Lindi Ortega Wins Canadian Country Music Awards “Roots Artist of the Year”
Last week saw the 39th Annual Canadian Country Music Week transpire in Hank Snow’s hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, culminating in the 2015 CCMA Awards where Canadian artist Gord Bramford walked away as the big winner on Sunday night (9-13). Gord won Male Artist of the Year, and Single and Songwriter of the Year for his Canadian hit “Where a Farm Used To Be.” Dallas Smith won Album of the Year for Lifted, and CCMA regular Dean Brody walked away with Video of the Year for “Upside Down.” Jess Moskaluke from Saskatchewan was the Female Artist of the Year.
Speaking to the encroachment of American-style country music on the Canadian market, Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett made appearances at the awards, potentially helping to give Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records a beachhead in Canada for a future invasion. Fortunately, Canadian broadcasting rules regulate the percentage of Canadian artists who must be played on the radio at 35%, and only native Canadians are eligible for CCMA Awards.
On Saturday night (9-12), the CCMA’s also threw their annual awards gala where 20 CCMA were handed out, including one to Last Gang Records singer and songwriter Lindi Ortega who walked away with the distinction of Roots Artist of the Year. This is Lindi’s second win in the roots category in a row. Lindi released her latest record Faded Gloryville on August 7th. Though Lindi currently lives in Nashville, she is originally from Toronto.
“So very honored to perform at the CCMA gala! And what a wonderful surprise to win roots artist again for a 2nd year in a row,” Lindi said Saturday night.
READ: “I Say, Include Women.” An opinion piece by Lindi Ortega
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List of 2015 CCMA Winners
Fans Choice Award: Johnny Reid
Album of the Year: Dallas Smith – Lifted
Female Artist of the Year: Jess Moskaluke
Male Artist of the Year: Gord Bamford
Group or Duo of the Year: High Valley
Single of the Year: Gord Bamford – “Where a Farm Used to Be”
Video of the Year: Dean Brody “Upside Down”
Rising Star: Madeline Merlo
Songwriter of the Year: Gord Bamford, Buddy Owens, Phil O’Donnell – “Where a Farm Used to Be”
Roots Artist of the Year: Lindi Ortega
Interactive Artist of the Year: Brett Kissel
CCMA Discovery Award: Raquel Cole
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
Artist: Dianne Leigh
Industry Builder: Elizabeth (Ma) Henning
2015 Slaight Music Humanitarian Award: MusiCounts
Leonard T. Rambeau International Award: Robert Ott
September 14, 2015 @ 1:35 pm
Why don’t WE have a “Roots Artist of the Year” category?
September 14, 2015 @ 1:36 pm
Exactly. No reason you can’t take a moment to distinguish one artist who is setting the pace in the independent roots world.
September 14, 2015 @ 6:31 pm
“But the charts say” would probably be the response of the executives who make the nominations
September 14, 2015 @ 1:50 pm
It’s great to see Lindi get some recognition up here, although from what I’ve seen she’s way more known in the U.S. Sure with Corb Lund would release something new, he’s usually the guaranteed winner of the Roots award at the CCMAs.
September 14, 2015 @ 3:25 pm
October 9th baby:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/corb-lund-announces-new-album-things-that-cant-be-undone
September 15, 2015 @ 5:46 am
I hope to have a copy in my hot little hands today. I’m going to see him tonight at Gypsy Sally’s in DC and I hope he’s got some for sale. Going to see Lindi there next month, too.
September 15, 2015 @ 9:24 am
He was supposed to have 3 projects released last year. So far, this is the only one that is actually coming out & it’s a year late. The joys of being chained to a record label…
September 14, 2015 @ 1:51 pm
& every single time I start to poke fun at Americans for Florida Georgia Line, I remember that we have that Nickelback wannabe moron Dallas Smith…
September 14, 2015 @ 8:14 pm
Dallas Smith is wayyyyyyy less abrasive than Nickleback……
September 15, 2015 @ 9:15 am
You can play Default & Nickelback back to back & I couldn’t tell you which one was which. They sound almost identical…
September 15, 2015 @ 10:14 am
Why would you wanna do that to yourself ? lol
Isn’t there another band who sounds JUST like NB and shares same label? Those guys sounds just like em.
