The 2009 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards, held Sept. 13 in Vancouver, BC, and broadcast live on CBC Television, drew a record increase in viewership numbers with an astounding 60 percent jump from last year’s ratings. 

”Not since Shania has the CCMA Awards turned in numbers like this year’s show,” said Jim Cressman, Co-Chair of the CCMA Television Committee. “Obviously, the star power of icons like Reba and Martina McBride, coupled with a tremendous list of world-class Canadian performers that included Johnny Reid, brought eyeballs to our program.”

This year’s broadcast, directed by Morris Abraham and produced by Corkscrew Media, averaged 748,000 viewers for the evening, with ratings peaking at slightly more than 1 million towards the end of the program. A repeat broadcast of the show at midnight garnered an additional 60,000 viewers.

”First and foremost, it was an amazing lineup of talent that made this year’s CCMA awards great,” said Corkscrew Media’s President/Executive Producer, Scott Henuset. “It was a pleasure working on this year’s show with the CCMA, CBC, CMT Canada and such a talented group of producers and the show’s director, Morris Abraham.”

The awards benefited significantly from the switch to a Sunday night broadcast and a strong lineup of performers, including American artists Reba and Martina McBride and Canadian acts Johnny Reid, Doc Walker, Terri Clark, Crystal Shawanda and Emerson Drive, among others.  Canadian actor and director Jason Priestley hosted the show.

Reid collected an impressive five CCMA awards, including Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and the Fans’ Choice Award.  Crystal Shawanda took home Female Artist of the Year, Doc Walker received the Group or Duo of the Year Award and newcomers Dean Brody and Tara Oram won Single of the Year and the Rising Star award, respectively.

Worldwide superstar Taylor Swift received a special CCMA award for Top Selling Album of the Year in Canada. She accepted the award via taped satellite address.

Country Music Week culminated with the CCMA awards program, but also featured dozens of additional activities and educational panels leading up to the event, including showcases, seminars, industry events, musical performances and this year’s keynote address, delivered by Nettwerk Music’s Terry McBride.

“Vancouver was a great host for this year’s Country Music Week and awards show,” said CCMA President Jackie Rae Greening. “Fans and industry professionals alike were treated to a wonderful mix of entertainment and educational panels and performances. The CCMA is once again thrilled that country music fans responded so enthusiastically to this year’s events.”



 Encore airings of the 2009 CCMA Awards can currently be seen on CMT in Canada.

“We really wanted this video to be a little more dramatic and stylized than anything we’ve done before,” explains lead vocalist Hillary Scott discussing Lady Antebellum’s new video “Need You Now.”  “It was an exhausting shoot…physically and emotionally…because we worked through the night and just poured every ounce of ourselves into our characters. It’s a passionate song, and we wanted the video to be just as passionate.” the video was directed by David McClister.

According to the label, the single has risen to Top 25  BillBoard status in a scant four weeks. The trio is currently opening dates for Keith Urban in Canada and received two nominations for the upcoming 2009 CMA Awards.

John Fogerty will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting at the Americana Music Association’s 8th Annual Honors and Awards Thursday, Sept. 17. Including his solo work and his time in the iconic band Creedence Clearwater Revival, Forgerty’s musical career extends over four decades and has distinctly shaped American roots music. The musical hybrid of rockabilly, R&B, and classic country that he forged in the 1960s was well ahead of its time, and gave rise to classic songs like “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Who’ll Stop The Rain,” “Travelin’ Band,” “Looking Out My Back Door” and many more. Fogerty’s latest album, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, was released in August and features him taking on some of his favorite songs like John Prine’s “Paradise” and Buck Owens’ “I Don’t Care.” As the 2009 honoree, Fogerty joins a list that includes John Hiatt, Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Cowboy Jack Clement, John Prine and Billy Joe Shaver.

The Americana Honors & Awards will take place 7pm Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Ryman Auditorium. Jim Lauderdale returns as the show host and Buddy Miller will again lead the all-star house band. Fogerty is the latest artist confirmed to appear, and he joins an impressive guest list that includes Asleep at the Wheel, Jerry Douglas, Rodney Crowell, Nanci Griffith, Raul Malo, The Belleville Outfit, Reckless Kelly, John Prine, Sara Borges  & the Broken Singles, Sam Bush, Justin Townes Earle, The Flatlanders, The Gourds, and Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit. The Americana Festival and Conference runs Sept. 16-19 at the Nashville Convention Center.