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Grande Prairie native Tenille Townes continued her profitable methods on Sunday night on the Canadian Nation Music Affiliation Awards, taking house Entertainer of the 12 months, Feminine Artist of the 12 months, Album of the 12 months for Masquerades and Single of the 12 months for Woman Who Didn’t Care.
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Townes, who additionally co-hosted the night with American artist Blanco Brown, additionally took house the win for Songwriter of the 12 months for a similar tune, which was introduced on Saturday on the Music Trade Gala Dinner and Awards. Nation icon George Fox and producer Randall Prescott have been inducted into the Canadian Nation Music Corridor of Fame Saturday night time.
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Townes kicked off the night time on acoustic guitar, which morphed right into a spirited duet with Brown.
“It simply feels so good to be again house in Alberta,” she stated after profitable Feminine Artist of the 12 months, earlier than paying tribute to the feminine artists, or heroes, who got here earlier than her, together with Michelle Wright, Carolyn Daybreak Johnson and Patricia Conroy. Townes received 5 of the seven awards she was nominated for. She received 4 CCMA awards again in 2019, which was the final time it was held it Calgary. She stated profitable the award for album of the yr was significantly vital because the majority of songs on Masquerades have been written in the course of the pandemic.
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“(I used to be) feeling so misplaced and so remoted and your complete world was going via a lot,” she stated. “To have the ability to discover therapeutic in music in that point for me was such a light-weight. That album will all the time symbolize that for me.”
Paying tribute to the previous and trying to the longer term have been themes Sunday night time, together with celebrating elevated inclusivity within the style. An all-star lineup sang some hits from yesteryear, together with Tim Hicks’ run via Blue Rodeo’s Strive, SACHA providing her model of Michelle Wright’s Take it Like A Man and Tyler Joe Miller doing Shane Yellowbird’s Pickup Truck.
Backstage, corridor of fame inductee George Fox talked in regards to the nation music scene within the Nineties. He joined Jade Eagleson earlier this week for a Legends present on the Arts Widespread as a part of Nation Music Week, the place they carried out an unlikely cowl of Steppenwolf’s Born to Be Wild.
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There’s at present a career-retrospective exhibit on the Nationwide Music Centre devoted to Fox’s lengthy profession.
“I want there was a class for best-dressed nation singer,” he stated. “I had all of the loopy leather-based jackets and the silver belt buckle that you may see from the balcony and ostrich-skin pants and all that stuff.”
Different winners introduced Sunday included Sudbury, Ont.’s Andrew Hyatt for the Rising Star Award.
Dallas Smith received the Followers’ Alternative award and Male Artist of the 12 months, which he devoted to his spouse and band.
Ontario’s The Reklaws, who weren’t in attendance, have been awarded the High Promoting Canadian Single of the 12 months on Saturday. The duo, made up of siblings Jenna and Stu Walker, additionally picked up the night time’s first win for Group or Duo of the 12 months.
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Different Saturday awards went to Calgary band Good Horse bassist/vocalist Brandi Sidoryk, who received Bass Participant of the 12 months, whereas Good Horse picked up the win for Video of the 12 months for his or her tune Excessive College, which they shot on the peak of the pandemic. They beat out heavy-hitters corresponding to Townes, Gord Bamford and Jade Eagleson within the class.
“It was a very particular win for us,” stated Good Horse drummer Krista Wodelet, on the purple carpet previous to the present. “We did the entire video ourselves and it was utterly DIY. We did it on inexperienced screens in our front room and put it collectively. It was actually particular.”
Eagleson, who had six nominations, picked up the win for High Promoting Canadian Album of the 12 months for HonkyTonk Revival on Saturday. Eagleson, who walked the purple carpet along with his spouse Marina, earned essentially the most nominations of any male artist this yr however solely took house one trophy.
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“This one wasn’t anticipated,” he stated, previous to Sunday’s present. “We went to have some supper and rapidly we received an award. We’re actually comfortable. We have now one, if we lose the remaining we will nonetheless say no less than we obtained some {hardware}.”
The red-carpet fashions ran the gamut Sunday night time, from the compulsory elegant robes, to the country-gentleman apparel of Eagleson and George Fox, baseball-cap and-t-shirt ensemble by Rising Star-winner Andrew Hyatt, man-in-black look sported by Bret Kissel and spikes-and-leather ensemble by Calgary-based drag queen Kaos. Kaos was a presenter this yr and joined Calgary expat Lindsey Ell for a efficiency of Proper On Time, which celebrated inclusivity and variety. Kaos competed within the third season of Canada’s Drag Race.
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“Nation is all types of issues, it’s not simply cowboys and hats,” she stated on the purple carpet. “It’s all the things.”
Ell, who had simply come off a European tour, stated it was nice to be again in Calgary, though admitted she felt extra stress when performing for the various members of the family and pals within the Calgary viewers. She applauded the rising variety and inclusion within the style and for the performers who have been “courageously stepping up and talking precisely who they’re. It takes loads of bravery.”
The overall vibe on the purple carpet was of gratitude, significantly the return to full festivities after just a few years of cancelled or scaled-down awards reveals in the course of the pandemic.
“All people is so comfortable to be round one another,” stated Alberta nation singer Aaron Goodvin, who was up for single of the yr for Boy Like Me and carried out quite a few instances throughout Nation Music Week. “I’m a hugger. Anytime I can hug anyone, I’m in. I’ve most likely hugged the identical folks 10 instances this weekend. That’s how I hook up with folks. It’s been superior.”
