Tenille Townes dominated the 2022 Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMAs), which were handed out Sunday night in Calgary.
The 28-year-old Grand Prairie native, who had a leading seven nominations this year, picked up the awards for Entertainer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (Masquerades) and Single of the Year (“Girl Who Didn’t Care”).
"What is happening?! I don't even know what to say," Townes said while accepting the night's top award. "Tonight has been such a dream."
Accepting her fourth consecutive Female Artist of the Year award, she recognized the “heroes who held on to this, who came before and paved a path.”
Townes also won a CCMA on Saturday night when she, Steph Jones and David Pramik were named Songwriters of the Year for her song “Girl Who Didn’t Care.”
Dallas Smith. Courtesy CCMAs
Another big winner on Sunday night was Dallas Smith, who was named Male Artist of the Year for the fourth time since 2018 and won his first ever Fans’ Choice award.
“I want to vomit. That’s kind of what’s going on in my stomach right now,” said Smith, before thanking his loyal fans.
The Reklaws were not at the show to accept their third consecutive Group of Duo of the Year award but, in a statement, dedicated the win to their mother Florence, who died in March.
Andrew Hyatt, winner of the Rising Star award, joked: “I feel like I’ve been rising for so long I should probably go see a doctor about it.”
The CCMAs, which Townes co-hosted with Blanco Brown, featured a long list of performers, including Gord Bamford, Meghan Patrick and Brett Kissel (who was joined by 98 Degrees). Bailey Zimmerman performed for the first time outside of the U.S.
The 40th anniversary of the CCMAs was marked with a medley of five throwback hits: Blue Rodeo’s “Try” (performed by Tim Hicks), Michelle Wright’s “Take It Like A Man” (Sacha), The Wilkinsons’ “26 Cents” (Jojo Mason), Carolyn Dawn Johnson’s “Complicated” (Jess Moskaluke) and Shane Yellowbird’s “Pick Up Truck” (Tyler Joe Miller).
At Saturday night’s gala, Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album of the Year was named the Top Selling Album of the Year and Jade Eagleson’s Honkytonk Revival was named the Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year. The Reklaws and Sacha collaboration “What The Truck” was the Top Selling Canadian Single of the Year.
Joey Moi earned the award for Record Producer of the Year for “Hide From A Broken Heart” by Dallas Smith and Ben Knechtel was named Video Director of the Year.
Musicians honoured this year were: Matthew Atkins (drummer), Denis Dufresne (fiddle), Mitch Jay (speciality instrument and steel guitar), Brandi Sidoryk (bass), Brendan Waters (keyboard) and Matt McKay (guitar).
Among the industry awards was the Pure Country Top 50 of 2021, hosted by Shannon Ella with special guests Dustin Lynch and MacKenzie Porter, was named Country Music Program or Special of the Year.
George Fox and Randall Prescott were inducted into the CCMA Hall of Fame, as announced in June.
Check out some of the winners below:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Tenille Arts
James Barker Band
Brett Kissel
Dallas Smith
Tenille Townes * WINNER
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Nothing is Meaningless - Don Amero
Diamonds in a Whiskey Glass - Gord Bamford
Honkytonk Revival - Jade Eagleson
Heart on my Glass - Meghan Patrick
Masquerades - Tenille Townes * WINNER
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
“Boy Like Me” - Aaron Goodvin
“Girl Who Don’t Care” - Tenille Townes * WINNER
“All Night To Figure It Out” - Jade Eagleson
“Make a Life, Not a Living” - Brett Kissel
“More Drinkin’ Than Fishin’” - Jade Eagleson & Dean Brody
“Over All Over Again” - James Barker Band
“Tailgate to Heaven” - Shawn Austin ft. Chris Lane
FANS CHOICE
Tenille Arts
Dean Brody
Jade Eagleson
High Valley
James Barker Band
Brett Kissel
Tyler Joe Miller
Robyn Ottolini
Dallas Smith * WINNER
Tenille Townes
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lindsay Ell
Tenille Arts
Megan Patrick
Robyn Ottolini
Tenille Townes * WINNER
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Dean Brody
Jade Eagleson
Brett Kissel
Tyler Joe Miller
Dallas Smith * WINNER
GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
High Valley
Hunter Brothers
James Barker Band
The Reklaws * WINNER
Tim & the Glory Boys
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“Girl Who Didn’t Care” - Tenille Townes
“Heaven on Dirt” - Gord Bamford
“High School” - Nice Horse * WINNER
“More Drinkin’ Than Fishin’” - Jade Eagleson & Dean Brody
“Pickup” - Mackenzie Porter
“Relationship Goals” - Steven Lee Olsen
“Whiskey Does” - Tim Hicks
RISING STAR
Hailey Benedict
Nate Haller
Andrew Hyatt * WINNER
Josh Ross
Sacha
INTERACTIVE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Hailey Benedict * WINNER
Aaron Goodvin
Hunter Brothers
James Barker Band
The Reklaws
ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Diamond in the Desert - Jason Blaine
Down-Home - Kyle McKearney
Homebound - Twin Kennedy
Songs My Friends Wrote - Corb Lund * WINNER
Unreleased Songs from the Vault Collection Vol. 4: Let’s Smile Again - Stompin’ Tom Connors