Canadian Country Music Association Announces Awards Nominees

Most fans know that Canada has bred a number of certifiable country music stars. But I would wager that few realize there is a thriving country music scene north of our border, and that every day on Canadian airwaves listeners can hear the sounds of a nation of country singers whose names few of us would recognize.

Each year, Canada’s Country Music Association holds an awards ceremony to honor those artists. Below is a list of the 2009 nominees (as announced this afternoon). I’ve provided a link to each artist’s mySpace page so that you can click through and discover some new music. As is true with any scene, some of the music linked to here is inevitably better than the rest. But in the day of digital distribution there is no reason why musical discovery and appreciation should be limited by geographical boundaries.

Some of you may be familiar with Corb Lund, and a handful of these artists who have broken through into the U.S. mainstream. Dean Brody, Emmerson Drive, Paul Brandt, Terri Clark and Crystal Shawanda all should ring a bell. But I would encourage you to dig into some of these new names–especially in the “Roots Artist or Group” category, where a wealth of cool, unique stuff can be heard.

FANS’ CHOICE AWARD

• George Canyon (mySpace)
• Doc Walker (mySpace)
• Jessie Farrell (mySpace)
• Aaron Pritchett (mySpace)
• Johnny Reid (mySpace)

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

• “A Woman Like You” by Johnny Reid
• “Brothers” by Dean Brody (mySpace)
• “Just Like You” by George Canyon
• “Little Guy” by Gord Bamford (mySpace)
• “The Wheel” by Victoria Banks (mySpace)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• Dance With Me by Johnny Reid
• Dawn Of A New Day by Crystal Shawanda (mySpace)
• Thankful by Aaron Pritchett
• What I Do by George Canyon
• When You Can Fly by Victoria Banks

SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR

• “A Woman Like You,” Written by Johnny Reid & Brent Maher. Recorded by Johnny Reid.
• “Brothers,” Written by Dean Brody. Recorded by Dean Brody.
• “Little Guy,” Written by Gord Bamford. Recorded by Gord Bamford.
• “One Last Sundown,” Written by Jon Mabe, Chris Thorsteinson & Dave Wasyliw. Recorded by Doc Walker.
• “The Wheel,” Written by Victoria Banks & Tia Sillers. Recorded by Victoria Banks.

CMT VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• A Woman Like You by Johnny Reid
• Brothers by Dean Brody
• Go To Bed Angry by Tara Oram (mySpace)
• Just Like You by George Canyon
• Little Guy by Gord Bamford

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Victoria Banks
• Terri Clark (mySpace)
• Jessie Farrell
• Tara Oram
• Crystal Shawanda

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Gord Bamford
• Jason Blaine (mySpace)
• Paul Brandt (mySpace)
• George Canyon
• Johnny Reid

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR

• Doc Walker
• Emerson Drive (mySpace)
• Hey Romeo (mySpace)
• The Higgins (mySpace)
• Jo Hikk (mySpace)

ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

• Ridley Bent (mySpace)
• Shane Chisholm (mySpace)
• The Higgins
• Corb Lund (mySpace)
• Mike Plume Band (mySpace)

RISING STAR

• Victoria Banks
• Dean Brody
• Jo Hikk
• Damian Marshall (mySpace)
• Tara Oram