First Wave of Performers Announced for the 2026 CCMA Awards

About The Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®)

Established in 1976, the CCMA® is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to promoting and recognizing Canadian country music. Now in its 50th year, the CCMA celebrates the spirit, community, and creativity fostered by country music through year-round initiatives, culminating every fall with Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards.

About CTV
CTV is Canada’s most-watched broadcaster, providing unparalleled entertainment content across two broadcast networks; a powerful suite of specialty channels with CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Life Channel, CTV Sci-Fi Channel, CTV Nature Channel, CTV Speed Channel, and CTV Wild Channel; and digital channels CTV Throwback and CTV Movies. CTV also features a wide range of sports and information programming, including CTV News, Canada’s highest-rated national and most-trusted local newscasts. CTV is available on Crave, the largest Canadian-owned streamer. CTV is from Bell Media, Canada’s leading media and entertainment company, with a portfolio of assets in premium video, audio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media.

About Discover Saskatoon and Saskatoon Destination Marketing Hotels (SDMH) 

Discover Saskatoon is the official Destination Management Organization (DMO) for Saskatoon and the surrounding region. The organization is primarily funded by Saskatoon Destination Marketing Hotels Incorporated (SDMH), a collective of leading hotels committed to advancing Saskatoon’s visitor economy. Discover Saskatoon also receives additional support from the City of Saskatoon through a fee-for-service agreement.

Together, SDMH and Discover Saskatoon drive growth through strategic marketing, major event attraction, and experience development. SDMH hotel partners contribute through a voluntary Destination Marketing Program that fuels initiatives to elevate Saskatoon’s global profile, attract high-impact events, and enhance the visitor experience.

The visitor economy contributes nearly $800 million annually to the Saskatoon region, driving economic diversification, job creation, and community vibrancy. Through this partnership, SDMH, The City of Saskatoon, and Discover Saskatoon play a vital role in growing Saskatoon’s prosperity and global presence. 

Learn more at discoversaskatoon.com or sdmh.ca.

About Tenille Arts

Tenille Arts has built an enviable career releasing music as authentic as her beautiful voice and as heartfelt and direct as the songs she writes and records. She made history when her “Somebody Like That” single became the first #1 country song written, produced and performed by all females. She co-wrote 12 of the 14 songs on her most personal album to date, to be honest, which was released in May. 

She recently wrapped up opening the Canadian dates on Luke Bryan’s Mind of a Country Boy Tour. Her “Don’t Ruin Flowers” single is Top 40 in Canada, and she just released “If Somebody Told Me You Were Dying” in the U.S.

About Dean Brody

Since his debut single “Brothers” hit the US Top-40 (2008), Dean has become one of the most beloved Canadian country artists of his generation. A passionate storyteller and unmatched lyricist, Dean has risen and continues to remain at the top of the Canadian country landscape with an impressive 34 Top-10 singles (including 9 #1s), CMA Award, 19 CCMA Awards, 2 JUNOs, more than 528+ million global streams and numerous gold and platinum certified singles (including 1 triple platinum and 4 double platinum). No country artist has ever owned the Canadian stage like Dean in recent years, consistently selling out arenas across the country, and headlining Canada’s biggest music festivals. Dean also dedicates a large part of his life to philanthropic efforts through The Dean Brody Foundation, which he was honoured as the Gary Slaight Music Humanitarian Award recipient by the CCMA in 2023.

About Hunter Brothers

Real-life brothers, J.J., Dusty, Luke, Brock and Ty, are no strangers to hard work, perseverance and discipline. Life on a family farm wasn’t always easy, but the brothers attribute much of their success to their rural upbringing in a home dedicated to faith, music and sport. With over 90 million streams and 33 million YouTube views to date, Hunter Brothers have amassed a large volume of industry credibility in a record amount of time, including multiple CCMA Award nominations, JUNO Award nominations and SCMA Award wins.

About James Barker Band

James Barker Band is proof that big dreams can grow from small-town roots. Made up of members James Barker (lead vocals/guitar), Connor Stephen (drums), Taylor Abram (guitar/background vocals), and Bobby Martin (bass), the band first broke through in 2015 after winning the Emerging Artist Showcase at Boots and Hearts Music Festival. The victory led to a record deal and the release of their breakout single “Lawn Chair Lazy” in 2017. Since then they have released a series of hit singles including “Chills,” “Keep It Simple,” “Good Together,” and “New Old Trucks” featuring Dierks Bentley.

Fueled by friendship, grit, and a shared love of storytelling, James Barker Band has grown from playing local bars to headlining stages across North America and Europe. Their music blends heartfelt storytelling with an undeniable energy, creating songs that resonate far beyond the small towns that inspired them.

