Year In Review – Favourite Female Artist of 2016 nominees

2016 is one for the record books but not before we reflect on the amazing accomplishments of some of our Canadian artists who happened to be nominated this year and our Canadian Beats awards. Yesterday was all about the men with our Favourite Male Artist of 2016 nominees, but now the women shine! Here are our Favourite Female Artist of 2016 nominees and some of what they’ve accomplished in 2016!

Jess Moskaluke (Photo Credit: Nanci Dagg)

2016 was an exciting year for Jess Moskaluke. She was very busy doing what she loves best – performing for her fans, appearing on Rogers Hometown Hockey in March, appearing at many fundraisers, shows (including the CCMA Awards) and summer country music festivals across Canada. She won CCMA Female Artist of the Year in September (for the third year in a row) as well as the SCMA Female Artist of the Year. She released singles from her Light Up The Night album “Take Me Home” and  “Elevator” to much success, with “Take Me Home” featured on the album Now! Country 11. The video for this tune debuted on CMT Canada and CMT US in March. On the 2016 Top 50 Year End Canadian Country Chart, “Take Me Home” came in at Number 34 and named the Top Canadian Female Country Song. In November, Moskaluke achieved platinum-certified status for her fans’ favourite single “Cheap Wine and Cigarettes.” And, Jess Moskaluke is the only Canadian female solo country artist to achieve platinum status (downloads for a song) since Shania Twain. Quite a year, to be sure!

Madeline Merlo (Photo Credit: Linda Heldman)

Madeline Merlo has had a busy year!  Merlo released her debut full-length album Free Soul on April 29th.  The release had three previously released singles “Sinking Like a Stone,” “Alive,” and “Honey Jack.”  It also featured the new 2016 singles “Whatcha Wanna Do About It” and “War Paint.” At the 2016 Canadian Country Music Association Awards, the singer performed and was nominated for Female Artist of the Year.  In addition, Merlo was nominated for – and won – Female Vocalist of the Year at the BC Country Music Association Awards.  To wrap up 2016, the singer released her holiday single “White Christmas” digitally on December 16.

Erin Costelo (Photo Credit: Jenna Melanson)

March saw Halifax songstress Erin Costelo release her fourth, and arguably best, album Down Below the Status Quo. Taking a far more soulful and bluesy turn than her previous recordings the effort resulted in an incredible eight Music nova Scotia awards with Erin walking away with the prize for solo recording of the year. The album also garnered accolades from fans and critics alike topping many best of the year lists.

Terri Clark (Photo Credit: Nicole Wolfe)

In 2016 Terri Clark accomplished a lot. In March she finished building her house in Nashville. It also has 26 acres of forest to go along it. As of April 2016 she is now the host of her very own radio show called Country Gold with Terri Clark. She interviews friends and other artists. She also had a huge tour this year, The Back to My Roots Solo Acoustic Tour. She did 83 shows with 41 stops including the CCMAS. Her last show The City Winery Nashville Show was sold out! Since then she has been doing a lot of down time song writing and in the new year hopes to get back into the studio to release new songs for 2017.

Jessica Mitchell (Photo Credit: Nicole Wolfe)

The year 2016 has been brought to you by the word… WHISKEY!  And, what a year it has been for Canadian country songstress, Jessica Mitchell.  Mitchell released her debut EP, Hold Onto The Light, which is a collection of four songs that “cater to a growth and time in my life that I can proudly say ruled my world both with pain and acceptance of not only myself but of others”, as she stated.  Her hit single, “Workin on Whiskey”, rose through the charts throughout the year and set the stage for many successes and celebrations.  Later in the year she also released an official video for the single.  An absolute highlight in 2016 was her acoustic performance of “Workin on Whiskey” at the CMAO awards in May that received a standing ovation at the end of her performance (she was nominated twice at this awards ceremony for the 2016 Female Artist of the Year CMAO and Rising Star Award).  Mitchell surprised fans with a performance with Lindsay Ell at the Boots and Hearts Music Festival in Oro-Medonte this summer with a performance of “Tennessee Whiskey”.  She also toured with Kiefer Sutherland on the “Not Enough Whiskey” tour this year.  Beyond all of the whiskey, Mitchell was also a two-time nominee at the CCMA awards in her hometown of London.  She also performed on stage with some amazing Canadian talent including Dean Brody at the CNE this summer, in the CCMA Legends Show during Country Music Week, and with Royal Wood in September.  She performed nonstop at radio and television stations in support of her EP and hit single and performed at many festivals including Manitoulin Country Fest.  More recently Mitchell announced that she will be opening for Terri Clark in March on her tour.  She also recently released her countrified version of “Blue Christmas” and recorded an CMT One Shot version of this song.  Over the Christmas season fans could see her on stage at the Art of Time Ensemble which is a unique concert which fuses high art and popular culture in music.