Country music wave heads for the city with Ontario awards show staged in Mississauga

The music scene in Mississauga will have an all-country feel to it in a few weeks when the Country Music Association of Ontario’s 2024 CMAOntario Festival and Awards hit town for three days.

The 12th annual awards show and event takes place May 31 to June 2. Organizers say larger concerts, smaller live music sessions and a variety of other activities are planned for the 2024 festival and awards weekend in Mississauga, all leading up to the awards show to take place on the Sunday night at the Living Arts Centre in the downtown core.

Organizers recently made public both the list of nominees up for awards and the slate of entertainers who’ll perform live for those in attendance over the three days.

It’ll mark the first time Mississauga has hosted the CMAOntario Festival and Awards. And it’ll be back two years later, in early 2026, as Mississauga and the CMAO have also struck a deal for a repeat performance.

Organizers of this year’s show note that for the first time, the event includes six nominees in each of the 17 categories (excluding the Fans’ Choice category), up from five at previous awards festivals.

Jade Eagelson leads the way with five nominations followed by The Reklaws, Josh Ross, Meghan Patrick and Karli June with four apiece.

The Sunday night show will be hosted by Pure Country Radio’s Jason McCoy and Country TikTok sensation Teigen Gayse,

City of Mississauga officials said earlier the large-scale event is a great fit for the city.

“As Canada’s seventh-largest city and 2023 Music City of the Year, we are home to world-class, diverse musicians and a vibrant live music scene that attracts visitors from across Canada,” officials said last November when Mississauga was announced as the 2024 host.

Last year, Mississauga was named 2023 Music City of the Year by the Canadian Live Music Association and Canadian Music Week.

The city was recognized for its efforts in establishing its Music Strategy with a goal of positioning Mississauga “as an incubator for top musical talent and a national destination for live music events and festivals.”