2026 CMAOntario Awards Nominees: Sully Burrows Leads the Pack

The Country Music Association of Ontario has announced the nominees for the 14th Annual CMAOntario Awards, and Sully Burrows is leading the charge with six nominations heading into the big night.

The awards show takes place Sunday, May 31, 2026 at Port Credit Memorial Arena in Mississauga, closing out the CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend running May 29–31. Hosting duties this year go to multi CMAOntario, CCMA, and SOCAN Award winner Jason Blaine, alongside Country Nights host Sam McDaid.

Behind Burrows, Nate Haller earned five nominations, Olivia Mae Graham picked up four, and Jessica Sevier, Owen Riegling, Sacha, James Barker Band, and Robyn Ottolini each landed three.

Tickets are on sale now at cmaontario.ca, with options ranging from General Admission ($35) to Diamond VIP ($199).

The Nominees for the 14th Annual CMAOntario Awards

SINGLE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Pure Country

James Barker Band – “You Didn’t Hear it from Me”
Jessica Sevier – “Good to Drive”
Nate Haller – “Backfire” with Tenille Townes
Owen Riegling – “Taillight this Town”
Robyn Ottolini – “Airplane Bottle”
Sully Burrows – “Rally Around”

ALBUM/EP OF THE YEAR sponsored by Country 106.7

Andrew Hyatt – Andrew Hyatt & the Ten Year War
Bradley Hale – County Line 5
James Barker Band – One of Us
Olivia Mae Graham – Nobody
Sacha – Woman in the Mirror
Sully Burrows – Somewhere in a Small Town

SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR

Bree Taylor, Jesse Slack – “I Regret You”
Jason Blaine, Josh Stumpf, Dave Thomson – “Highway Money”
Jessica Sevier, Robyn Ottolini, Derek Hoffman – “Good to Drive”
Nate Haller, Tenille Townes, James Shelley, Stuart Walker, Michael August, Michael Walton – “Backfire”
Owen Riegling, Kyle Sturrock, James Bell – “Taillight this Town”
Sully Burrows, Parker Graye, Derek Hoffman – “Rally Around”

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by IBEW Local 353

Angelica Appelman
Elyse Saunders
Jessica Sevier
Olivia Mae Graham
Paige Rutledge
Sacha

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by IBEW Local 353

Nate Haller
Owen Riegling
Ryan Langdon
Sully Burrows
Tim Hicks
Tyler Lorette

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR sponsored by CHAW Country 103

Amanda and James
James Barker Band
Rosewood Ave.
School House
The Reklaws
The Western Swing Authority

RECORD PRODUCER(S) OF THE YEAR

Adam Newcomb – I Ain’t Thinkin’ (Tyler Lorette)
Jay Allan, Aaron Murray – Nobody (Olivia Mae Graham)
Matthew Koebel – Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right (Amanda & James)
Ron Lopata – Motel (Jessica Sevier)
Tebey and Danick Dupelle – Smooth Like Vinyl (Tebey)
The Agenda, Beverley Mahood, Mac Shepherd – Better than Blue (Dayna Reid)

ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

Callie McCullough
Mackenzie Leigh Meyer
Rosewood Ave.
School House
The Redhill Valleys
The Western Swing Authority

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by C to C Music Insider

Angelica Appelman
Jade Hilton
Jessica Sevier
Olivia Mae Graham
Paige Rutledge
Tyler Lorette

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Cory Marks – “Whiskey River”
Elyse Saunders – “Heartbreak Rodeo”
Nate Haller – “Backfire” with Tenille Townes
Olivia Mae Graham – “Nobody”
Ryan Langdon – “Crushin’ Cans”
Sully Burrows – “Rally Around”

INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR sponsored by Manrkē

Alex Maciel, Starseed Entertainment
Christine Wiley & Christine Stevens, C to C Music Insider
Dave Woods, In the Country
Jill Snell, Jayward Artist Group
Nick Marinac, Elliott Deseure, Adaptive Media
Samantha Pickard, Strut Entertainment

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR sponsored by Cithara Guitars

Adrian Juras
Mackenzie Leigh Meyer
Matt Koebel
Nolan Gibson
Ryan Cassar
Shane Guse

ARTISTE OU GROUPE FRANCOPHONE DE L’ANNÉE / FRANCOPHONE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

Kristine St-Pierre
Les Rats d’Swompe
Mitch Jean
Reney Ray
Sugar Crush
Vincent Bishop

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (LARGE MARKET) sponsored by Fielding Estate Winery

CFXJ-FM (New Country 93.5), Toronto
CHKX (KX 94.7), Hamilton
CIKZ (Country 106.7), Kitchener
CJBX (PURE COUNTRY 93), London
CJKX (KX96), Oshawa
CKKL (Pure Country 94), Ottawa

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

CFCO (Country 92.9), Chatham-Kent
CFWC (HOT COUNTRY 93.9), Brantford
CHCQ-FM (Cool 100.1 FM), Belleville
CICS (PURE COUNTRY 91.7), Sudbury
CKDX (Hot Country 88.5), Newmarket
CKXP-FM (KX 105), Peterborough

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (SMALL MARKET)

CFDC (COUNTRY 105), Shelburne
CHAW (Country 103), Manitoulin
CHLP-FM (The Ranch 100.1), Listowel
CHVR (Pure Country 96.7), Pembroke
CICX (PURE COUNTRY 106), Orillia
CJDL-FM (Country 107.3), Tillsonburg
CKYY (Country 89), Welland

FANS’ CHOICE sponsored by Visit Mississauga

James Barker Band
Nate Haller
Owen Riegling
Robyn Ottolini
Sacha
Sully Burrows
The Reklaws
Tim Hicks

The 14th Annual CMAOntario Awards take place May 31, 2026 at 7pm at Port Credit Memorial Arena in Mississauga. Additional performers and details will be announced in the coming weeks. Get your tickets at cmaontario.ca.

Front Porch

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.