The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAO) is pleased to announce the much-anticipated list of nominees for its 3rd Annual CMAO Awards Show. This year’s star-studded event will once again be hosted by Jason McCoy of the Road Hammers, and will be held Monday, May 25, 2015, at the Flato Markham Theatre.
Peterborough country star Tebey leads the pack of 2015 CMAO Awards nominees with a grand total of six nominations, including Single and Album of the Year. St. Catharines native Tim Hicks follows close behind with five nominations and Jason Blaine, Runaway Angel and Small Town Pistols each come in with four nominations apiece. See the full listing of 2015 CMAO nominees below.
The 2015 CMAO Awards, presented by Slaight Music,will feature performances by: Jason Blaine, Leah Daniels, Tim Hicks, Russell deCarle and Deric Ruttan with additional performers to be announced. The Western Swing Authority will return to the awards as the event’s house band. The CMAO Awards weekend will include the second-annual CMAO Conference on Sunday, May 24th and Monday, May 25th at the Markham Delta.
This year the CMAO Impact Award will be presented to Paula Chopik and Ed Leslie, producers of Havelock Country Jamboree, Canada’s largest live country music and camping festival. The CMAO 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. Last years’ Impact Award recipient was the legendary Gordon Lightfoot.
The 2015 CMAO Nominees are:
Single of the Year:
Jason Blaine – Layin’ Your Love On Me (eOne Music Canada)
Tim Hicks – Here Comes The Thunder (Open Road Recordings)
Beverley Mahood – Sunday I’m An Angel (Spin Music)
Runaway Angel – Our Story (Southbound Records)
Small Town Pistols – I Only Smoke When I Drink (604 Records)
Tebey – Now I Do (Road Angel Entertainment)
Album of the Year:
Lindsay Broughton – Take Me There (Curve Music)
Tim Hicks – 5:01 (Open Road Recordings)
Kira Isabella – Caffeine & Big Dreams (Sony Music Canada)
Lindi Ortega – Tin Star (Last Gang Entertainment)
Tebey – Two (Road Angel Entertainment)
The Lovelocks – The Lovelocks (MDM Recordings Inc.)
Songwriter (s) of the Year:
Jason Blaine/Deric Ruttan (Layin’ Your Love On Me – Jason Blaine)
Leah Daniels/Beverley Mahood/Bruce Wallace (Go Back – Leah Daniels)
Todd Clark/Tim Hicks/Gavin Slate (Here Comes The Thunder – Tim Hicks)
Ann Chaplin/Cadence Grace/Stacy Zegers (Our Story – Runaway Angel)
Alyssa Bonagura/Patricia Conroy/ Amanda Wilkinson/Tyler Wilkinson (I Only Smoke When I Drink – Small Town Pistols)
Patricia Conroy/Danick Dupelle/Tebey (Now I Do – Tebey)
Female Artist of the Year:
Genevieve Fisher (Independent)
Kira Isabella (Sony Music Canada)
Brea Lawrenson (Independent)
Beverley Mahood (Spin Music)
Tianna Woods (Independent)
Michelle Wright (Savannah Music)
Male Artist of the Year:
Jason Blaine (eOne Music Canada)
Marshall Dane (Awesome Country)
Tim Hicks (Open Road Recordings)
Jason McCoy (Open Road Recordings)
Deric Ruttan (Black T Records)
Tebey (Road Angel Entertainment)
Group or Duo of the Year:
Autumn Hill (Wax Records)
Blackwell (Eating Crow Records)
Runaway Angel (Southbound Records)
Small Town Pistols (604 Records)
The Stellas (Universal Music Canada)
The Western Swing Authority (eOne Music Canada)
Roots Artist or Group of the Year:
Lindi Ortega (Last Gang Entertainment)
The Abrams Brothers (Independent)
The Good Family (Latent Recordings)
The Heartbroken (Universal Music Canada)
The Lovelocks (MDM Recordings Inc.)
The Western Swing Authority (eOne Music Canada)
Rising Star Award:
Leah Daniels (Spin Music)
Riki Knox (Independent)
Brea Lawrenson (Independent)
Northern Roads (Independent)
Brooklyn Roebuck (Independent)
Runaway Angel (Southbound Records)
Tianna Woods (Independent)
Music Video of the Year:
Jason Blaine – Layin’ Your Love On Me (eOne Music Canada)
Lindsay Broughton – Take Me There (Curve Music)
Tim Hicks – She Don’t Drink Whiskey Anymore (Open Road Recordings)
Kira Isabella – Quarterback (Sony Music Canada)
Small Town Pistols – I Only Smoke When I Drink (604 Records)
Tebey – Now I Do (Road Angel Entertainment)
Record Producer of the Year:
Carey Blackwell/Joe Turner for Redneck Style by Blackwell (single)
Sam Ellis for Go Backby Leah Daniels (single)
Jason Barry for Night In Night Outby Genevieve Fisher (single) and One Of Us Is Lying by The Western Swing Authority (single)
Bob Funk/Beverley Mahood for Sunday I’m An Angel by Beverley Mahood (album)
Danick Dupelle/Tebey for Two by Tebey (album)
Peter Linseman for Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Kate Todd (single)
Radio Station of the Year (Major Market):
CHKX – KX 94.7 FM – Hamilton
CICX – KICX 106 FM – Orillia
CJKX – KX 96 FM – Oshawa
CKBY – Country 101.1 FM – Ottawa
CKDK – Country 104 FM – London/Woodstock
CKXC – Country 93.5 FM – Kingston
Radio Station of the Year (Secondary Market):
CFCO – Country 92.9 FM – Chatham
CFRM – The Island FM – Manitoulin
CJDL – Country 107.3 FM – Tillsonburg
CKAT – Country 600 – North Bay
CKNX – AM 920 – Wingham
CKYC – Country 93 FM – Owen Sound
Tickets are on sale now for the 2015 CMAO Awards at the Flato Markham Theatre on Monday, May 25, 2015. Ticket price is $59.95. For more ticket information visit www.ticketbreak.com.
