Tenille Townes is returning to her spot as a front-runner at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards.
The Nashville-based singer-songwriter from Grande Prairie, Alta. emerged the leading contender with nominations in seven categories this year. They include both single and music video of the year for “Girl Who Didn’t Care.”
Her release “Masquerades” landed among the album of the year contenders, while Townes was named among the female artist of the year nominees and is up for entertainer of the year.
Townes is a favourite of the CCMA Awards and most recently led the nominees at the 2020 ceremony. The 28-year-old has nine CCMA trophies on her mantle.
Following closely behind on this year’s leaderboard is Jade Eagleson, the Alberta-based singer raised in Bailieboro, Ont., who holds six nominations. Two of them are in the single of the year category — one for his solo track “All Night To Figure It Out” and another for “More Drinkin’ Than Fishin’,” a collaboration with Dean Brody.
The CCMA Awards will take place at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary and broadcast live Sept. 11 on Global.
Other major contenders include James Barker Band with five nominations while Brett Kissel and Brody each have four.
For single of the year, the nominees are Townes, Eagleson’s two tracks, as well as Kissel for “Make A Life, Not A Living,” Aaron Goodvin for “Boy Like Me,” James Barker Band with “Over All Over Again” and Shawn Austin for “Tailgate to Heaven,” featuring Chris Lane.
Album of the year includes Gord Bamford’s “Diamonds in a Whiskey Glass,” Meghan Patrick’s “Heart On My Glass,” Jade Eagleson’s “Honkytonk Revival,” Don Amero’s “Nothing is Meaningless,” and Townes for “Masquerades.”
The artists competing for entertainer of the year are Kissel, James Barker Band, Tenille Arts, Dallas Smith, and Townes.
The CCMA Awards are voted upon by the membership.
—David Friend, The Canadian Press
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