My CCMA Award Predictions

The CCMA’s are this Sunday live from Hamilton!  So many of our great Canadian artists are nominated, and I always find this is the hardest show to try and pick the winners for.  I’m lucky enough to get to meet and get to know so many of these artists, and maybe it’s the millennial in me, but I just wish everyone could win!  But they can’t, so I’ll make my predictions below.

FANS’ CHOICE AWARD

Gord Bamford
Dean Brody
Chad Brownlee
Tim Hicks
High Valley
James Barker Band
Brett Kissel
Jess Moskaluke
Dallas Smith
Shania Twain

I could honestly make a case for any of these nominees winning.  And it really is all about the fan vote.  Brett has been super active on social media getting his fanbase motivated to vote, and I think it’ll pay off.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Country Music Made Me Do It – Meghan Patrick
Past The Past – Jess Moskaluke
The Project – Lindsay Ell
We Were That Song – Brett Kissel
What We’re Made Of – The Washboard Union

We’re two awards in, and so far I have Brett Kissel winning them both.  If I’m right, he could have a big night.

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Lindsay Ell
Madeline Merlo
Jess Moskaluke
Meghan Patrick
Shania Twain

Well Brett Kissel won’t win this one!  I love all these ladies but I’m going with Lindsay Ell.  She’s had such a huge year with hits on both sides of the border, plus a tour with Brad Paisley and an upcoming tour with Keith Urban.

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Gord Bamford
Chad Brownlee
Brett Kissel
Dallas Smith
Bobby Wills

I’m going with Dallas Smith for this one.  He is such an amazing artist and performer and I think he’ll get recognized.

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR

High Valley
Hunter Brothers
James Barker Band
The Reklaws
The Washboard Union

This might have been the toughest category to pick.  I went back and forth between Washboard, JBB and High Valley at least a half dozen times.  I honestly ended up playing eenie meenie miney mo to make my final pick.

RISING STAR

Dan Davidson
Aaron Goodvin
Hunter Brothers
Leaving Thomas
The Reklaws

The Hunter Brothers have really broken through this year and I feel like the CCMA will reward them for that.

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

Chills – James Barker Band
Country Music Made Me Do It – Meghan Patrick
Drive Me Away – Jess Moskaluke
Lonely Drum – Aaron Goodvin
Side Effects – Dallas Smith

All of these were such great songs.  I narrowed it down to Chills and Lonely Drum, because I feel like they were the two biggest hits of the last year, and then after a lot of back and forth I’ll give it to JBB.

Those are my predictions…have any of your own?