Jim Cressman is becoming an entertainment mogul in Canada, netting a number of Canadian Country Music Association nominations this week.
The Penticton businessman, owner of the B.C.-based company Invictus Entertainment Group, had another great year earning CCMA nominations for the Ron Sakamoto Talent Buyer or Promoter of the Year, Booking Agency of the Year and Management Company of the Year. Cressman won the Talent Buyer or Promoter of the Year award in 2013.
“It’s a very exciting day for sure,” said Cressman of the nominations announced on Wednesday. “We are pretty fortunate that our peers view us as favourable as they do and that we have a great team of staff and great artist roster. Without those two things you are not going to experience much success in the business.”
Invictus Entertainment Group has set itself apart in the industry with a reputation for the dedication to the development of talent in the Canadian music business as well as handling entertainment procurement services, event programming, promoting, talent buying and artist representation.
Cressman is gracious for everyone who believes in what they are doing.
“There is teams of dozens of people behind each nominee, whether it is an industry person or an artist to help perpetuate their success. It is easy to lose sight of that in a moment, but if you actually had everyone get up on stage with the award winner that is responsible for their success, that goes for myself, there wouldn’t be enough room,” he said.
Invictus has had a strong year with a film Cressman executive produced, Coming Home For Christmas, was featured on CMT, arranging big name tours to come through Penticton and around B.C. and last year’s CCMA win. In the coming weeks Cressman said he will be announcing a joint-venture with “a very prolific partner” in artist/music publishing that he is excited about.
In June Invictus hired multiple award-winning artist manager as the vice-president of their label Big Star Recordings. As part of the deal, rising stars Brett Kissel and Cory Marquardt will be managed in house. They join the current management roster of George Canyon, Charlie Major, Jordan McIntosh, One More Girl, Aaron Pritchett and others.
The list of CCMA artist nominations has many familiar names for Invictus. The artists nominations will also be familiar to concert-goers in Penticton. Kissel, Paul Brandt, Small Town Pistols, Dean Brody, Dallas Smith, Tim Hicks, Carly McKillip along with others are musicians that have performed at the South Okanagan Events Centre, Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, Barking Parrot or at the Penticton Peach Festival in recent years.
Cressman said the eight award nominations Kissel received are not a surprise.
“I predicted last year he would be the most nominated artist based on the heat would generate. It has been a breakout year and it is going to continue to be. He probably is positioning himself to be the next big star in Canada,” said Cressman.
The CCMA awards will be co-hosted by Jann Arden and Rick Mercer on Sept. 7 in Edmonton.
