FINAL ROUND OF PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2023 CCMA AWARDS PRESENTED BY TD
SPECIAL GUESTS AND PRESENTERS ALSO REVEALED AS OFFICIAL COUNTDOWN TO COUNTRY MUSIC WEEK 2023 AND CANADA’S BIGGEST NIGHT IN COUNTRY MUSIC BEGINS
THE CCMA AWARDS PRESENTED BY TD AIRS LIVE FROM HAMILTON, ONTARIO ON SEPTEMBER 16 AT 8 P.M. ET/PT EXCLUSIVELY ON CTV, CTV.CA, AND THE CTV APP
Shared from CCMA
Toronto, ON (August 31, 2023) – Today, the Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®) unveiled the final list of performers and presenters set to take the stage for Canada’s biggest night in country music; the 2023 CCMA Awards presented by TD. CTV is the exclusive home to catch all of the action, with the 2023 CCMA Awards presented by TD airing live from Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre on Saturday September 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV App. Visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times.
Adding to an already stacked line-up of performers are Music Row Magazine’s “Next Big Thing” Cooper Alan, UMG Nashville recording artist and an Amazon Music “2023 Breakthrough Artist to Watch” Dalton Dover, multi-Platinum ACM Award nominated group High Valley, ACM and CCMA Award winning songstress Carolyn Dawn Johnson, 22x CCMA Award winning entertainer Brett Kissel, multi-award winning Québec Star Matt Lang, Canadian Gold-certified chart-topper Tyler Joe Miller, BMG recording artist and America’s Got Talent finalist Drake Milligan, Canadian Platinum-certified singer/songwriter SACHA, and multi-Platinum selling artist, producer, and actor Tyler Shaw.
Dalton Dover, SACHA, and previously announced performers Carly Pearce and Pat Monahan (Train) will also be stepping onto the stage to hand out the night’s awards alongside newly announced presenters; 2x CMA and 26x CCMA award-winner Gord Bamford,host of CTV’s The Good Stuff With Mary Berg and multiple Canadian Screen Award-winnerMary Berg, 2023 Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame® inductee Brian Edwards, 2x CCMA Award winner and iHeartRadio Canada PURE COUNTRY host Shannon Ella, CCMA nominated breakthrough artist Nate Haller, reigning CCMA Rising Star Award winner Andrew Hyatt, multiple CCMA and JUNO nominated band Hunter Brothers, DIAMOND-selling superstar Brian Kelley, multi-CCMA Award nominee JoJo Mason, self-love advocate and content creator Alicia McCarvell,CCMA Rising Star and Songwriter of the Year Award winner Madeline Merlo, Platinum-selling JUNO Award winning singer-songwriter Jess Moskaluke, 2x CCMA Female Artist of the Year Meghan Patrick, and from acclaimed CTV Original drama Transplant, Jim Watson.
They join previously announced performers Dean Brody, Jade Eagleson, Sam Hunt, James Barker Band, The Reklaws, Josh Ross, Dallas Smith, Tenille Townes, and Train, setting the stage for a truly memorable night for all.
Canada’s largest celebration of country music kicks off on Thursday, September 14, with a celebrated lineup of Country Music Week events programmed over three days. The highly anticipated hybrid music festival and industry conference offers something for everyone, including fan favourite events; CCMA Songwriters’ Unplugged presented by Rogers, SiriusXM Top of the Country finale, CCMA Legends Show presented by PURE COUNTRY, CCMA House presented by Amazon Music, the CCMA Red Carpet Pre-Show in partnership with PURE COUNTRY, and more.
Tickets for the 2023 CCMA Awards presented by TD are available starting at $59.99 plus taxes/fees in-person through the FirstOntario Centre Box office or online at www.Ticketmaster.ca, with $1 from each ticket sold going towards the CCMA Foundation, a charitable organization that aims to support Canadians with the help of the music community, artists, and partners with a vision to change lives through the power of music under three pillars – music for change, music for healing and music for youth. Tune-in to the 2023 CCMA Awards presented by TD live on CTV at 8:00 p.m. EDT/9:00 p.m. ADT/7:00 p.m. CDT, and at 8:00 p.m. local time in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Colombia.
