Toronto has been abuzz with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which ends Sept. 18, but over the weekend a 45-minute drive west in Hamilton, ON, the Canadian country music industry was having a hoot for the four-day Canadian Country Music Awards and Country Music Week which ran Sept. 9-12.
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Broadcast on CBC from Copps Coliseum, last night’s big winner Johnny Reid appropriately opened the show with a performance of his song, “Let’s Go Higher.” The Scotland-born Canadian country singer later added another three awards to his stash from an earlier gala (see below) that included the CMT Video of the Year, Male Artist of the Year and Fans’ Choice Award.
Dean Brody won two awards, for Single of the Year and Album of the Year. Terri Clark took home Female Artist of the Year and Hey Romeo was presented with Group or Duo of the Year. Last year’s New Artist Showcase winner Chad Brownlee won his first CCMA for Rising Star.
Presenters included Deric Ruttan, Chantal Kreviazuk, Ronnie Dunn, Ron James, Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough and Michelle Wright.
The Industry Brunch & Awards took place Sept. 10, followed by three more awards given out at the Gala Dinner Awards, The All-Star Band Awards & Jam the following day, and the national televised broadcast of the Canadian Country Music Awards on the 12th (see below for full list of winners).
The Gala Dinner the day before included performances by Victoria Banks, Chad Brownlee, Shane Chisholm, Terri Clark, Katie Love Hess, High Valley, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jimmy Rankin and The Band Perry. The two Hall of Fame Inductions went to Michelle Wright and Bill Langstroth; The Slaight Music Humanitarian Award was given to Reid. Reid was also handed Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year.
The All-Star Band Awards & Jam Session was hosted by Wendell Ferguson and Jaydee Bixby and honors Canadian country musicians. Open Road Recordings was voted Record Company of the Year and Ron Kitchener for Record Company Person of the Year. Jimmy Rankin won Roots Artist or Group of the Year, while Dean Brody’s earned Songwriter of the Year.
The 2012 edition of Country Music Week will take place in Saskatoon, SK from Sept. 6-9, culminating in the 2012 Canadian Country Music Awards on Sunday, September 9, broadcasting live from the Credit Union Centre.
Select performances are available on iTunes at www.iTunes.ca/CCMA.
2011 CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSIC AWARD (CCMA) WINNERS:
FANS’ CHOICE AWARD
Johnny Reid
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Trail In Life – Dean Brody
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Trail In Life – Dean Brody
CMT VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Today I’m Gonna Try And Change The World – Johnny Reid
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Terri Clark
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Johnny Reid
GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
Hey Romeo
RISING STAR
Chad Brownlee
2011 GALA DINNER WINNERS:
RON SAKAMOTO TALENT BUYER OR PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Kelly Berehulka (Casinos of Winnipeg)
MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY OF THE YEAR
ole
RECORD COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Open Road Recordings
RECORD COMPANY PERSON OF THE YEAR
Ron Kitchener (Open Road Recordings)
STATION OF THE YEAR (MAJOR MARKET)
CJJR FM, Vancouver
STATION OF THE YEAR (SECOND MARKET)
CKGY FM, Red Deer
ARTIST HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
Michelle Wright
BUILDER HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
Bill Langstroth
ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Jimmy Rankin
SLAIGHT MUSIC HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Johnny Reid
SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR
Trail In Life (written by Dean Brody; recorded by Dean Brody)
TOP SELLING CANADIAN ALBUM OF THE YEAR (CANADIAN SALES ONLY)
Johnny Reid
TOP SELLING INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (CANADIAN SALES ONLY)
Taylor Swift
DRUMS
Steve Broadhurst (Doc Walker)
BASS
Shane Chisholm (Shane Chisholm
GUITAR
Jason Barry (Victoria Banks/Dean Brody/Aaron Lines)
KEYBOARDS
Rob Shapiro (Hey Romeo)
FIDDLE
Denis Dufresne (Deric Ruttan)
Shane Guse (Jason Blaine/George Canyon/The Western Swing Authority)
STEEL GUITAR
Ed Ringwald (George Canyon)
SPECIAL INSTRUMENT
Denis Dufresne – Mandolin (Pear/Deric Ruttan)