Sarah Burke here from SiriusXM Country. Maybe you’ve heard me live from backstage at the CCMA Awards talking to one of your favourite artists after they won an award? Or, maybe you’ve caught an interview I’ve done with one of your favourite bands live-in-studio. Just maybe…you’ve thought to yourself…”How do I get my band on SiriusXM Country?” Or, “I’d love to play MY song in that studio!” Well, we are all about supporting emerging Canadian artists and I’m writing to let you know about an amazing opportunity.
We’re looking for Canada’s next big country star(s) with the launch of our ‘Top of the Country’ competition! The grand prize includes $25,000, featured performances at Country Music Week with the CCMA and a ton more. Registration begins TODAY through March 2nd.
Our cross-Canada search will give participating acts a chance to play at Canada’s biggest country music festivals, industry mentorship programs, a SOCAN songwriting camp in Nashville, an exclusive mentoring session with Canadian artists and industry professionals in Toronto, hosted by SiriusXM and the CCMA and more! Plus, the grand prize of $25,000 comes with a SOCAN songwriting camp in Pender Island, BC.
Once participants representing Western, Central and Eastern Canada have been selected, the competition will not only offer emerging artists some of the biggest prizes in the country, but showcase them on a national stage through a public online vote open to all Canadians to choose their favourites.
“Fostering and promoting new Canadian talent has always been incredibly important to SiriusXM and to our partner, the CCMA,” said Jeff Leake, Director of Music Programming. “So as Canada’s premier music provider, we wanted to shine a light on the burgeoning community of up and coming country artists to give them the exposure they deserve and need to help take their music careers to the next level.”
SiriusXM invites Canadian country solo artists and groups to register at siriusxm.ca/topcountry until midnight ET on March 2. Following the registration phase, three artists from each of Western, Central and Eastern Canada will be chosen by a jury of industry experts to record in-studio videos for the Canada-wide online vote, taking place later this Spring.
Once voting is complete, three will emerge as the Top Country Finalists, receiving a stage spot at Big Valley Jamboree (Camrose, AB), Cavendish Beach Music Festival (Cavendish, PEI) or a SiriusXM-sponsored major festival in Ontario.
The grand prize winner of Top of the Country will be chosen during the CCMA’s Country Music Week in Hamilton, ON this September. Finalists will battle it out on stage before a headlining artist at the SiriusXM CCMA Top of the Country Finale, airing live on SiriusXM, with music industry professionals and audience votes deciding the winner.
I’m just here to tell you what’s going on. Now, it’s up to you to win the country over. Good luck!
RELATED CHANNELS
Grateful Dead Channel (Ch. 23) celebrates the life and legacy of Jerry Garcia during “The Days Between,” August 1–9, marking the time between Jerry’s birth and his passing.
The Dog Days of August get going this Saturday, with the Cards and the Jays meeting up in Toronto.
Michelle Branch celebrated the 25th anniversary of her breakthrough album, “The Spirit Room,” with an exclusive performance in front of a live audience on PopRocks (Ch. 6).
Shania Twain returned to where it all began for an intimate, one-night-only SiriusXM concert at Racket NYC.
Elizabeth Hurley is opening up about why her relationship with Billy Ray Cyrus works and sharing what it was like meeting Miley Cyrus.
During the July 21 episode of Radio Andy’s “The Julia Cunningham Show,” Amy Adams revealed that Kirstie Alley gave her the confidence to move to Los Angeles…
