The 19th annual Canadian Radio Music Awards were handed out Friday at Toronto’s Sheraton as a part of Canadian Music Week. Featuring performances by The Strumbellas, Coleman Hell and others, the awards honour the best and brightest of Canada’s emerging talent the CRMAs honour first time charting artists as well as those who have dominated the Canadian airwaves over the past year.
Along with expected winners like The Weeknd taking home SOCAN’s Song of the Year for “Can’t Feel My Face” and Cold Creek County bringing home Best New Group or Solo Artist in the country genre the event did offer a few surprises. With the nominees for several awards not being announced prior to the event The Strumbellas, Shawn Mendes and Leah Daniels taking home the Heatseeker Award, Sennheiser Charttopper Award and Factor Breakthrough Award respectively. The biggest shock of the day, perhaps, was The Weeknd beating out Justin Bieber for the Fans Choice Award.
2016 CANADIAN RADIO MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES * Winners are in bold
BEST NEW GROUP OR SOLO ARTIST: AC
COLEMEN HELL- 2 HEADS
FRANCESCO YATES – BETTER TO BE LOVED
JOCELYN ALICE – JACKPOT
RIA MAE – CLOTHES OFF
SCOTT HELMAN – BUNGALOW
BEST NEW GROUP OR SOLO ARTIST: CHR
ALESSIA CARA – HERE
COLEMAN HELL – 2 HEADS
DAN TALEVSKI – GUILTY AS SIN
FRANCESCO YATES – BETTER TO BE LOVED
JOCELYN ALICE – JACKPOT
BEST NEW GROUP OR SOLO ARTIST: MAINSTREAM ROCK
SAINT ASONIA – BETTER PLACE
STANDSTILLS – ORLEANS
THE WILD! – SLOW BURN
BEST NEW GROUP OR SOLO ARTIST: MODERN ROCK
BRAVE SHORES – NEVER COME DOWN
COLEMAN HELL – 2 HEADS
ELWINS – SO DOWN LO
WHITEHORSE – DOWNTOWN
BEST NEW GROUP OR SOLO ARTIST: COUNTRY
COLD CREEK COUNTY – OUR TOWN
DAVID JAMES – WHAT WE WEREN’T LOOKING FOR
JOJO MASON – IT’S ALL GOOD – PIC REC’D
LEAH DANIELS – GO BACK
PETRIC – HERE GOES EVERYTHING
SOCAN SONG OF THE YEAR
CAN’T FEEL MY FACE – THE WEEKND
EARNED IT – THE WEEKND
SOMETHING BIG – SHAWN MENDES
SOUND OF YOUR HEART – SHAWN HOOK
STITCHES – SHAWN MENDES
FAN CHOICE
JUSTIN BIEBER
MAGIC!
SHAWN HOOK
SHAWN MENDES
THE WEEKND
TREVOR GUTHRIE
SENNHEISER CHARTTOPPER AWARD
SHAWN MENDES
HEATSEEKER AWARD
THE STRUMBELLAS
FACTOR BREAKTHROUGH AWARD
LEAH DANIELS