Country music awards may kickstart London's music, hospitality scenes
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Chris Doris is looking forward to being busy.
It’s been a long, tough haul to keep his downtown restaurant, Olive R. Twists, open during the pandemic that slammed into the city’s hospitality sector.
But when the Canadian Country Music Association awards weekend kicks off in London later this month, it will mean “thousands” of people may be looking for dinner and a night out.
And it just may mean we are coming back.
“We are going to have thousands more people downtown. Do you think restaurants will benefit? We need this,” said the partner in the restaurant and bar at Covent Garden Market.
“The CCMAs are a very big feather in London’s cap. The restaurants downtown are prepared to be very busy during the event and it is a well deserved boost for us.”
The CCMA awards, last hosted by London in 2016, are a national country music event that will take over Budweiser Gardens, London Music Hall and a host of local bars and restaurants with live performances and industry events from Nov. 26 to 29.
It will also thrust London onto the national music stage, especially the awards television broadcast on Nov. 29 from Budweiser Gardens.
“We need this push, but I think we are going to make it. It won’t be an easy ride out (of the pandemic shutdowns), but I think we will,” said Doris, who will host some industry events over the weekend.
Palasad SocialBowl on Adelaide Street will host acts throughout the weekend, including 16 bands over four hours on the Saturday afternoon on two stages for an industry party, said Martyn Novak, marketing manager at the entertainment and dining complex.
“It is so great to have the city come alive again for the first time since 2019,” said Novak.
“The CCMAs are a huge deal for this community, for hotels and restaurants and venues with live music. We are super excited to be part of it, to book bands. These are amazing artists.”
Palasad has a capacity for 500 and is forecasting the attendance for different shows will range from 200 to 400. It was only a few weeks ago restrictions were in place that limited seating.
“It is a huge boom for our industry in general. We are going to have superstars on our stage,” Novak said.
Not only will some downtown bars, restaurants and event spaces fill with music lovers, but the CCMAs may offer a boost to many businesses across the city and across sectors, said Cory Crossman, the City of London’s music industry development officer.
Hotels, restaurants, stores and bars will benefit, but few sectors have been hit harder than live music. Crossman wants to see bands and artists filling venues again, and the CCMA awards can help draw more people back to hear live music.
“It is a pretty massive opportunity, a massive first step during COVID recovery. There are events across multiple spaces and formats to make people feel safe again,” said Crossman.
“The music sector has been hit the hardest. It is testament to our community we are able to pull this off. We are bringing a national industry to London.”
That has not happened since 2019 when London hosted the Junos in a pre-COVID-19 week-long music party.
London venues have plans in place and will follow necessary COVID protocols for inside events. But there will also be some events outside for those still not comfortable venturing indoors.
“It is a work in progress, people have different comfort levels,” Crossman said.
The list of venues being lined up for events, indoors and out, is still being developed, but look for announcements, he added.
It is also too soon to talk about how many are snapping up the mostly free tickets to events. The bars and London Music Hall are seeing interest, and the awards event at Bud Gardens Nov. 29 still has tickets available.
“Numbers are slowly getting stronger. It has been a long journey to get this and everyone’s comfort level is different. But this is an opportunity to build trust,” said Crossman.
The CCMA awards come to the city shortly after London was named a UNESCO city of music earlier this month, the first Canadian city to earn the honour. The designation from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization came after London built a reputation as a host city for events like the Juno and CCMA awards.
The London Music Hall will host five events over the weekend, all free, and tickets have been moving steadily, said hall owner Mike Manuel.
“We are very happy to be open and to be moving forward. From where we were two weeks ago, this is great,” he said.
The hall has two venues, one with capacity for 400 and the other that can host more than 1,000.
Manuel has had five music shows since the pandemic restrictions were lifted and reports all sold well, giving him high hopes for the CCMA weekend.
“Our community deserves this. We have worked so hard to battle this, our vaccination numbers are high, our COVID numbers are low. This is a step in the right direction,” Natalie Wakabayashi, director of culture and entertainment tourism at Tourism London, said of the CCMA awards.
