On a night when the 2019 Canadian Country Music Awards returned to Calgary after a 14-year absence, it was fitting that Alberta performer Tenille Townes stole the spotlight.
Langley B.C’s Dallas Smith, who co-hosted the show with Billy Ray Cyrus, claimed two major awards as Top Male Vocalist and Top Entertainer plaudits but it was 25-year old Grande Prairie native, Tenille Townes who registered the night’s biggest impact winning a total of four CCMA plaques; Top Female Artist, Top Single for “Somebody’s Daughter and both Video Of The Year and Songwriter Of The Year with co-writers Barry Dean and Luke Laird.
“I am so proud to represent Grande Prairie, this has been a year of dreams,” noted Townes who defeated Meghan Patrick and Jess Moskaluke to claim the top awards. “I grew up listening to Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Terri Clark, Pam Tillis and Shania Twain, so this is for all you little girls out there, don’t give up on your dreams.”
Vancouver’s Washboard Union won their second successive Top Group Award with Chris Duncombe, Aaron Grain and Dave Roberts continuing to establish themselves as Canada’s top Country recording artists.
Aylmer Quebec’s Charlie Major was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame by fellow inductee Terry Clark and also joined Aaron Pritchett and Jess Moskaluke on stage for a rendition of “It Can’t Happen To Me”.
Other key award winners were Brett Kissel as Music Fan’s Choice, The Recklaws claimed Top Album honours for “Feels Like That”, Lindsay Ell for Interactive Artist and Donovan Woods for his Top Roots Album for Both Ways.
Too much fun singing #AchyBreakyHeart with @TerriClarkMusic last night at the #CCMAAwards! pic.twitter.com/YVXVKdPh2g
— Billy Ray Cyrus (@billyraycyrus) September 9, 2019
Smith and Cyrus opened the show with Smith performing “Drive” before Cyrus chimed in with a rendition of his 1992 hit “Achy Breaky Heart” joined on stage by Terri Clark. The two-hour broadcast also featured a number of performances by the likes of High Valley, James Barker Band, Old Dominion, Tebay, Meghan Patrick with Mitchell Tenpenny, Lindsay Ell, The Hunter Brothers, Washboard Union and Calgarian, Paul Brandt who won the Saddledome crowd over with his rendition of “Alberta Bound”.
The 2020 CCMA Awards will be staged in Hamilton Ontario.
By Keith Sharp
