As we head into the last few days of the year, we love the tradition of looking back at the big things that happened over the last 12 months.
The news seems to always be filled with political discourse, war, and tragedy. But there was also a lot of big news happening in the world of country music in Canada. From festival announcements, deaths, to big contests, there was no shortage of big news.
We talked about a lot of news over the last 365 days, but some stories really stood out and resonated with you. We put together the top 7 news stories of 2022 from Front Porch Music.
NOTE: These stories are ranked based on how much traffic they have received throughout the year.
7. Havelock Jamboree Inexplicably Cancels
Just a couple months before the festival was set to return, Havelock organizers announced that the festival would again be cancelled with little to no explanation.
Both the 2020 and 2021 festivals had been cancelled because of the pandemic. The 2022 festival was highly anticipated, so it came as a shock when the plug was pulled last June.
The future of this iconic festival is still unknown.
There has been no activity on any of their social media platforms or their website since they made the announcement.
RELATED: See the original news story about the cancellation of Havelock Country Jamboree …
People who purchased tickets as far back as 2019 have reportedly still yet to receive a refund leaving fans to wonder if they will ever see that money. Just going through the comments on the original Facebook post, you can see that people are frustrated from the lack of communication from the festival.
If we receive any updates on this, we will share it out. But for now, this was one of the biggest news stories of the year and continues to be a popular story.
6. Amanda Jordan Performs On The Bachelor
It has almost been a full year since Amanda Jordan appeared on The Bachelor to perform her single “I Choose You” for Clayton Echard and his date, Susie Evans on January 11th, 2022.
Amanda was just getting over a breakup when she first heard “I Choose You”.
RELATED: Learn more about this performance and another Canadian artist who played on The Bachelor …
“When I first heard ‘I Choose You’, I was going through the most difficult breakup I’ve ever experienced” says Amanda. “I was trying to convince myself it was for the best but couldn’t seem to move on. Listening to the song, I had this moment of ‘it’s him and there’s no one else I can spend my life with’ which made me love it even more so I had to record it.” – ABC.com
Seeing a Canadian emerging artist get international attention will never get old! Watch her performance on The Bachelor here:
5. Country Thunder Sask Lineup Announcement
Saskatchewan is ready to party this year!
The announcement for the 2023 festival came a few short months ago, but the lineup announcement has been one of the most visited pages on Front Porch this year.
RELATED: See the full festival lineup Announcement for Country Thunder Saskatchewan …
This festival is back in a big way. They have announced three fantastic headliners and a whole crew of amazing artists to round out the weekend. Running from July 13-16 in Craven Saskatchewan, fans will have the chance to see Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Jon Pardi headline the festival.
Other notable artists performing this year include: High Valley, Midland, Jess Moskaluke, Josh Ross, and so many more. Catch the full lineup here, and get your tickets for the festival.
4. Sirius XM Top Of The Country Finalists
SiriusXMs Top Of The Country contest is one of the biggest opportunities for Canadian artists. This contest always brings a lot of attention, so it’s not surprise that it is one of the top news stories on Front Porch this year.
Artists submit to be part of this program and can win opportunities to perform at some of the biggest country music events in Canada, a SOCAN songwriting camp, industry mentorships and $25,000.
Representing 6 provinces across Canada, the 2022 SiriusXM Top of the Country semi-finalists were:
- Devin Cooper
- Mallory Johnson
- Five Roses
- Josh Ross
- Danielle Ryan
- Kyle McKearney
- SACHA
- Shantaia
3 artists were chosen as finalists to compete at the 2022 CCMA Awards Week in Calgary, Alberta. Shantaia, SACHA, and Josh Ross were selected as the finalists where SACHA ended up being crowned the winner.
RELATED: Catch our conversation with SACHA “On The Porch” …
3. Cavendish Beach Music Festival 2023 Lineup Announcement
Another festival lineup announcement cracked our top news stories list this year! After the last couple years of no live music, people are clearly excited to get back to it.
Cavendish Beach Music Festival is one of the most Google’d festivals in Canada right now.
RELATED: Catch the full lineup for The Country Thunder Sask Festival …
A few weeks after the 2022 festival, festival organizers announced that Chris Stapleton, Jake Owen and Kane Brown will be among the headliners at the 2023 festival.
This year’s festival will be from July 6-8, 2023 in PEI.
Get your tickets to the festival here.
2. Owen Riegling Wins The 2022 Boots & Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase
It has been a huge year for Owen Riegling.
One huge highlight was his involvement in the 2022 Boots & Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase. Every year, Boots & Hearts Music Festival hosts a showcase that has become legendary. Many of Canada’s top country artists got their start on the Front Porch stage at this festival.
RELATED: Relive the moment he was crowned the Emerging Artist Showcase winner …
Owen competed against some huge talent in this showcase, but ended up being crowned the winner.
When Owen’s name was called, an intense cheer came from thousands of people across Burl’s Creek, in support of this year’s Emerging Artist Showcase winner.
As the winner, Owen won:
- A single release with Universal Music Canada
- The opportunity to perform at the 2023 Boots & Hearts Music Festival
- Management sessions from The CORE Entertainment
- Digital marketing and coaching from Front Porch Music
Listen to Our Conversation With All The Finalists For The 2022 Boots & Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase
1. Country Star Shane Yellowbird Passes Away
The biggest Canadian country music news story this year was the announcement of Shane Yellowbird’s sudden passing.
Reports of his passing were confirmed his brother ShyShy Yellowbird on Facebook April 26, 2022.
Shane, a Cree-Canadian from Hobbema, Alberta, first made a splash on the Canadian Country scene in 2006 with the release of his debut album Life is Calling My Name, which was an immediate success, leading him to win many awards including the Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Award for Single of the Year for his song “Beautiful Concept”, as well as the 2007 Chevy Trucks Rising Star of the Year CCMA Award.
The album was also nominated for a JUNO Award for Country Recording of the Year in 2008.
Shane’s contribution and legacy will be continuously remembered by family, industry, and fans alike.
What a year it has been.
We are so happy to bring you the biggest stories, announcements, and music in the Canadian country music industry.
As we head into 2023, we will be sure to bring you more of the best country music has to offer you.
Logan Miller
As the founder of Front Porch Music, I believe that music has the ability to connect people. I love country music, and I love the country music industry as a whole. My goal is to help music fans find new artists to fall in love with.