For the latest CCMA news, follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube or visit www.ccma.org.
About CTV
CTV is Canada’s #1 television brand. CTV provides unparalleled entertainment programming across two broadcast television networks; a powerful suite of specialty channels including CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Life Channel, and CTV Sci-Fi Channel; and digital channels CTV Throwback and CTV Movies, streaming on demand from CTV.ca and CTV app. CTV has been Canada’s most-watched television network for the past 22 years in a row and features a wide range of sports and information programming, including CTV News, Canada’s highest-rated national and local newscasts. CTV’s parent company is Bell Media, Canada premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and out-of-home advertising.
About the Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA)
Established in 1976, the CCMA is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to the promotion and recognition of Canadian country music. Built upon the foundation to educate, elevate, and celebrate Canadian talent, the CCMA progressively heralds the spirit, community, and creativity that country music fosters through year-round initiatives, culminating every fall with Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Sponsors of Country Music Week 2023 and the 2023 CCMA Awards Show presented by TD include FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters, and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund”.
About TD Bank Group
The Toronto Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group (“TD” or the “Bank”). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by assets and serves over 27.5 million customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust and TD Auto Finance Canada; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in The Charles Schwab Corporation; Wealth Management and Insurance, including TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities and TD Cowen. TD also ranks among the world’s leading online financial services firms, with more than 16 million active online and mobile customers. TD had $1.9 trillion in assets on July 31, 2023. The Toronto Dominion Bank trades under the symbol “TD” on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.
About Tourism Hamilton
Tourism Hamilton attracts 6 million annual leisure and business travelers to the city, which continues to evolve and surprise visitors with its unique blend of world-class cultural attractions, spectacular nature, and hosting capabilities. As the City of Hamilton’s official Destination Management Organization, Tourism Hamilton works to bring meetings, conventions, and culture and sports events to the city alongside leisure travelers to generate economic and social benefits. This mandate is driven by a commitment to promoting Hamilton as an unforgettable destination while celebrating the city’s unique character. For more, visit: www.tourismhamilton.com.
About Cooper Alan
As a rising star with the spirit of a true entertainer, a penchant for outside-the-box thinking and a growing, self-built audience, Cooper Alan is an artist willing to take country where others have never dreamed – and fans love him for it. Whether it’s a deeply personal, step-by-step romantic saga, or an off-the-wall party anthem, Alan’s music is already some of country’s most fearless work, and he’s just getting started.
A native of Winston-Salem, NC, the independent artist has racked up more than 100 million Spotify streams, a massive social media presence with more than 8 million TikTok followers, and
a touring footprint that sold over 40,000 tickets to his headlining shows in 2022 alone. It all stems from an ability to meet fans where they are – a creative renegade freely mixing musical styles, with boundless energy, sharp writing and often, a sense of humor. But don’t be mistaken, there’s nothing gimmicky about it. Born in a family of music fans, Alan formed his first band in the 8th grade – and right from the start, he saw performing as an art. Equal parts showmanship and skill, his anything-goes approach pulled as much from Kenny Chesney and Kid Rock as AC/DC and Afroman, and while his deep, resonate vocal and love of country values pulled him toward the country format, his fans always led the way.
