Doc Walker Nabs Album Of The Year Juno

At ceremonies held on Saturday (3/28), in Vancouver, British Columbia, Open Road artist Doc Walker walked away with the 2009 Juno Award for Country Recording of the Year for their album, Beautiful Life. Doc Walker (Chris Thorsteinson, Dave Wasyliw and Murray Pulver) have four previous Juno nominations and the band also took home six 2008 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards including Album of the Year and Fans Choice Award. Doc Walker’s Juno Award is one of many recent success stories for Open Road Recordings and label head Ron Kitchener. Label mate and fellow Juno nominee Tara Oram recently won a 2009 East Coast Music Award for Country Recording of the Year for her album, Chasing The Sun. In addition, Open Road currently holds six of the top-10 selling albums on the Canadian Country Chart, with Open Road artist Johnny Reid holding the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5 positions. Reid’s latest effort, Dance With Me, is No. 1 country and No. 3 Top 200, and was certified Gold 48 hours after its release. Open Road Recordings also represents Big Machine and Valory Records in Canada.

Country Recording of the Year winner Doc Walker (left to right, Murray Pulvar, Chris Thorsteinson and Dave Wasyliw) is shown backstage at the 2009 Juno Awards. Photograph: Ric Ernst