SiriusXM Canada invites the nation to vote for Canada’s next big country star in the first SiriusXM Top of the Country in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA). Nine semi-finalists from coast-to-coast now face off as Canada picks the top three to move on to the finals for their chance at $25,000 and more.
The 2018 SiriusXM Top of the Country semi-finalists are:
Western Canada
- Shawn Austin (Hometown—West Vancouver, BC)
- Kristin Carter (Hometown—White Rock, BC)
- Leaving Thomas (Hometown—Calgary, AB)
Central Canada
- Andrew Hyatt (Hometown—Sudbury, ON)
- Cory James Mitchell (Hometown—Port Lambton, ON)
- The Redhill Valleys (Hometown—Hamilton/Burlington, ON)
Eastern Canada
- Jason Benoit (Hometown—Fox Island River, NL)
- Ian Janes (Hometown—Hantsport, NS)
- Chris Ryan (Hometown—St. John’s, NL)
Earlier this spring, SiriusXM hosted studio sessions with each semi-finalist to record an original song. Beginning at 10 a.m. ET today through to June 6, country fans can watch all studio sessions and vote at siriusxm.ca/topcountry for their favourite in each market, once per day.
According to Jeff Leake, Director of Music Programming for SiriusXM, selecting the nine finalists was no easy task. “From the moment registration opened, we were overwhelmed by the level of talent and passion from the artists that Top of the Country attracted. There’s no question that Canada is a hotbed for country music, and we are proud to provide a showcase of the very best new artists.”
At the end of the voting period, the artist with the most votes in each region will move on as a finalist and get a chance to perform at Big Valley Jamboree (Camrose, AB), Cavendish Beach Music Festival (Cavendish, PEI) or a SiriusXM-sponsored major festival in Ontario. Finalists will also receive a SOCAN songwriting camp in Nashville, TN and an exclusive mentoring session with artists and industry professionals in Toronto.
The grand prize winner of Top of the Country will be chosen during Country Music Week in Hamilton, ON this September. Finalists will compete live on stage before a headlining artist at the SiriusXM CCMA Top of the Country Finale, airing live on SiriusXM, with music industry professionals and audience votes deciding the winner of $25,000, plus a SOCAN songwriting camp in Pender Island, BC.
SiriusXM’s Top of the Country in partnership with CCMA is part of SiriusXM’s ongoing tradition of promoting and elevating the best Canadian music. SiriusXM continues to offer a leading platform for Canadian artists through its significant financial contributions and North American-wide reach of over 55 million listeners.