About Dalton Dover
Lauded by MusicRow as a “master country talent,” Dalton Dover’s current single “Giving Up On That” via UMG Nashville/Mercury Records was the most-added track at Country Radio upon its debut with 60 first week adds and garnered over 1 million streams in the first two weeks of its release. His latest release “I Wouldn’t Be Here” is available everywhere now. Named a Pandora 2023 Artist to Watch, an Amazon Music 2023 Breakthrough Artist to Watch: Country Class and a member of CMT’s LISTEN UP 2023 Class, he made his international debut at C2C: Country to Country Festival’s CMA Songwriters Series before joining Chase Rice on the Way Down Yonder Tour. This summer, the Georgia native will perform at the Nissan Stadium Platform and Chevy Vibes stages at CMA Fest, along with opening for Luke Combs at his Gillette Stadium stop in July. Dover first started singing at church as a kid, winning his fifth-grade school talent show performing Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” In that moment Dover’s love of performing was born. By the age of 16 he had picked up a guitar and started teaching himself to play, yet it was his grandfather who turned him on to country music and artists such as Keith Whitley, Rhett Akins, Joe Diffie and Steve Wariner. Performances at local bars soon followed along with sharing covers of some of his favorite songs on TikTok. It was there he caught the ear of producer Matt McV and A&R veteran and founder of Droptine, Jim Catino, who quickly signed Dover. His debut track “You Got a Small Town,” produced by McV, quickly garnered critical acclaim from Billboard, MusicRow, Country Now and Wide Open Country. With his debut and his follow-up “Baby I Am” earning notable playlisting, Dover was named a Spotify Hot Country 2022 Artist to Watch along with a spotlight as Billboard’s February Country Rookie of the Month and a nod for MusicRow’s 2022 Discovery Artist of the Year. After opening for Luke Comb’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium show in Atlanta, Ga., Dover set out on a seven-date run of his own headlining shows, performing across multiple locations of Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, followed by Priscilla Block’s Welcome To The Block Party and his debut at the Grand Ole Opry. For more information, visit DaltonDoverOfficial.com or follow along on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.
About High Valley
Multi-platinum country group High Valley have cultivated a loyal following that craves the band’s upbeat messages, anthemic melodies and signature fusion of contemporary country and traditional bluegrass. The musical blend has resonated with fans in the group’s native Canada and the U.S. with a force that propelled High Valley to be the top-selling Canadian band in country music history. Led by founder, lead singer/songwriter and 6-time SOCAN Country Music Award Winner Brad Rempel, the group has amassed more than half a billion global streams, notched back-to-back gold singles in the U.S., achieved multiple No. 1 songs in Canada, two gold albums and six platinum singles. High Valley has been nominated for ACM, CMT and JUNO Awards and have earned multiple CCMA Awards, with the group’s hits including “Make You Mine,” “She’s With Me” and “Grew Up On That.” In May 2022 the group shared their sixth studio album Way Back which included 13 tracks all co-written by front man Rempel who harnesses a downhome modern style in his writing that is authentic to the group. Most recently, High Valley collaborated with world-renowned artist Alison Krauss on ‘Do This Life’, the first single off the March 2023 Way Back deluxe album release. This year also marks Rempel’s debut as a television co-host, starring in the brand-new home flipping series called “Flip U” alongside Jennifer Wayne. A celebration of DIY, country music, and the hottest real estate market in Tennessee, season one of the multi-part series will air on The Design Network this fall.
About Carolyn Dawn Johnson
The life and career of hit singer-songwriter Carolyn Dawn Johnson (aka CDJ) has been a tapestry vibrantly colored with musical notes and journeys in many directions. Her road has been well-travelled, full of a variety of musical endeavors and accomplishments over the past 20 years. With multiple CCMA award wins, an ACMA award win and an American Music Award win under her belt CDJ is an incredible part of the Canadian country music legacy.
Her notable writing accomplishments are vast including recordings by Rebecca Lynn Howard, Patty Loveless, Lennon & Maisy Stella, Mindy McCready, Kathy Mattea, Pam Tillis, SheDaisy, Jo Dee Messina and the groundbreaking #1 song sung by Chely Wright, Single White Female.
About Brett Kissel
It all “Started With A Song” a decade ago, and ever since, Brett Kissel has had an extraordinary rise to superstardom in the Canadian country music scene. Known for his charismatic personality, dynamic stage presence, and unique music style, Brett has become one of the country’s most celebrated artists with 3 JUNO Award and 22 CCMA Award wins, a Platinum record, two Gold-certified albums, three Platinum and ten Gold singles, and fifteen Top 10 radio hits. Having toured with legends such as Garth Brooks and Brad Paisley, and completing record breaking runs across the country, Kissel has firmly planted himself as one of Canada’s most beloved entertainers. He has also become well known for his genre-defying collaborations, which have led to some iconic duets featuring Grammy winners Charley Pride, Dave Mustaine, Nelly, and 98 Degrees. Kissel is currently in the midst of rolling out The Compass Project, a four-part album experience, with the third instalment West Album slated for release later this fall.