I don’t listen often to radio country but I think I heard that ” cheap seats” tune & wasn’t overly offended… Prob cuz I personally don’t consider what they call country to be country.( Lance BTW)
September 15, 2015 @ 10:24 am
Dallas Smith & his band Default were NB protegees, first discovered by Kroeger. There are probably a bunch of other bands that sound the same, but I don’t know. Smith’s “country” stuff is a little less like Nickelback, especially with the beats & all, but it seems that he enjoys chasing trends. Seems to be paying off in his bank account though.
September 15, 2015 @ 10:49 am
Theory of a Deadman….that’s who it is. Signed to Kroegers label.
September 15, 2015 @ 1:37 pm
Damn… thanks for reminding me. I’d totally washed them from my mind!
September 15, 2015 @ 9:42 pm
Oops, sorry bout that ….I feel for ya actually, my bad.
September 14, 2015 @ 2:01 pm
The award show last night was just awful, horrible host and many garbage performances. By the way, you don’t have to be a native Canadian, just need to be an official citizen. Atleast we got to see Gord Bamford sing, sadly Dean Brody and Paul Brandt performances were bad.
September 14, 2015 @ 2:06 pm
I forgot it was on, got busy doing yard work. Sounds like it’s ok. Really enjoy Bamford too, but his new song is terrible. Is that what he played last night? How does a guy who comes from George Strait territory end up using cheesy beats?
September 14, 2015 @ 2:23 pm
He sang a new song , no clue what the name is though. It was tolerable for sure , but I wouldn’t say it was good. I was hoping Lindi had a spot to perform instead of some of those talentless pop divas like fgl and Thomas Rhett.
September 14, 2015 @ 2:26 pm
Off topic, but how did Brett Eldredge get to be a Miss America judge?
September 14, 2015 @ 3:27 pm
All those television events are just vehicles for cross promotion. Brett Eldredge just released a new album. Follow the money.
September 14, 2015 @ 4:18 pm
Ah, I see. Brett isn’t one of those big money makers like FGL (barf) so they need to draw attention to him. People tune into Miss America and go, “Who is this Brett guy? He’s a kuntry sanger? Man, I luv kuntry! He must be a big deal if he’s on hear! Ima check ‘im out!” Next thing you know, Brett’s album sells a million copies. That’s just the kind of underhanded scheme they would pull. BTW I didn’t watch the show, I just heard about it.
September 14, 2015 @ 2:44 pm
Congrats to her!!! Dean Brody is another artist from up north that is really good, so nice to see him get an award!
September 15, 2015 @ 7:49 pm
Dean is very talented. Unfortunately, his new album, while it featured several very strong songs like “Old Friend,” “Footprints of a Giant,” “Sweet Lola,” “Monterey,” and “As Country As She Gets,” as well as a beautiful acoustic version of “Trail in Life,” also featured a very bro-country song “Bring Down the House,” and a song with a big rap interlude, “Love Would Be Enough.”
The album definitely had more good points than bad, but those two songs were rough to get through when listening to the album, and to me, were a true waste of talent.
September 15, 2015 @ 7:56 pm
Oh, and “Hillbilly” was pretty bad and cliched as well.
September 14, 2015 @ 6:32 pm
Thanks for posting the outcome Trigger . I was gigging and missed the show . The Gord song ” Where A Farm Used To Be ” was a solid choice , I think . Congrats to Lindi .
Like many American country artists ( Aldean , Taylor Swift , Band Perry , and others ) ,many Canadian artists who get tons of airplay have difficulties singing on pitch live . I’ve often thought this a strange circumstance . If an artist from ANY genre can’t sing , how the hell do they get these record deals and promotion and money thrown at them when any average listener can tell they have no vocal talent ? How does a label rep have the balls to suggest they sign these artists knowing full well they just cannot sing and that people ARE going to notice and comment ? But , of course , the biggest mystery is why fans don’t seem to even care that an act can’t sing . WTF ? Anne Murray is an amazing vocalist -STILL !! , Reba slays singing live , but it seems more CAN’T sing live than CAN in these times.
September 14, 2015 @ 10:08 pm
Lindi Ortega and Johnny Reid are literally the only people listed above that I have any interest in listening to. Corb Lund is not listed, but he’s good. The rest are acts that Canadian Country Radio has pushed as being “stars”, and they are nothing of the sort.
