Josh Ross and Cameron Whitcomb have reaffirmed their status as two of the reigning young stars of Canadian country music.

The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) announced the nominations for the 2026 CCMA Awards this afternoon (July 16) and Ross and Whitcomb tipped the list with seven nominations each. On their spurred bootheels are James Barker Band, Thelma & James and Tenille Townes, with five nods apiece.

Fast-rising young star Owen Riegling chimes in with four nominations while established stars and previous multiple award winners Brett Kissel and Meghan Patrick join Nate Haller and first time nominee Morgan Griffiths with three each.

Interestingly, both Ross and Whitcomb headed the nominees list for the 2025 CCMA Awards, with six nods each while Riegling earned five. Ross and Whitcomb also shared top honours on the big night, each winning two major awards. Ontario native Ross (now based in Nashville) won single of the year for "Single Again" and was named entertainer of the year while B.C. singer-songwriter Whitcomb was named breakthrough artist of the year and won the fans' choice award.

Other notable winners receiving trophies in Kelowna last year included Jade Eagleson, Riegling, Mackenzie Porter and James Barker Band.

The past year has been highly momentous for both Whitcomb and Ross. Both artists released full-length debut albums last September (The Hard Way for Whitcomb, Later Tonight for Ross) and Whitcomb won 2026 Juno Awards for country album of the year and breakthrough artist of the year. Josh Ross received four 2026 Juno nominations but went home empty-handed, after winning for country album of the year in 2025. Both artists have had highly successful Canadian tours and have started to make a splash outside Canada. Just last month, Whitcomb hit the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with the track ''Kingdom of Fear.''

This year's CCMA Award nominees list comprises 192 artists and industry professionals, with 71 earning their first-ever nomination. The trophies will be handed out on Sept. 19 at the 2026 CCMA Awards, taking place at SaskTelCentre in Saskatoon.

There is a fan component to two major categories this year, breakthrough artist or group of the year presented by FACTOR and the fan's choice award. Nominees in the breakthrough category are Sully Burrows, Morgan Griffiths, Zach McPhee, Brock Phillips and Josh Stumpf while the contenders for the fan's choice category are (in alphabetical order) Jade Eagleson, Morgan Griffiths, James Barker Band, Brett Kissel, Tyler Joe Miller, The Reklaws, Owen Riegling, Josh Ross, Josh Stumpf and Cameron Whitcomb. Canadian country fans can place their vote (starting at 3 pm today) at ccma.org/fanvoting.

The 2026 CCMA Awards air on CTV and Crave and come at the end of Country Music Week 2026, which kicks off in Saskatoon on Sept. 16. As reported earlier in Billboard Canada, the lineup of award show performers will include Dean Brody, James Barker Band, The Reklaws, Owen Riegling and homegrown Saskatchewan stars including Tenille Arts, Hunter Brothers, Kalsey Kulyk and Jess Moskaluke. Show tickets are available here.

Of note: This is the 44th edition of the CCMA Awards, the biggest event on the Canadian country music industry calendar. 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Canadian Country Music Association, a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to promoting and recognizing Canadian country music. More info here.

2026 CCMA Award Nominees

Entertainer of the Year (Award #1)

• James Barker Band
• Brett Kissel
• Owen Riegling
• Josh Ross
• Cameron Whitcomb

Ford F-150® Album of the Year (Award #2)

• The Hard Way – Cameron Whitcomb
• In the Feeling – Owen Riegling
• Later Tonight – Josh Ross
• Starting Over – Thelma & James
• One of Us – James Barker Band

Fans’ Choice (Award #3)

• Jade Eagleson
• James Barker Band
• Morgan Griffiths
• Brett Kissel
• Tyler Joe Miller
• The Reklaws
• Owen Riegling
• Josh Ross
• Josh Stumpf
• Cameron Whitcomb

Female Artist of the Year (Award #4)

• Madeline Merlo
• Jess Moskaluke
• Meghan Patrick
• Sacha
• Tenille Townes

Francophone Artist of the Year presented by Spotify (Award #5)

• Francis Degrandpré
• Fred Dionne
• Gab Forest
• Vince Lemire
• Laurence St-Martin

Group or Duo of the Year (Award #6)

• High Valley
• James Barker Band
• The Prairie States
• The Reklaws
• Thelma & James

Musical Collaboration of the Year (Award #7)

• Backfire – Nate Haller x Tenille Townes
• Drunk Right Now (Na Na Na) – Josh Ross & Akon
• How Do You Miss Me – Dallas Smith feat. Alexandra Kay
• Shooting Star – Sacha with Restless Road
• Till The Wheels Fall Off – The Road Hammers feat. Tyler Connelly & Ian Thornley

Male Artist of the Year (Award #8)

• Jade Eagleson
• Tyler Joe Miller
• Owen Riegling
• Josh Ross
• Cameron Whitcomb

Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year presented by FACTOR (Award #9)

• Sully Burrows
• Morgan Griffiths
• Brock Phillips
• Zach McPhee
• Josh Stumpf

Alternative Country Album of the Year presented by National Music Centre (Award #10)

• The Acrobat – Tenille Townes
• Chapter 1 – Shawnee Kish
• Further From the Country – William Prince
• The Hard Way – Cameron Whitcomb
• Starting Over – Thelma & James

Single of the Year (Award #11)

• Backfire – Nate Haller x Tenille Townes
• Bourbon – Morgan Griffiths
• Hate How You Look – Josh Ross
• Options – Cameron Whitcomb
• You Didn’t Hear It From Me – James Barker Band

Songwriter(s) of the Year presented by SOCAN (Award #12)

• Alternate Ending – Maggie Chapman, Jake Etheridge, Josh Jenkins, MacKenzie Porter (Artist: Thelma & James)
• Backfire – Michael August, Nate Hall, James Adam Shelley, Tenille Townes, Stuart Walker (Artist: Nate Haller x Tenille Townes)
• Kingdom Of Fear – Jack Riley, Cal Shapiro, Nolan Winfield Sipe, Cameron Whitcomb (Artist: Cameron Whitcomb)
• One Of Us – James Barker, Jim McCormick, Gavin Slate, Travis Wood (Artist: James Barker Band)
• Safe Place to Break – Zach Kale, Shane Minor, Meghan Patrick (Artist: Meghan Patrick)

Video of the Year (Award #16)

• Cowboys & Dreamers – Brett Kissel (Video Director: Travis Nesbitt)
• Golden Child – Meghan Patrick (Video Director: Ford Fairchild)
• I Ain’t Country – Jess Moskaluke (Video Director: Connor Scheffler)
• Later Tonight – Josh Ross (Video Director: Jack Owen)
• Parking Lot Prayers – Thelma & James (Video Director: Caleb Donato)

MUSICIAN AWARDS

Bass Player of the Year (Award #17)

• Tyson Goodvin
• Lisa Jacobs
• Ben Miller
• Brandi Sidoryk
• Alex St. Kitts

Drummer of the Year (Award #18)

• Spencer Cheyne
• Flavio Cirillo
• Rich DaSilva
• David Larocque
• Brendan Lyons
• Greg Williamson

Fiddle Player of the Year (Award #19)

• Talia Beckie
• Tyler Beckett
• Denis Dufresne
• Julie Jasmin
• Catherine Robertson

Guitar Player of the Year (Award #20)

• Chris Bray
• Russell Broom
• Ryan Davidson
• Étienne Joly
• Brennan Wall

Keyboard Player of the Year (Award #21)

• Amber Bauer
• Jared Brake
• Cam Buie
• Matt Koebel

Specialty Instrument Player of the Year (Award #22)

• Derek Caven
• Marcel Rousseau
• Tyler Vollrath

Steel Guitar Player of the Year (Award #23)

• Matty Mckay
• Kevin Neal
• Francis Veillette

RADIO AWARDS

Radio Station of the Year (Large Market)(Award #24)

• CFCW (Edmonton, AB)
• CFXJ-FM (Toronto, ON)
• CHKX-FM (Hamilton, ON)
• CJJR-FM (Vancouver, BC)
• CKRY-FM (Calgary, AB)

Radio Station of the Year (Medium or Small Market)(Award #25)

• CFWC-FM (Brantford, ON)
• CHCQ-FM (Belleville, ON)
• CICX-FM (Orillia, ON)
• CJGX (Yorkton, SK)
• CKYL-FM (Peace River, AB)

INDUSTRY AWARDS

Booking Agency of the Year presented by Dolly’s (Award #26)

• Fame Group Agency
• The Feldman Agency
• Invictus Entertainment Group
• Paquin Artists Agency
• Rosemarie Records

Country Club of the Year (Award #27)

• Cook County Saloon (Edmonton, AB)
• Horseshoe Tavern (Toronto, ON)
• LANJEU — Lounge & Spectacle (Montréal, QC)
• Ranchman’s Cookhouse and Dancehall (Calgary, AB)

Country Festival, Fair or Exhibition of the Year (Award #28)

• Big Valley Jamboree (Camrose, AB)
• Boots and Hearts Music Festival (Oro-Medonte, ON)
• Calgary Stampede (Calgary, AB)
• Cavendish Beach Music Festival (Cavendish, PEI)
• LASSO Montréal (Montréal, QC)

Country Music Program, Special, or Digital Feature of the Year (Award #29)

• Dallas Smith & His Band (Unplugged) Tour (Behind The Scenes) (Brandon Ferguson)
• Heartstrings & Honky Tonks Broadcasting LIVE on 840 CFCW (CFCW and SILVERPLOW)
• On the Porch with Front Porch Music (Front Porch Music)
• Pure Country Top 50 Countdown with Lainey Wilson, Russell Dickerson and Shannon Ella (iHeartRadio Canada)
• Russell Dickerson Holiday House Party (Warren Copnick and Ron Tarrant)

