Mississauga Hosts CMAOntario Festival & Awards In 2024
Tickets On Sale Now
The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAOntario) is proud to announce the first wave of performers for the CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend taking place May 31-June 2, 2024 in Mississauga. In addition to the 13th Annual CMAOntario Awards Show, CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend will include Songs & Stories: Songwriters in the Round, R2i TuneUp Conference, Street Fair, Bonfire, Tailgate Party, and Sauga Sunday.
On Saturday, June 1 the CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend will present Tailgate, and Bonfire – two free concerts at Celebration Square. Fans can celebrate the anticipation of the CMAOntario Awards with the afternoon Tailgate party featuring entertainment from nominees and fan favourites such as Andrew Hyatt,Jessie T, New Moon Junction, and Emily Clair. The CMAOntario Bonfire will give fans a chance to take in Ontario’s hottest new music and rising stars with evening concert performances by Jason Blaine, Les Bilinguish Boys, Karli June, Mackenzie Leigh Meyer, Lemon Cash, and Abby Stewart.
On Sunday, June 2 at Celebration Square, the City of Mississauga’s music office will present Sauga Sunday. This free, family-friendly afternoon concert will show why Mississauga was named Canadian “Music City of the Year” with an all-women lineup of the city’s top country talent featuring Elyse Saunders, Nicole Rayy, Bree Taylor, Alessia Cohle, Kendra Gabrielle and Jade Hilton.
The 13th Annual CMAOntario Awards Show, hosted by Jason McCoy and Teigen Gayse, will include exciting performances by: Karli June, who is nominated for four CMAOntario Awards this year; Owen Riegling, Jason Blaine, and Nicole Rayy, who are each nominated for three CMAOntario Awards; Griffen Palmer, up for two CMAOntario Awards; Elyse Saunders, nominated for Female Artist of the Year; River Town Saints, nominated for Group or Duo of the Year; Sugar Crush, first time nominees for Francophone Artist or Group of the Year; Callie McCullough, nominated for Roots Artist or Group of the Year; and Ryan Langdon, who is celebrating 200,000 streams and counting on his latest single “Soul & My Sanity” and multiple nominee, The Western Swing Authority. The CMAOntario Awards, presented by Slaight Music, will take place on Sunday, June 2 in Hammerson Hall at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. Tickets for the CMAOntario Awards Show are on sale now.
2024 NOMINEES
SINGLE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Pure Country
Honky Tonkin’ About, The Reklaws
Match For My Memory, Robyn Ottolini
Old Dirt Roads, Owen Riegling
Rodeo Queen, Jade Eagleson
The Road That Raised You Up, Jason Blaine
Trouble, Josh Ross
ALBUM/EP OF THE YEAR sponsored by Country 106.7 Kitchener
Ahead of Our Time, James Barker Band
Burning Back, Jessie T
Do It Anyway, Jade Eagleson
Greatest Show on Dirt, Meghan Patrick
Now & Then, Nicole Rayy
Unlearn, Griffen Palmer
SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR sponsored by SOCAN
Craig Brooks, Nicole Rayy, Now & Then, recorded by Nicole Rayy
Genevieve Fisher, Aaron Goodvin, Jennifer Schott, Best Thing About the Rain, recorded by Genevieve Fisher
Jade Eagleson, Daryl Scott, Rodeo Queen, recorded by Jade Eagleson
Jason Blaine, The Road the Raised You Up, recorded by Jason Blaine
Karli June, Gavin Slate, Feel Like Home, recorded by Karli June
Meghan Patrick, Matt Alderman, Tom Salter, Red Roses and Red Flags, recorded by Meghan Patrick
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by IBEW Local 353
Elyse Saunders, Famous
Jessie T, Just A Number
Karli June, Feels Like Home
Meghan Patrick, Greatest Show on Dirt
Robyn Ottolini, Match to My Memory
Sacha, Confident
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by IBEW Local 353
Andrew Hyatt, L is For
Jade Eagleson, Rodeo Queen
Jason Blaine, The Road that Raised You Up
Josh Ross, Trouble
Owen Riegling, Old Dirt Road
Tim Hicks, Yee to the Haw
GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR sponsored by Country 103
James Barker Band, Meet Your Mama
New Moon Junction, Mind of Its Own
River Town Saints, She Got That
Rosewood Ave, I Won’t
The Reklaws, Honky Tonkin’ About
The Western Swing Authority, Happy Chickens
ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Callie McCullough, What If I Don’t
Emily Clair, Stealin’ Hearts
Julian Taylor, Georgia Moon
Mackenzie Leigh Meyer, Barbie Doll
The Abrams, Something New
The Western Swing Authority, Happy Chickens
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by Slaight Music
