A couple of Central Alberta country bands scored big wins at the recent Alberta Country Music Awards.
Stettler group Domino picked up both Group/Duo of the Year and Fan’s Choice awards from the Association of Country Music in Alberta at its 2015 awards ceremony held earlier this week in Red Deer.
As well, Sylvan Lake’s The Boom Chucka Boys won Video of the Year for Can’t Take My Lips Off You, and songwriters Phil O’Donnel, Ryan Langlois and Joel Rathjen were awarded Song of the Year.
The video for Can’t Take My Lips Off You was recorded live at a kissing booth at Westerner Days last summer.
Domino’s Group of the Year win is probably overdue for a group with 13 years in the music business. “We’re calling this our lucky 13,” said the group’s lead vocalist and bassist Luanne Carl, who was nominated with Domino five previous times.
“We are absolutely overwhelmed and humbled” with the ACMA awards, she added. “We are beyond happy. This is a dream come true!”
The other members of Domino are Kent Nixon, also lead vocals and guitar, Scott McKnight on drums, and Russ Carl on guitar and mandolin. The band released its third album Ghost, with singles One More Kiss and Big Blue Sky, which were well received by radio across Canada. The group previously released In a Small Town single and video as well as One Day at a Time and All We Need Tonight.
After winning an ACMA Award for the video for Can’t Take My Lips Off You, The Boom Chuck Boys posted an exuberant message on Facebook: “Want to send a HUGE congrats and thanks to our friends at Unveil Studios in Red Deer … It was a one day, live, and on the fly video shoot at Westerner Days Fair & Exposition. It turned out incredible.”
The band is made up of Langlois, Rathjen, Teddy Roy Michaylow, Ben Shillabeer and Neil MacDonald.
Besides the Central Alberta ACMA winners, Brett Kissel, of Flat Lake, Alta., walked away with two wins — Single of the Year for Airwaves and Album of the Year for Pick Me Up.
First time wins were given out to Drew Gregory, of Standard, Alta., for Male Artist of the Year and Calgary’s Lindsay Ell for Female Artist of the Year.
The award for the 2015 Rising Star went to Calgary-based Trinity Bradshaw. Other wins from the evening included Angie Morris for Industry Person of the Year and Calgary Stampede took home their second win for Talent Buyer of the Year.
Larry Werner, longtime producer of the Big Valley Jamboree, was inducted into the ACMA Hall of Fame.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com