The Country Music Association of Ontario Announces 2026 CMAOntario Awards Nominees
Sully Burrows Leads In Nominations
MISSISSAUGA, ON – The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAOntario) is proud to announce the nominees for the 14th annual CMAOntario Awards, taking place Sunday, May 31, 2026, at Port Credit Memorial Arena in Mississauga. Tickets go on sale to the public on Monday, April 6.
Sully Burrows leads with six nominations, followed by Nate Haller with five nominations, Olivia Mae Graham with four nominations, and Jessica Sevier, Owen Riegling, Sacha, James Barker Band, and Robyn Ottolini with three nominations each.
Hosted by multi-CMAOntario, CCMA, and SOCAN Award winner Jason Blaine and Country Nights host Sam McDaid, the CMAOntario Awards Show will close out the CMAOntario Festival & Awards Weekend from May 29-31, 2026. The CMAOntario Awards celebrate the talent and achievements of Ontario’s country music industry, honouring artists and industry professionals across 17 categories, along with special awards. Tickets for the CMAOntario Awards Show go on sale Monday, April 6th at 11 am ET.
The Nominees for the 14th Annual CMAOntario Awards are:
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 – “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
Additional performers and details will be announced in the coming weeks.
2026 CMAOntario Festival and Awards
May 29-31, 2026
Various Venues in Mississauga
14th annual CMAOntario Awards
May 31, 2026, at 7 pm
Port Credit Memorial Arena
Diamond VIP $199.00
Gold Reserved $140.00
Silver Reserved $79.00
General Admission $35.00
Public on sale: Monday, April 6 at 11 am
https://cmaontario.ca/events/
Media Contact: Damien Nelson, damien@wantandable.ca
CMAOntario Nominees are available for interviews
www.cmaontario.ca
Facebook / X / Instagram: @theCMAOntario
#CMAOntario #CMAOntario2026 #BootsByTheBay
About CMAOntario: In 2007, Rob MacArthur and founding patron Linda Wright, together with a number of key industry professionals, founded the Country Music Association of Ontario. The Association’s mandate is to foster the growth and development of Ontario’s country music and its industry – provincially, nationally and internationally.