THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO Announces the 2016 CMAO Award Nominees

The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAO) is pleased to announce the nominees for the fourth annual CMAO Awards. Presented by Slaight Music, with support from the Ontario Media Development Corporation, the awards celebrate the talent and achievements of Ontario’s country music industry over the past year. The ever-engaging and entertaining Jason McCoy of The Road Hammers returns as host of the CMAO Awards Show, which takes place Monday, May 30, 2016, at the Flato Markham Theatre in Markham, Ontario. The Western Swing Authority also returns to the awards show as the house band.

Leading this year’s award nominations are Jason Blaine and Tebey with six nominations apiece. Leah Daniels follows closely behind with five nods, while Deric Ruttan, Runaway Angel, Autumn Hill and Cold Creek County each garner four nominations. See the full nominees listing for the 2016 CMAO Awards below. Eligible CMAO members will have the opportunity to vote on the final ballot as of today up until Tuesday, April 26th at 11:59PM EST. Votes cast by CMAO members will determine the final winners.

The CMAO Impact Award, sponsored by the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), will be presented to the iconic Canadian country roots band Prairie Oyster. 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. Previous recipients include Paula Chopik and Ed Leslie (producers of Havelock Country Jamboree) and the legendary Gordon Lightfoot.

Introduced as a new category this year is the Fans’ Choice award, made possible by the Ontario Media Development Corporation made through the Ontario Music Fund. Music fans, along with the CMAO membership, will have the opportunity to vote for nominees in this category starting today through the public online voting portal on the CMAO website at www.cmaontario.ca. Voting for this category will also close Tuesday, April 26th at 11:59PM EST.
The 2016 CMAO award nominees are:

SINGLE OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Republic Live – Boots & Hearts Festival)

“Blame” – Autumn Hill

“Bring Your Own Sunshine” – Tianna Woods

“Country Side” – Jason Blaine

“Go Back” – Leah Daniels

“My Someday” – Runaway Angel

“Our Town” – Cold Creek County

“When the Buzz Wears Off” – Tebey

ALBUM OF THE YEAR (sponsored by HMV Canada)

5:01+ – Tim Hicks

Anchor – Autumn Hill

Pistology – Small Town Pistols

Tianna Woods – Tianna Woods

What It Feels Like – Leah Daniels

What Love Is All About – Johnny Reid

SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR (sponsored by SOCAN)

Deric Ruttan, Jonathan Singleton – “Don’t It Feel Good” performed by Deric Ruttan

Jason Blaine, Deric Ruttan – “Country Side” performed by Jason Blaine

Leah Daniels, Beverley Mahood, Patricia Conroy – “Dream Without You” performed by Leah Daniels

Shane Guse, Larry Wayne Clark – “Sweet Harriet” performed by The Western Swing Authority

Stacey Zegers, Cadence Grace, Ann Chaplin, Dave Thomson – “My Someday” performed by Runaway Angel

Tebey – “When The Buzz Wears Off” performed by Tebey

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Spring Tree Farm)

Genevieve Fisher

Jessica Mitchell

Kira Isabella

Leah Daniels

Lindsay Broughton

Tianna Woods

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Deric Ruttan

Jason Blaine

Johnny Reid

Marshall Dane

Tebey

Tim Hicks

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR (sponsored by The Remington Group)

Autumn Hill

Blackwell

Cold Creek County

Runaway Angel

Small Town Pistols

The Western Swing Authority

ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Skelton Truck Lines Ltd.)

Heather Ballentine

Lindi Ortega

The Good Family

The Lovelocks

The Western Swing Authority

Whitney Rose

RISING STAR AWARD (sponsored by Slaight Music)

Ben Hudson

Brooklyn Roebuck

Cold Creek County

Cory Marquardt

Heather Ballentine

Jessica Mitchell

FANS’ CHOICE (sponsored by Ontario Media Development Corporation)

Autumn Hill

Cold Creek County

Jason Blaine

Steven Lee Olsen

Tebey

Tim Hicks

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

“A Picture of You” – Johnny Reid

“Country Side” – Jason Blaine

“My Someday” – Runaway Angel

“Old Piano” – Leah Daniels

“One Horse Town” – The Road Hammers Feat. Tim Hicks

“When The Buzz Wears Off” – Tebey

RECORD PRODUCER(S) OF THE YEAR (sponsored by MetalWorks Studios)

Dave “Dwave” Thomson – Old Piano by Leah Daniels

Jason Barry – Run Angel Run by Runaway Angel; Now Playing and Sweet Harriet by The Western Swing Authority; Boomerang by Genevieve Fisher; Toes by Scotty James

Jason Blaine & Deric Ruttan – Country Side by Jason Blaine

Rick Hutt – Bring Your Own Sunshine by Tianna Woods

Scott Cooke – Our Town by Cold Creek County

Tebey & Danick Dupelle – When The Buzz Wears Off/Jealous Of The Sun by Tebey

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (MAJOR MARKET) (sponsored by Canadian Country Spotlight)

CHCQ-FM (Cool 100.1 FM), Belleville

CHKX-FM (KX 94.7), Hamilton

CICX-FM (KICX 106), Orillia

CJKX-FM 95.9 (KX 96), Oshawa

CKBY-FM (Country 101.1), Ottawa

CKDK-FM 103.9 (Country 104), Woodstock

CKKL-FM (New Country 94), Ottawa

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (SECONDARY MARKET) (sponsored by Lucknow’s Music in the Fields)

CFCO-FM 92.9 (Country 929), Chatham

CFRM-FM (Country 103), Little Current

CHVR-FM 96.7 (Star 96FM), Pembroke

CJDL-FM (Country 107.3), Tillsonburg

CJQM-FM 104 (Country 104.3), Sault Ste Marie

CKYC-FM 93.7 (Country 93), Owen Sound

Tickets for the 2016 CMAO Awards are $59.98 plus taxes and applicable service charges and are available for purchase now online at www.ticketbreak.com.

Website: www.cmaontario.ca

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram: @TheCMAO

The CMAO thanks all of our sponsors: Slaight Music, Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), Canadian Country Spotlight, CW Partners, Durham Radio (KX Country), Fielding Wine, Havelock Jamboree, HMV Canada, Lucknow’s Music in the Fields, MetalWorks Studios, Nielsen Music, The Remington Group, Republic Live – Boots & Hearts Festival, Skelton Truck Lines Ltd., SOCAN, and Spring Tree Farm.