Dean Brody is like Brad Paisley light with his stupid gimmick songs, and Gord Bamford sounds like he has a mouth full of marbles when he sings, and sings lowest common denominator country music. The only thing I commend him for is his community and charity work. For that, I take my hat off to him. Musically, he’s a step up from a dude at the bar on Karaoke night, though. Brett Kissel is just starting out and MAY become something, but he’s got a ways to go. He actually has some talent, though. I’m surprised Poser Paul Brandt didn’t make this list, but he hasn’t done anything of consequence in the last couple of years. Dallas Smith is piggybacking on his success with Default, and still sings Default songs in his country set. He’s actually got a decent voice, however.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the Canadian Country Music Industry is a pale imitation of its American counterpart, and pushes mediocre performers down the public’s throat. There are very few good acts, and it’s ridiculous to think any of these folks are “stars”. They’re filler for the required Canadian Content Law on radio.
September 15, 2015 @ 9:23 am
The US has 300 MILLION more people than us, so it makes sense that they’d have a larger base of good musicians. But if you’re only looking at the “stars” then the US has a whole lot more garbage. We may have Dallas Smith, but they have Aldean, FGL, Chase Rice, Thomas Rhett, LoCash, Colt Ford… on and on.
On the flip side, they have Sturgill, Jamey Johnson, Hank 3, Jason Isbell, Hayes Carll, but we still have Corb Lund, Sadies, Bros Landreth, Lindi Ortega…
Remember that they say it costs somewhere around $300K+ for a country radio single, so when a Canadian artist knows they’ll sell 5% of their closest American counterpart, they’re probably going to spend significantly less on production, hence the lower quality sound. But where songwriting is celebrated, production costs are less so a guy like Corb Lund can stand on a level with someone like Hayes Carll.
September 15, 2015 @ 12:19 am
Out of interest I just had a listen to Gord Bomford’s winning song ‘Where a Farm Used To Be’ – but really is it any good? I know it is country but it’s just a normal song. It has nothing special to say, no great emotional lyrics, not an outstanding melody and retreading a topic that has been done before countless times! Don’t get me wrong, it is not bad, just ok and a bit pointless. Is it really worthy of an award? I think not.
As for Lindi Ortega, I did get her album based on the review on this website. I have only listened to it once I have to admit, but I found it boring. And this is the trouble that I have with many of the roots artists that are promoted here. I accept that they are country (unlike many of country’s main stream acts) but their music I generally find to be boring. Just being more country does not necessarily equate to better music.
Take Thomas Rhett’s single ‘Crash and Burn’. I freely accept it is not country music, but I find it much more enjoyable than anything on Ortega’s album.
September 15, 2015 @ 9:27 am
I think you kind of answered your own question. You like that Thomas Rhett song, you’re probably not going to like Lindi. I’m the exact opposite, I can’t stand that boring Rhett pop song.
September 15, 2015 @ 1:10 pm
I used to love Dean Brody but his new songs are SUCH garbage, they are EDM junk. I think he really has good talent.
Bamford is good too
September 15, 2015 @ 5:04 pm
Brody’s music is garbage in general. I respectfully submit his abysmal song “Crop Circles” as further proof he is, to paraphrase THIS IS SPINAL TAP, treading water in a sea of mediocre music. His lame gimmick songs are no doubt an attempt to set him apart from the litany of other country singers whom Brody is no different than. They flog this guy on Canadian Country Radio like he’s something amazing, but the fact is, he sucks. Badly.
September 15, 2015 @ 6:04 pm
I’ve gotta disagree there, what about ‘underneath the apple trees’ and ‘mountain man’. Even crop circles is hardly offensive, it has real instruments at least. Also, what about Canadian girls? That’s a decent song I thought.
September 15, 2015 @ 9:24 pm
“Apple Tree” is the lone decent moment in the songs you’ve mentioned, sorry. “Mountain Man”, “Crop Circles”, and “Canadian Girls” are all overproduced, gimmicky turds. Brody, when he actually has a good song, isn’t bad, but the fact is that he goes back to the Gimmick Song Well, (ala Brad Paisley) with these stupid cliches and jokey songs waaaay too much.
It’s my firm contention that Brody and his handlers and management know that without the dumb lyrics, he’d be no different than anyone else. Couple this with the zero charisma he has, and he’s a blip on the radar of an already unimpressive market – Canadian Country Music. Like I’ve said: I’m a Canadian, but much of the country music that comes out of this nation is a sad imitation of American Country Music.
September 15, 2015 @ 9:44 pm
Couldn’t agree more.
September 15, 2015 @ 9:46 pm
Couldn’t agree more Canuck.