About Matt Lang
In early 2018, Matt Lang journeyed to Nashville to record his first English-language album, and at that time, he didn’t speak a word of English. The album, a result of that trip, quickly shot to #1 on the iTunes Country Album chart for multiple weeks in 2019 and included the singles ‘Love Me Some You’ and ‘My Final Pour,’ and has exceeded 15 million collective streams to date. Proudly from Maniwaki, QC, Matt has always wanted to bring Nashville to Québec. From 2018 to 2020, Matt performed over 150 live shows to ever-growing audiences. Matt and his band have also performed at the prestigious C2C Festival in Berlin just days before the beginning of the pandemic. His warm and powerful voice, combined with his impressive live show, quickly got him noticed by the Canadian country music community in English Canada. In September 2019, Matt won the national SiriusXM Top of the Country contest, three awards at Québec’s Country Gala, SOCAN’s Country Music Award and received his first ADISQ nomination for English Album of the Year. In June 2020, Matt released his second English album, More, which had 4 singles reach the Top 20 at Canadian country radio including his popular “Getcha” and “In a Bar”. That same year, Matt received his first CCMA nomination in the Rising Star Category and an ADISQ nomination for Live Show of the Year. Matt is back on the road in Canada after a stop in the UK for the Boots and Buckle Festival, and recently opened for Luke Combs at Festival d’Été de Québec in front of over 80,000 people. Matt is currently hard at work on his next album, due out next year.
About Tyler Joe Miller
Signed to MDM Recordings Inc. in 2019, Surrey, BC’s Tyler Joe Miller quickly made a name for himself in Canadian country music. After releasing his Gold Certified debut single, ‘Pillow Talkin’’ at the end of 2019, the catchy tune quickly earned him the title of iHeartRadio Future Star and became his first #1 single at Canadian country radio. An unprecedented and record-breaking climb followed with single ‘I Would Be Over Me Too’, steadily rising on the charts and earning Miller the distinction as the first independent Canadian country artist to reach #1 at radio with their first two singles. In 2020 he released his debut EP Sometimes I Don’t, But Sometimes I Do which included the singles ‘Fighting’ and ‘Sometimes I Do’. Miller went on to be named SiriusXM’s 2021 Top of the Country winner in addition to receiving four CCMA Award nominations (“Rising Star”, “Male Artist Of The Year”, “Album Of The Year” and “Fan’s Choice”), going on to then be nominated for “Fan’s Choice” and “Male Artist of the Year” in 2022 and securing nominations for “Musical Collaboration of the Year”, “Single of the Year” and “Songwriter of the Year” in 2023. Miller is extremely passionate about helping people around the world and spends majority of his time, when he isn’t on the road, working with the Non-Profit Organization that he created called ‘The Climb Outreach Society’ which partners with Hope Of Life International, an organization based in Guatemala that assists in building homes, schools, water systems and rescuing malnourished children. Miller continues to share new music with his growing fan base across prominent stages including the 2023 Boots and Hearts Music Festival and LASSO Montreal. In May 2023 he released a special acoustic EP, The Band’s Packed Up, showcasing his evolved songwriting and vocals in a stripped back capacity and most recently released his new EP ‘Spillin’ My Truth’ available now.
About Drake Milligan
Drake Milligan burst onto the national music stage entering the Billboard Emerging Artists Chart at #5 after dominating iTunes. His single “Sounds Like Something I’d Do“ has been streamed 32 Million times. The Fort Worth native charted back-to-back #1 hits on the iTunes Country Songs Chart, #1 on iTunes All-Genre Chart and reclaimed the #1 spot on iTunes Country Albums Chart, all while simultaneously holding positions #1, #2, #3 and #5 on iTunes Country Video Chart.
In the UK, Milligan’s debut album spent 11 consecutive weeks in the Top 20 of the Official Country Artists Albums Chart.
