Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows will be well represented at the upcoming 48th annual B.C. Country Music Awards night.
The evening will be co-hosted by Maple Ridge native Madeline Merlo along with Chad Brownlee.
Merlo is up for Entertainer of the Year against: JoJo Mason of White Rock/Surrey; B.C. band The Washboard Union; and Tyler Joe Miller of Langley.
She is also up for Top Performing Single of the Year for her song “Broken Heart Thing”, against: Tyler Joe Miller for “Doin’ What She Does”; and “Somebody To Love” by The Washboard Union.
Pitt Meadows artist Danielle Ryan is up for Female Artist of the Year, along with: Annika Catharina from Deroche; Karen Lee Batten from Langley; Raquel Cole who lives in Nashville; and Teigen Gayse from Kelowna.
Ryan is also up for Song of the Year for her song called “Cross Your Mind”, against: “Bourbon by Morgan Griffiths; “One Is Gonna Hurt” by Dawson Gray; “One Two Step” by Chris Buck Band; “Something Else” by Brock Phillips; and “The Best Part” by Teigen Gayse.
The country music artist is also up for Interactive Artist of the Year, along with: Dawson Gray, Shalisa, Tony Stevens, and Zach McPhee.
Maple Ridge’s Tom McKillip, who was inducted into the B.C. Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022, is nominated for the Mike Norman All-Star Band – Special Instrument award for the saxophone.
The annual awards show will be taking place at the Great Show Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, starting at 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 26.
Performers will include: Tony Stevens; Chris Buck Band; Morgan Griffiths; Nicole Sumerlyn; Jaimesonrhy; Antonio Larosa; Emmett Jerome; Karen Lee Batten; Rachel Matkin; and Angela Kelman.
Tickets are still available for the public starting at $46.75, at : https://www.ticketmaster.ca/.