryan
TOP SELLING CANADIAN ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Yoan – Yoan
MEDIA NOTE: The most up-to-date list of 2015 CCMA Award winners
can be found at ccma.org throughout Country Music Week.
Country Music Week culminates tomorrow night, Sunday, September 13 at the 2015 CCMA Awards Show where eight CCMA Awards will be presented. Production holds on several blocks of seating have just been released, allowing even more local East Coast country music fans to take in the action. Tickets are available at all Ticket Atlantic locations, by phone at 1-877-451-1221 or online at ticketatlantic.com. The 2015 CCMA Awards Show, hosted by Jessi Cruickshank, broadcasts on CBC-TV at 8:00 p.m. local time (8:30 NT) with an encore airing on CMT (Canada) at 10:00 p.m.
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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. 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” and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Radio Starmaker Fund, the Province of Nova Scotia, the City of Halifax and Destination Halifax.
Media Contacts for Information and Artist Interviews:
Jess Seguire | jess@penelopepr.com | 613-921-2314
Emily Graham | emily@penelopepr.com | 647-787-7583
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.