Milligan is a student of classic Country music with the swagger of early Rock ‘n’ Roll. He’s an electrifying entertainer who is packing Country fans into clubs night after night on tour. Milligan cites George Strait and Elvis Presley – the King of Country and the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll – as musical heroes. His unique twist of traditional Country has been embraced by fans, peers and the media alike. Milligan has performed on The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Grand Ole Opry, Stagecoach and CMA Music Festival. He has earned high praise from People, BBC, USA Today, Parade, American Songwriter, CMT.com, Billboard, ET, Access Hollywood, Cosmopolitan, Cowgirl Magazine and Taste of Country.
His debut album Dallas/Fort Worth released via Stoney Creek Records, was co-produced by award-winning Tony Brown and Brandon Hood.
About SACHA
Making a name for herself in the US and Canada since the release of her debut EP in 2020, SACHA is one of music’s fastest rising stars. In 2021 the breakout artist was named as a member of CMT’s Next Women Of Country class while also earning her first PLATINUM single with the viral hit track “What The Truck,” (w/The Reklaws), which was the fastest Canadian country song to go PLATINUM in history. Kicking off 2022, SACHA released her sophomore EP “We Did” and saw the music video for its track “Pretty Please” debut in Times Square. She recently celebrated her first CCMA win with the Top Selling Single for “What The Truck” and spent this past fall on the road across the US with Maddie and Tae. Fresh off her Canadian anthem performance at the 2023 NHL All Star game, and the release of her latest single “Confident” feat. Tyler Shaw, SACHA is primed for an incredible year ahead. Read more here https://www.iamsacha.com/
About Tyler Shaw
Tyler Shaw is a multi-Platinum-selling artist, music producer, and actor. The Chinese-Canadian, originally from Vancouver, BC, released his hit song “Kiss Goodnight” in 2012, quickly hitting Platinum sales. In 2014, Tyler earned a JUNO Award nomination for ‘Breakthrough Artist of the Year’ and released certified Platinum track “House of Cards” and Gold “Wicked” from his 2015 debut album Yesterday. The breakout hit “With You,” from his second album Intuition, reached Double Platinum and the romantic ballad “To the Man Who Let Her Go” also went Platinum. These accolades earned him a 2019 JUNO Award nomination for ‘Pop Album of the Year.’ Tyler’s third studio album, the eponymous Tyler Shaw, was released in 2021 and features the hit song “Remember,” which also went Gold. That year Tyler released his first holiday album A Tyler Shaw Christmas, which was nominated for a JUNO Award for ‘Adult Contemporary Album of the Year.’
Tyler has performed for Princes (Harry), Prime Ministers (Justin Trudeau), and Presidents (Joe Biden). His music has been nominated for multiple JUNO Awards, and he has opened for massive international artists, including Shawn Mendes and Alessia Cara, and toured with Selena Gomez. In 2022, Gomez performed Tyler’s hit “Kiss Goodnight” in her acclaimed documentary My Mind and Me. In 2021, Tyler spearheaded (with Fefe Dobson) the collective artist initiative ArtistsCAN to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in Canada. The pair gathered other musicians from across the country, including Justin Bieber, Michael Bublé and Marie-Mai, to cover the classic single “Lean On Me,” with proceeds going to the Canadian Red Cross COVID relief fund. Tyler has worked extensively in the non-profit sphere, also supporting the Pinball Clemons Foundation and the work of the Canadian Chinese Youth Athletic Association (CCYAA).
In February 2022, Tyler released his viral rendition of GAYLE’s No. 1 hit “abcdefu.” “Love You Still” (abcdefu Romantic Version) started as a TikTok duet in late January. It reacted instantly with his fans. To date there are over 2.5 billion views of videos using the song on TikTok; over 10 million views of user generated content videos on YouTube; 14.5 million streams; and more than 500,000 videos created using the song. The single was certified Gold in India, Singapore, and Taiwan and Platinum in Canada. In 2023 “Love You Still” (abcdefu Romantic Version) was nominated for a ‘TikTok JUNO Fan Choice’ award.
As one of Canada’s most recognized pop music talents, with ten top-ten charting singles, and a slew of movie, TV, feature and production credits to his name, Tyler Shaw is one of this country’s most enduring talents. Stay tuned for new projects, including a holiday tour and new music!
