Council gave a resounding ‘yee haw’ to put in a bid to host the Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAO) Awards in 2028 and 2030.
“Very happy to see this,” said Councillor Alysson Storey. “As a music fan, and a musician, I am really hopeful we will be successful in this application.”
Program Manager of Tourism Development of Economic Development and Tourism Services, Shannon Paiva said the bid would be for a weekend of events in June 2028 and 2030 and that local opportunities for businesses and performers to take part separate from the awards ceremony.
Council approved the $60,000 hosting fee payable to CMAOntario for each of the two years of the contract. With an additional $10,000 per year in marketing and municipal event delivery expenses to be funded by the Together CK Reserve.
A typical CMAO weekend consists of four main events, including a Songs and Stories event, a series of free concerts at various venues, an outdoor ticketed show, and the awards show itself.
Paiva said it could be a few months before the municipality knows if they were successful.