Country Personality(ies) of the Year (Award #30)

• Shannon Ella (Pure Country Radio National Midday)
• Tracy Lynn (CFWC-FM)
• Jason McCoy (CICX-FM)
• Sam McDaid (CIKZ-FM)
• Logan Miller & Jenna Weishar (On The Porch With Front Porch Music)

Management Company of the Year (Award #31)

• The Core Entertainment
• MDM Artist Management Services
• Red Light Management Services
• Starseed Entertainment
• Strut Entertainment

Music Publishing Company of the Year presented by CMRRA (Award #32)

• Anthem Music Publishing
• Big Loud Publishing
• Sony Music Canada Publishing
• Universal Music Publishing Group
• Warner Chappell Music Canada

Record Company of the Year (Award #33)

• Big Loud Records
• BMG Canada
• MDM Recordings Inc.
• Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc.
• Universal Music Canada

Industry Person of the Year (Award #34)

• Justin Clark (Big Loud Records)
• Warren Copnick (Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc.)
• Lindsay Hyslop (BMG Canada)
• Emilie Pallick (604 Records)
• Craig Senyk (SkySong Records, Craig Senyk Initiatives)

International Industry Person of the Year (Award #35)

• Seth England
• Sina Hall
• Baylen Leonard
• Justin Thomson
• Frank Varrasso

Creative Team or Designer of the Year (Award #36)

• Design Team: Chris Doi, Roberta Landreth, Kyle McKearney, Jeff Ojeda – Single: “Wildflower” Artwork (Artist: Kyle McKearney), Single: “Rearview” Artwork (Artist: Kyle McKearney)
• Design Team: Mikey Lavi, Kaity Panayotopoulos, Collin Steinz, Tenille Townes, Jackson Tupper – Album: “The Acrobat” Vinyl Packaging (Artist: Tenille Townes)
• Design Team: Bronwin Parks, Amanda Rheaume, Jen Squires – Album: “The Truth We Hold” Campaign Materials (Artist: Amanda Rheaume)
• Design Team: Logan Dane Morrison, Shaina Stein – Album: “The Hard Way” Artwork (Artist: Cameron Whitcomb)
• Design Team: Mitch Nevins – Single: “Going Somewhere” Campaign Materials (Artist: Tim Hicks)

Recording Studio of the Year (Award #37)

• 80A Studios (Toronto, ON)
• Manicdown Studios (Vancouver, BC)
• MCC Recording Studio (Calgary, AB)
• OCL Studios (Chestermere, AB)
• Wildflower Studios (Airdrie, AB)

Record Producer(s) of the Year (Award #38)

• Derek Hoffman – Single: Going Somewhere (Artist: Tim Hicks), Single: Good To Drive (Artist: Jessica Sevier), Single: Rally Around (Artist: Sully Burrows), Single: Sad Eyes (Artist: Andrew Hyatt)
• Karen Kosowski – Single: Iron Man (Acoustic)(Artist: Meghan Patrick), Single: Jessica Jezebel (Artist: Meghan Patrick), Single: Safe Place To Break (Artist: Meghan Patrick)
• Bart McKay – Single: Jesus Drank Whiskey (Artist: Julia Vos), Single: Leavin’ Town (Artist: Rosewood Ave.), Single: She’ll Come Back Around (Artist: Chevy Beaulieu)
• Joey Moi – Album: I’m The Problem (Artist: Morgan Wallen)
• Dan Swinimer – Album: Days Like This (Artist: Tony Stevens), Single: Feels Like Forever (Artist: The Prairie States), Single: Listen (Artist: Chad Brownlee), Single: Man Outta Me (Artist: Savannah Jade)

Retailer or Commercial Platform of the Year (Award #39)

• Amazon Music
• Apple Music
• SiriusXM Canada
• Spotify Canada Inc.

Ron Sakamoto Talent Buyer or Promoter of the Year (Award #40)

• Jim Cressman (Invictus Entertainment Group)
• Dan Clapson (Blue Jay Sessions)
• Brooke Dunford (Republic Live)
• Chris Melnychuk (SILVERPLOW Productions Inc.)
• Denise Ross (Live Nation Entertainment)

Innovative Campaign of the Year (Award #41)

• “The Backroad of Memory Lane” Campaign (Delta Sweet)
• “Carl Dean” Campaign (Hailey Benedict, Big Loud, Local Hay)
• “Growing Down” Campaign (Robyn Ottolini)
• “Killer Instinct” Montreal Canadiens Playoff Campaign (Rick Duff and Rosemarie Records)
• “Later Tonight” Album Roll Out (Josh Ross and Universal Music Canada