The Canadian country music community came together in Kelowna, British Columbia, for the 43rd annual Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards.
Prospera Place was the venue for the event. The ceremony is considered by many as one of Canada’s biggest nights in country music. It featured live performances, cameos, and more. Awards were presented across artist, industry, musician, and radio categories.
The highlights of this year’s CCMA Awards were Ontario’s Josh Ross and British Columbia’s Cameron Whitcomb. They secured two of the night's most significant trophies. Ross was recognized as Entertainer of the Year for the second year in a row. His track, Single Again, earned him Single of the Year. He also won Video of the Year for the same track.
Cameron Whitcomb first gained national attention on American Idol. He received Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year and the Fans' Choice Award at the 2025 Canadian Country Music Association Awards. His acceptance speech credited his fans and music for his success. He mentioned:
"Thank you for keeping me sober. Thank you for saving my life. I love you sincerely from the bottom of my heart."
The 2025 Canadian Country Music Association Awards' Album of the Year winner, Owen Riegling, stated:
"I am shaking a little bit right now. I just remember being a kid sitting in my bedroom for hours and hours and hours playing guitar, trying to learn how to sing, trying to write music and dreaming about getting to stand up on a stage someday. Because of you guys, country music fans, I am able to do that now. So thank you very much."
Complete list of winners at the 2025 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards
2025 CCMA Awards winners
Artist Awards
- Entertainer of the Year: Josh Ross
- Ford F-150 Album of the Year: Bruce County (From The Beginning) – Owen Riegling
- Fans' Choice Award presented by Bud Light: Cameron Whitcomb
- Female Artist of the Year: MacKenzie Porter
- Francophone Artist of the Year presented by Spotify: Salebarbes
- Group or Duo of the Year: James Barker Band
- Musical Collaboration of the Year: Broken Heart Thing – Madeline Merlo feat. Dustin Lynch
- Male Artist of the Year: Jade Eagleson
- Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year presented by Birkenstock: Cameron Whitcomb
- Alternative Country Album of the Year presented by National Music Centre: One More Dollar To Go – Jake Vaadeland
- Single of the Year: Single Again – Josh Ross
- Songwriter(s) of the Year presented by SOCAN: Kelly Archer, Travis Denning, Chris Stevens – I’m Gonna Love You (Artist: Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood)
- Video of the Year: Single Again – Josh Ross
Musician Awards
- Bass Player of the Year: Lisa Dodd / Ben Miller (tie)
- Drummer of the Year: Rich DaSilva
- Fiddle Player of the Year: Tyler Beckett
- Guitar Player of the Year presented by PRS Guitars: Chris Bray
- Keyboard Player of the Year: Brendan Waters
- Specialty Instrument Player of the Year: Tyler Vollrath
- Steel Guitar Player of the Year: Matt McKay
Radio Awards
- Radio Station of the Year (Large Market): CFCW (Edmonton, AB)
- Radio Station of the Year (Medium or Small Market): CIGV-FM (Kelowna, BC)
Industry Awards
- Booking Agency of the Year: Paquin Entertainment Group
- Country Club of the Year: King Eddy (Calgary, AB)
- Country Festival, Fair or Exhibition of the Year: Boots and Hearts Music Festival (Oro-Medonte, ON)
- Country Music Program, Special, or Digital Feature of the Year: Pure Country Top 50 Countdown (iHeartRadio Canada)
- Country Personality(ies) of the Year: Jason McCoy (CICX-FM)
- Management Company of the Year: The Core Entertainment
- Music Publishing Company of the Year presented by CMRRA: Anthem Entertainment Group
- Record Company of the Year: Universal Music Canada
- Industry Person of the Year: Lindsay Hyslop (BBR Music Group)
- Creative Team or Designer of the Year: Stephane Lamontagne, JF Galipeau – Album: All Night Longer (Artist: Matt Lang)
- Recording Studio of the Year: Revolution Recording (Toronto, ON)
- Record Producer(s) of the Year: Joey Moi – Album: Quit!! (Artist: HARDY)
- Retailer or Commercial Platform of the Year: SiriusXM Canada
- Ron Sakamoto Talent Buyer or Promoter of the Year: Denise Ross (Live Nation Entertainment)
- Video Director of the Year: Ben Knechtel – Outliving (The Reklaws), Remind Me Again (Zach McPhee), Youth (Sully Burrows)
- Innovative Campaign of the Year presented by TD: Outliving (For Mom) EP Launch Campaign – The Reklaws, Starseed Entertainment
Saskatoon is set to host next year's Country Music Week and the 2026 CCMA Awards.
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