“It shows we are invested in music.”
Attendance at the events will be “about confidence — some may not be ready to leave their house,” she said. Still, the industry here has to make the effort to build patron confidence for future events.
“It has been a roller-coaster for the last 18 months, but it is huge for us to host,” she said.
“There is a lot going on. If your comfort level is to be outside, we have you covered. If it is inside, we have you covered. At the end of the day, we are happy to see people engaged,” said Wakabayashi.
The Canadian Country Music Association Awards
Nov. 26
– Country Finale Concert, featuring The Reklaws, Raquel Cole, Tyler Joe Miller. Kelly Prescott; 8:00 p.m., London Music Hall, 185 Queens Ave. Free ticketed event
Nov. 27
– CCMA Fan Fest, 2-4 p.m., London Music Hall. Free ticketed event. Artists: Tenille Arts, Jade Eagleson, Tyler Joe Miller, MacKenzie Porter, The Reklaws, Brad Rempel of High Valley and Dallas Smith
– CCMA House Party, 6 p.m., London Music Hall. Performances and appearances feature Shawn Austin, Tim Hicks, High Valley, Andrew Hyatt, JoJo Mason, Tyler Joe Miller, Jess Moskaluke, Steven Lee Olsen, MacKenzie Porter, Dallas Smith, and Tim and The Glory Boys.
Nov. 28
– CCMA House Unplugged, London Music Hall; noon-1:40 p.m., featuring James Barker, Jade Eagleson, Madison Kozak, Griffen Palmer and The Reklaws; 2-3:40 p.m. featuring Tenille Arts, Aaron Goodwin, Robyn Ottolini, Brad Rempel of High Valley and Tenille Townes
– CCMA Music Industry gala dinner and awards, RBC Place Grand Ballroom, 300 York St., 6-9 p.m.
Nov. 29
– CCMA Awards, 8-10 p.m., Budweiser Gardens, nationally televised broadcast hosted by Lindsay Ell and Priyanka, featuring performances by Tenille Arts, Lindsay Ell, Tim Hicks, High Valley, JoJo Mason, Tyler Joe Miller, Jess Moskaluke, Robyn Ottolini, Dallas Smith, MacKenzie Porter and Dustin Lynch, The Reklaws and Sacha, Tenille Townes
History:
– The CCMA held its first awards ceremony in Halifax in 1982.
– It was last held in London in 2016.
– Last year it was held in Oro-Medonte, Ont.
2021 Nominees:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Dean Brody
Brett Kissel
MacKenzie Porter
The Reklaws
Dallas Smith
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The Demos – Jess Moskaluke
Heart Theory – Lindsay Ell
The Lemonade Stand – Tenille Townes
Sometimes I Don’t, But Sometimes I Do – Tyler Joe Miller
Timeless – Dallas Smith
What Is Life? – Brett Kissel
FANS’ CHOICE
Tenille Arts
Dean Brody
Jade Eagleson
High Valley
Brent Kissel
Tyler Joe Miller
MacKenzie Porter
The Reklaws
Dallas Smith
Tenille Townes
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Dean Brody
Jade Eagleson
Brett Kissel
Tyler Joe Miller
Dallas Smith
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Tenille Arts
Lindsay Ell
Jess Moskaluke
MacKenzie Porter
Tenille Townes
GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
High Valley
Hunter Brothers
The Reklaws
Tim and The Glory Boys
The Washboard Union
INTERACTIVE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lindsay Ell
Aaron Goodvin
James Barker Band
Nice Horse
The Reklaws
RISING STAR
Shawn Austin
Andrew Hyatt
Tyler Joe Miller
Robyn Ottolini
Tim and The Glory Boys
ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
After Midnight – Callie McCullough
Agricultural Tragic – Corb Lund
The Ride – Ryan Lindsay
Who I Am – Cory Marks
Without People – Donovan Woods
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Can’t Help Myself – Dean Brody and The Reklaws
Grew Up On That – High Valley
Like a Man – Dallas Smith
No Truck Song – Tim Hicks
Where I’m From – The Reklaws
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