Time to Vote: 2015 Country Music Association of Ontario Award Nominees

Well it’s official now. The 2015 Country Music Association of Ontario Award nominees have been announced and final voting is now open for CMAO members.

As a 1st time voting member of the CMAO I’ve got an added interest in the nominee list this year – and I’ve already voted in 2 rounds to get the process this far. But before I cast my final votes and we see who wins the awards at the Flato Markham Theatre on May 25th, I need to take a good hard look at the list…

But first, some highlights.

• There are 9 nominations for artists currently listed as Independent
• Tebey leads all male artists with 6 nominations
• Beverly Mahood leads all female artists with 4 nominations
• Runaway Angel & Small Town Pistols lead all groups with 4 nominations each

It’s going to be really hard to make choices in a lot of these categories!

So if I’m going to look at this list, why don’t we all look at it and make some choices.

The 2015 Country Music Association of Ontario Award Nominees

Single of the Year

Jason Blaine – Layin’ Your Love On Me
Tim Hicks – Here Comes The Thunder
Beverley Mahood – Sunday I’m An Angel
Runaway Angel – Our Story
Small Town Pistols – I Only Smoke When I Drink
Tebey – Now I Do

Album of the Year

Lindsay Broughton – Take Me There
Tim Hicks – 5:01
Kira Isabella – Caffeine & Big Dreams
Lindi Ortega – Tin Star
Tebey – Two
The Lovelocks – The Lovelocks

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
Kira Isabella
Brea Lawrenson
Beverley Mahood
Tianna Woods
Michelle Wright

Male Artist of the Year

Jason Blaine
Marshall Dane
Tim Hicks
Jason McCoy
Deric Ruttan
Tebey

Group or Duo of the Year

Autumn Hill
Blackwell
Runaway Angel
Small Town Pistols
The Stellas
The Western Swing Authority

Roots Artist or Group of the Year

Lindi Ortega
The Abrams Brothers
The Good Family
The Heartbroken
The Lovelocks
The Western Swing Authority

Rising Star Award

Leah Daniels
Riki Knox
Brea Lawrenson
Northern Roads
Brooklyn Roebuck
Runaway Angel
Tianna Woods

Music Video of the Year

Jason Blaine – Layin’ Your Love On Me
Lindsay Broughton – Take Me There
Tim Hicks – She Don’t Drink Whiskey Anymore
Kira Isabella – Quarterback
Small Town Pistols – I Only Smoke When I Drink
Tebey – Now I Do

Record Producer of the Year

Carey Blackwell/Joe Turner for Redneck Style by Blackwell (single)
Sam Ellis for Go Back by Leah Daniels (single)
Jason Barry for Night In Night Out by 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

Think you know who I should vote for? You can try your best to persuade me in the comment section…