Two up-and-coming Central Alberta country artists are among 12 finalists in the running for a $100,000 top prize in Project WILD.
Jamie Woodfin, of Red Deer, and Cole Malone, of Innisfail, are each receiving a $5,000 development award as part of the dozen finalists chosen by a judging panel to advance in the professional music career development competition.
They will also be attending a music industry boot camp from Aug. 23-29 to hone their skills through mentoring, in performance, songwriting, marketing, media strategy, music accounting, tour strategy and social media.
In September and October, Woodfin, Malone and the other finalists will perform at a free public showcases at Calgary’s Knoxville Tavern, where the public will vote for their favourite artist.
The Top 3 will be announced on Nov. 8. The big awards are: $100,953 for first place, $75,000 for second, and $50,000 for third.
Project WILD has launched the careers of many artists, including previous Top 3 finalists Nice Horse, The Dungarees and Tanya Ryan.
Woodfin is already a local favourite. He’s a 2016 two-time Alberta Country Music Awards: Rising Star and Male Artist of the Year nominee.
He released his latest single You Were That Night to Canadian country radio, which has been playing it nation-wide. Woodfin’s shared stages with Toby Keith, Emerson Drive, Brett Kissel, Bobby Wills, Corb Lund, Gord Bamford, and Tom Cochrane — for a Centrium show last July.
Malone has played everything from small festivals to the Calgary Stampede. Winner of the Rising Star contest for 96.5 CKFM Radio, and Calgary Stampede’s Nashville North Star competition in 2015, Malone released his first single, Half The Bottle, in 2016 with the support of Royalty Records.
The two-time Alberta Country Music Association (ACMA) nominee has performed alongside The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, One More Girl and others.
Project WILD is administered by Alberta Music and funded by WILD 953, Calgary’s New Country radio, as part of a seven-year, $4.9 million program designed to kick-start the music careers of three artists annually. For more information, please visit projectwildcountry.com.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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