The 2018 CMAO Awards were this past weekend and it was a great time for country music in Ontario. The whole weekend included all your favourite artists, industry professionals, and the ever popular baseball tournament!
The annual awards for the Country Music Association of Ontario, presented by Slaight Music, and sponsored by the Ontario Music Fund were in London this year. The awards were hosted yet again by Jason McCoy – the latest addition to the KICX 106 on-air talent. Jason has the perfect personality to host an award show, so of course it was a ton of fun!
Performers for the 2018 CMAO Awards included: Andrew Hyatt, Cold Creek County, Dan Davidson, Jason Blaine, Meghan Patrick, Michelle Wright, The Reklaws, River Town Saints, Tebey, Tim Hicks, and the Western Swing Authority.
Winners of the 2018 CMAO Awards
*Winners are identified in bold
Single of the Year sponsored by KICX 106
Born To Love – Jason Blaine
Chills – James Barker Band *WINNER
Country Music Made Me Do It – Meghan Patrick
Slide Over – Tim Hicks
You Me We – Genevieve Fisher
Album of the Year sponsored by Freedom Music & Creative
Game On – James Barker Band *WINNER
Homemade – Cold Creek County
Iron and Ashes – Andrew Hyatt
River Town Saints – River Town Saints
The Squeeze – The Road Hammers
Songwriter(s) of the Year sponsored by SOCAN
Clayton Bellamy, Chris Byrne, Jason McCoy – Crazy About You, Recorded by The Road Hammers
Dan Isbell, Meghan Patrick, Jeremy Stover – Country Music Made Me Do It, Recorded by Meghan Patrick
James Barker, Gavin Slate, Travis Wood, Donovan Woods – Chills, Recorded by James Barker Band
Jessica Mitchell, Matthew Tishler – Don’t Love Me, Recorded by Jessica Mitchell
Kelly Archer, Adam Hambrick, Tebey Ottoh – Somebody Else Will, Recorded by Justin Moore *WINNER
Female Artist of the Year sponsored by Spring Tree Farm
Dani Strong
Genevieve Fisher
Jessica Mitchell
Meghan Patrick *WINNER
Tianna Woods
Male Artist of the Year sponsored by ECAO/IBEW
Andrew Hyatt
Anthony Tullo
Jason Blaine *WINNER
Tebey
Tim Hicks
Group or Duo of the Year sponsored by Country 103
Blue Rodeo
Cold Creek County *WINNER
James Barker Band
Runaway Angel
The Lovelocks
The Reklaws
Roots Artist or Group of the Year sponsored by Skelton Truck Lines
Jessica Mitchell
Lindi Ortega
The Abrams
The Lovelocks *WINNER
The Western Swing Authority
Rising Star sponsored by Slaight Music
Andrew Hyatt *WINNER
Eric Ethridge
Nicole Rayy
Shae Dupuy
The Reklaws
Music Video of the Year
Chills – James Barker Band
Country Music Made Me Do It – Meghan Patrick *WINNER
Haulin’ Ass – The Road Hammers
Homemade – Cold Creek County
Slide Over – Tim Hicks
Woke Up Like This – River Town Saints
Fans’ Choice sponsored by OMDC
James Barker Band
Meghan Patrick *WINNER
River Town Saints
The Road Hammers
Tim Hicks
Record Producer(s) of the Year
David “Dwave” Thomson, Jason Blaine – Jason Blaine, Born to Love
Jason Barry – Runaway Angel, Zero; Western Swing Authority, I’m Sending You My Heart This Christmas; Dean Brody, Beautiful Freakshow
Jeff Dalziel – The Washboard Union, Shine; Dan Davidson, Barn Burner; River Town Saints *WINNER
Karen Kosowski – Jessica Mitchell, Don’t Love Me; Madeline Merlo, Motel Flamingo
Scott Cooke, Doug Oliver – Cold Creek County, Homemade
The Agenda – Justine Chantale, Fly
Industry Person of the Year sponsored by Seeds & Co.
Amanda Kingsland, Country 101.1
Anya Wilson, Anya Wilson Promotion & Publicity
Mike Denney, MDM Recordings
Ron Kitchener, RGK Entertainment *WINNER
Steve Coady, Warner Music Canada
Radio Station of the Year (LARGE MARKET)
CHKX KX 94.7, Hamilton
CJBX BX 93, London
CJKX KX96, Oshawa
CKBY Country 101.1, Ottawa *WINNER
CKDK NEW Country 104, Woodstock
Radio Station of the Year (MEDIUM MARKET) sponsored by Lucknow’s Music in the Fields
CFCO Country 92.9, Chatham *WINNER
CHCQ-FM Cool 100.1 FM, Belleville
CICS KICX 91.7, Sudbury
CKQM Country 105, Peterborough
CKXC Country 93.5, Kingston
Radio Station of the Year (SMALL MARKET)
CHAW Country 103, Little Current
CICX KICX 106, Orillia
CJDL-FM Country 107.3, Tillsonburg *WINNER
CKAT, Country 600, North Bay
CKYC Country 93, Owen Sound
CKYY Country 89, Welland
Impact Award sponsored by Canadian Music Week
Michelle Wright
Nielson Compass Award sponsored by Nielsen
TIE
James Barker Band
Tim Hicks
In country music, the Front Porch has long been a place of reflection. A place where you can look at the life you have inside that front door. A place where time almost seems to stand still, where you can get away. It’s also a place where you can go to observe the world as it passes by you. To think about your place out there beyond the driveway.
