Canyon, newcomer Shane Yellowbird lead CCMA nominations
Newcomer Shane Yellowbird, from Hobbema, Alta., has earned five nominations for 2007 Canadian Country Music Association Awards, equalling the number for veteran country star George Canyon.
Yellowbird, whose feel-good tune Pickup Truck is the No. 1 music video on Country Music Television, released his debut album, Life is Calling My Name, in November 2006.
Now Yellowbird, a Cree whose parents participated in the rodeo circuit, has earned nominations for album of the year and the Rising Star Award, the CCMA announced Tuesday.
His album has been named for album of the year, and Pickup Truck has nominations for single of the year and earned a SOCAN Songwriter of the Year nomination for Joni Delaurier and Troy Kokol.
Nova Scotia-born Canyon, a perennial fan choice award winner at both the CCMA and East Coast Music Association Awards, has been nominated for male artist of the year and the fan choice award.
His Somebody Wrote Love is nominated for best album, and I Want You to Live, with its video showing soldiers serving overseas, has been nominated for both song of the year and video of the year.
Other multiple nominees for the CCMA Awards, to be presented Sept. 10 in Regina, include Paul Brandt, Doc Walker, Emerson Drive, Brad Johner and Carolyn Dawn Johnson, each with four nominations.
In the male artist of the year category, Canyon is competing against Calgary singer-songwriter Brandt, Vancouver-born Aarong Pritchett, hot soloist Johner, formerly a member of the duo The Johner Brothers, and Glasgow-born, Canadian-bred Johnny Reid.
Johnson, a Deadwood, Alta., native and multiple CCMA award winner, is named for female artist of the year, with Vancouver singer-songwriter Lisa Brokop, veteran star Terri Clark, Montreal’s Patricia Conroy and newcomer Jessie Farrell.
The nominations for the top indie artists of the year ó with Johner, Reid, Yellowbird, Brokop and Conroy turning up again ó are so similar to the lists for male and female artist of the year that the CCMA is considering changing the criteria for the indie awards.
Heather Ostertag, chair of the CCMA, said the overwhelming move to independent recording by Canada’s country artists has meant many well-established stars are turning up in the indie categories, originally created to give recognition to newcomers.
“It’s one of the big discussions we have to have in Regina this year,” she told CBC News. “Perhaps we might have to change the criteria for this award Ö so it focuses more on the emerging artists.”
The other nominees for male artist of the year are Gord Bamford and Corb Lund, while Diane Chase, Lisa Hewitt and Beverley Mahood are on the nomination list of indie female singers.
Winnipeg band Doc Walker, a Fan Choice nominee, is also up for group or duo of the year, with country trio Ambush, Emerson Drive of Grande Prairie, Alta., Ontario’s The Road Hammers and The Wilkinsons of Belleville, Ont.
Ambush and The Wilkinsons are also among the indie group nominees, with The Cruzeros, the Poverty Plainsmen and veteran band Prairie Oyster.
Country Music Week will be held Sept. 7-10 in Regina.
“We are excited to return to a community that the CCMA has not been to in 30 years,” Ostertag said.
The award ceremony on Sept. 10 will be broadcast on CBC and CMT and here is the complete list of nominees.
Male artist
Paul Brandt
George Canyon
Brad Johner
Aaron Pritchett
Johnny Reid
Female artist
Lisa Brokop
Terri Clark
Patricia Conroy
Jessie Farrell
Carolyn Dawn Johnson
Group or duo
Ambush
Doc Walker
Emerson Drive
The Road Hammers
The Wilkinsons
Roots artist
The Cruzeros
Sean Hogan
Corb Lund
Prairie Oyster
Jimmy Rankin
Rising Star
Jason Blaine
Jessie Farrell
Jo Hikk
Brett Kissel
Donny Parenteau
Shane Yellowbird
Indie male artist
Gord Bamford
Brad Johner
Corb Lund
Johnny Reid
Shane Yellowbird
Indie female artist
Lisa Brokop
Diane Chase
Patricia Conroy
Lisa Hewitt
Beverley Mahood
Indie group or duo
Ambush
The Cruzeros
The Poverty Plainsmen
Prairie Oyster
The Wilkinsons
Best single
Driving With the Brakes On, Doc Walker
I Want You to Live, George Canyon
I’d Rather Be Lucky, Brad Johner
Moments, Emerson Drive
Pickup Truck, Shane Yellowbird
Best album
Countrified, Emerson Drive
Doc Walker, Doc Walker
Life Is Calling My Name, Shane Yellowbird
Love & Negotiation, Carolyn Dawn Johnson
Somebody Wrote Love, George Canyon
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