Alexa Goldie, Set in Stone
Dayna Reid, The Way You Lie
Jessie T, Just A Number
Karli June, Feels Like Home ft. Ryan Langdon
Lemon Cash, Breakup Song
Owen Riegling, Old Dirt Roads
FRANCOPHONE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Dayv Poulin, Tout est relatif
Kristine St-Pierre, Et si
Les Rats d’Swompe, Dans l’cabanon
Reney Ray, La p’tite tomboy
Sugar Crush, Pause
Vincent Bishop, L’amour serait bienvenu
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR sponsored by Jim Dunlop Productions
Dirty, Nicole Rayy
Feel Like Home, Karli June Feat Ryan Langdon
Happy Chickens, Western Swing authority
Honky Tonkin’ About, The Reklaws feat. Drake Milligan
Long Way Back, The Redhill Valleys
Trouble, Josh Ross
FANS’ CHOICE sponsored by Visit Mississauga
Griffen Palmer
Jade Eagleson
James Barker Band
Josh Ross
Meghan Patrick
Steven Lee Olsen
The Reklaws
Tim Hicks
RECORD PRODUCER(S) OF THE YEAR
Adam Newcomb (Mackenzie Leigh Meyer, Runaway Angel)
Gavin Slate (Karli June feat. Ryan Langdon)
Jeff Dalziel (New Moon Junction, Abby Stewart)
Matt Koebel (Amanda Kind, Paige Rutledge, Angelica Appelman, Jessica Sevier)
Shawn Moore (Spencer Burns, Jessica Sole, Emily Clair, Matt Teed)
The Agenda (Patrick James Clark, David Madras, Peter Peres, Graham Scott Fleming)
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (LARGE MARKET) sponsored by Fielding Estate Winery
Country 104, London
Country 106.7, Kitchener
KX 94.7, Hamilton
KX96, Oshawa
Pure Country 93, London
Pure Country 94, Ottawa
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (MEDIUM MARKET) sponsored by Lucknow’s Music in the Fields
Cool 100.1, Belleville
Country 92.9, Chatham
Country 93.5, Kingston
Hot Country 93.9, Brantford
Pure Country 105, Peterborough
Pure Country 99, Kingston
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (SMALL MARKET)
Country 103 – Great Lakes Country
Country 107.3, Tillsonburg
Country 89, Welland
Country 93, Owen Sound
Pure Country 106, Orillia
The Ranch, 100.1, Listowel
INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR sponsored by Manrkē
Aj Astle, Roadhouse Productions
Ali Raney, Starseed Entertainment
Dave Woods, In the Country
Madelaine Napoleone, Warner Music Canada
Samantha Pickard, Strut Entertainment
Wendy Boomer, Country 92.3
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR sponsored by Cithara Guitars
Adrian Juras (Karli June, Ryan Langdon)
Jeff Downtown Brown (Jason Blaine, Washboard Union, Kelsi Mayne, Shantaia)
Joey DePaiva (Elyse Saunders, Mackenzie Leigh Meyer, Aaron Allen)
Mackenzie Leigh Meyer (Robyn Ottolini)
Shane Guse (The Western Swing Authority, Session, Dean Brody)
Will Hebbes (Jess Moskaluke/The Agenda)
The CMAOntario Awards Show will also include the Impact Award, which recognizes an artist, group, industry personality or organization that has left an enduring and indelibly positive footprint on the landscape of country music in Ontario. The 2024 Impact Award will be presented to Charlie Major.
Rising to the forefront of the Canadian Music scene in the early to mid-nineties, Charlie had a heyday at radio when he became the first Canadian artist in history to score six BDS #1 hits off of his debut album. Nine more chart topping hits would follow, and Charlie would crisscross the world headlining tours and connecting with his fans at fairs and festivals.
But as the old saying goes “fame comes with a cost” and it wasn’t long before a major US label signed Charlie, moved him and his family to Nashville. The head of the label told Charlie his sound needed to change and become “more country.” The marketing department thought his records might sell better in the US if he appeared on the album cover in a Stetson, and added more fiddles and steel guitars to his edgy songs. What the label did not know was that even though Major might sell out concerts, he was not the type of guy who ‘sells out’ his career. Charlie’s integrity to remain true to his fans, himself and his music was immovable and so he relinquished the dream of the big US record deal and returned to his homeland where he continues to be embraced.
Over a decade later Charlie is as successful as ever, he headlines his own tours and pairs up with the likes of ZZ Top to rock arenas full of fans from coast to coast. He has sold nearly half a million records in Canada alone and won three Juno Awards and seven CCMA’s, but you wouldn’t know it to meet him, and he would not tell you. He wears the cloak of humility, just like the hardworking folks that he represents in his music. Truly a Canadian legend and one of the accomplished ‘nice guys’ in the game, Charlie would not have it any other way.