About Kalsey Kulyk

Kalsey Kulyk brings a fresh sound to the country music airwaves, effortlessly mixing rich vocals with lyrics you feel in the guts. In 2017, Kulyk’s hard work paid off when she won both the Canadian Country Music Association’s Discovery Artist program and Anthem Entertainment’s (formerly ole) “On The Spot” contest on the same day. With a knack for versatility, Kulyk seamlessly navigates between poignant ballads and feel-good anthems. She has collaborated with songwriters like Liz Rose (Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood) and Phil Barton (Lee Brice, Eli Young Band), culminating in her 2019 self-titled debut album, which reached #2 on the Canadian iTunes Country Chart and earned a nomination for CCMA Roots Album of the Year. Kulyk’s 2023 breakout single, “Love Me Like an Outlaw” has become her highest-performing single to date with over 2 million streams on Spotify, 200,000 YouTube views and reaching #18 on the Canadian country charts.

About Jess Moskaluke

Internationally acclaimed artist Jess Moskaluke continues to break new ground in country music with her powerhouse vocals, pop-driven hooks, and genre-bending sound. Her latest single, “Last Rodeo” follows the momentum of “I Ain’t Country” and “Life For Me,” showcasing the bold new direction she’s been embracing over the past year.

A 2017 JUNO Award winner and multiple CCMA Award recipient – including three consecutive wins for Female Artist of the Year – Moskaluke has also been recognized by SOCAN, WCM, and most recently, as a 2024 Women in Music Canada Honours nominee. 

Her 2021 album The Demos featured the fan-favourite “Mapdot,” which inspired her first national headlining tour. She has since performed on global stages including C2C in the UK and Australia, and scored her first Australian #1 with “Go Get Er.” She embarked on her cross-Canada, headlining Life For Me Tour in fall 2025, building on her reputation for dynamic performances.

About The Reklaws

The Reklaws are a one-of-a-kind duo made up of siblings Jenna and Stuart Walker, proud to bring the party to every stage they stand on. The Reklaws found breakout success with their debut single “Long Live the Night,” the most-streamed domestic song of all Canadian country artists and theme song for the CFL Thursday Night Football national broadcast in 2018/2019. 2021 was a record-breaking year for the duo when their viral TikTok hit “What the Truck” earned PLATINUM-certification, making it the fastest-ever Canadian country song to go PLATINUM in the streaming era. In 2023 the pair landed three coveted JUNO nominations, hosted the CCMA Awards, winning Top Selling Canadian Album for their 2022 release Good Ol’ Days and landed their fourth #1 with “Honky Tonkin’ About” feat. Drake Milligan. Last year they took home a 2024 CCMA Award for Musical Collaboration of the Year for that track with Milligan.

The Reklaws hold 8 JUNO nominations, 10 CCMA Awards, 4 #1s at Canadian Radio, 2 DOUBLE PLATINUM, 8 PLATINUM and 13 GOLD singles and a GOLD-certified debut album (Freshman Year).  In addition, the pair have 438M+ Global Streams, 6 of the top 20 streamed singles by a Canadian country artist since 2019 (more than any other artist) and the most domestically streamed debut album in Canadian country history.

About Owen Riegling

Canadian country artist and award-winning singer-songwriter Owen Riegling is emerging as one of the genre’s most authentic new voices. Raised in the farming community of Mildmay, Ontario (pop. 1,200), Riegling pairs small-town soul with a modern, arena-ready edge.

After winning the 2022 Boots & Hearts Emerging Artist Competition and signing with Universal Music Canada, Riegling broke through with his double platinum-certified hit “Old Dirt Roads”. His project Bruce County (From The Beginning) earned major recognition, including 2025 CCMA Album of the Year, multiple Country Music of Ontario Awards, and a 2025 Juno Award nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year. With more than 180 million global streams, his momentum continues to build.

A relentless performer, Riegling has headlined his own shows and supported artists including Tyler Hubbard, Dierks Bentley and more.  Life on the road, paired with major personal milestones, shapes his new Universal Music Canada/Big Loud album, In The Feeling. Produced in Nashville by Oscar Charles and featuring collaborations with some of Nashville’s most respected songwriters, the project captures a defining chapter of growth and self-discovery. Radio hit “Taillight This Town” reflects that push-and-pull between leaving and longing, while the high energy“Love Hate Love” showcases his big stage energy and evolving confidence.

Grounded in family, community, and the values that shaped him, Riegling blends vulnerability with convictions as his sound matures, so does his sense of self. “I’m just making the music that I would want to listen to,” Riegling says. “I’m not trying to be anybody other than myself.” From rural Canada to international stages, Riegling is no longer chasing the dream, he is fully stepping into it.