Local Ontario artists up for Country Music Awards next weekend in Mississauga

New Moon Junction, fronted by lead singer and Burlington native Tamara Maddalen, has been nominated for the Group or Duo of the Year by the Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAOntario).

Oakville artist Nicole Rayy, with three, Burlington’s Jake Sauve and Milton’s Joey DePaiva, have also received nominations for this year’s 13 Annual CMAOntario Awards Show being held next Sunday (June 2) in Hammerson Hall at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga.

Both Maddalen and Rayy will perform live at the country awards show being hosted by Jason McCoy and Teigen Gayse.

Maddalen, who joined with artists Barbara Doran and Brad Battle to form New Moon Junction in 2020 and recently released Mind of Its Own, will be up against the James Barker Band (Meet Your Mama), River Town Saints (She Got That), Rosewood Ave. (I Won’t), The Reklaws (Honky Tonkin’ About), and the Western Swing Authority (Happy Chickens).

Produced by award winning producer Jeff Dalziel, who is also up for Record Producer of the Year, the local group describes its sound like “Little Big Town and Fleetwood Mac had a baby.”

“Life has a way of getting you to where you are supposed to be,” said Battle of how the three artists joined forces.

“We just really hit it off,” said Doran of her connection with Maddalen. “It was an instant connection for both of us. And from the very first time singing with Brad… well we all had goosebumps.”

Rayy’s latest work, Now & Then, has been nominated for the Album/EP of the Year. The five-time CMA Ontario nominee is making a name for herself in the country industry and already has over four million catalogue streams to date, including over 600,000 streams alone from her song “Feels Like Yesterday.”

Her competition for Album/EP of the Year includes Ahead of Our Time, James Barker Band, Burning Back, Jessie T, Do It Anyway, Jade Eagleson, Greatest Show on Dirt, Meghan Patrick, and Unlearn, Griffen Palmer.

Rayy has also been nominated along with Craig Brooks for Songwriter(s) of the Year Award for their work on “Now and Then,” recorded by Rayy.

Others up for the award include Genevieve Fisher, Aaron Goodvin, and Jennifer Schott for “Best Thing About the Rain”, Jade Eagleson, Daryl Scott, “Rodeo Queen”, Jason Blaine, “The Road the Raised You Up”, Karli June, Gavin Slate, “Feel Like Home”, and Meghan Patrick, Matt Alderman, Tom Salter, “Red Roses and Red Flags.”

Rayy’s other nomination was for Music Video of the Year with “Dirty.” Other nominees in the category include, “Feel Like Home, Karli June featuring Ryan Langdon, “Happy Chickens,” Western Authority, “Honky Tonkin’ About,” The Reklaws featuring Drake Milligan, “Long Way Back,” The Redhill Valleys, and “Trouble,” Josh Ross.

DePaiva (Elyse Saunders, Mackenzie Leigh Meyer, Aaron Allen) is up for Musician of the Year.