Kelowna had turned country in the past week as the CCMA took place there. Kelowna became the heart of the country as the golden sun dipped behind the mountains and people got ready to see the biggest stars of country on the carpet. The wide-eyed fans came in hordes as the scuffling of cowboy boots and the light of jeweled dresses caught the light. This was a community showing up for local and global stars together, everyone anticipating and guessing the winners of each category.
Hosts from various country radio stations lined up the carpet, ready with their most sizzling questions and some fun games. If you were a country fan, it didn’t matter what country you were from. Poutine lovers celebrated alongside Cheeseburger lovers. The performances varied from newer artists like “Artist to watch” Noeline Hofmann to 5x 2024 CCMA Award winner Josh Ross, who all performed their hearts out.
(Josh Ross winning Entertainer of year/ Montreal City News)
The night belonged to all country fans, but the biggest winner was Josh Ross, whose rock-infused country songs rocked the stage. He swept 5 golden CCMA trophies with “Single of the Year”, “Video of the Year”, “Top Selling Canadian Single”, “Top Selling Canadian Album”, and “Entertainer of the Year”. These are all huge wins, some of the biggest recognition you can get. You could tell he truly was a celebrity among celebrities. As he performed “Hate how you look,” the audience had their hands out, phones up as Josh smiled, knowing his charm well.
But the magic came from all the provinces, as Nanaimo raised Cameron Whitecomb, who received “breakthrough artist of the year”. What a hype man he is, as he jumped with excitement watching some of his favorite artists perform. He is just a genuine guy who gave honest answers and played games with the interviewers. Mackenzie Porter claimed Female Artist of the Year. The James Barker Band took home Group/Duo of the Year, and Jade Eagleson won Male Artist of the Year.
The CCMA’s have always been legendary, but with each passing year, they add new categories, new artists that just make me so proud to be from such a talented country. They left an aftertaste of ambition, connection, and hard work. whether you consumed it from home or in person, CCMA was a family reunion with music and meeting new faces that are to stay.