Moskaluke and Kissel dominate the CCMAS

TORONTO Country favourites Jess Moskaluke and Brett Kissel are neck and neck with six nominations each at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. And in some categories the two will be vying for the same trophy alongside other popular artists from across the country.

Both Moskaluke’s Past the Past and Kissel’s We Were That Song are in the running for album of the year alongside Meghan Patrick’s Country Music Made Me Do It, Lindsay Ell’s The Project and The Washboard Union’s What We’re Made Of. Single of the year nominees are Moskaluke’s Drive Me Away, Patrick’s Country Music Made Me Do It, James Barker Band’s Chills, Aaron Goodvin’s Lonely Drum and Dallas Smith’s Side Effects.

Best male artist nominees are Kissel, Smith, Gord Bamford, Chad Brownlee and Bobby Wills.

In the best female artist category are Moskaluke, Patrick, Ell, Madeline Merlo and Shania Twain.

Both nominees Moskaluke and Kissel have pocketed a number of CCMA trophies throughout their careers. She is a three-time winner of the female artist award, while he is hot off his run as last year’s breakout star, taking home four awards that included male artist and video of the year for his song I Didn’t Fall in Love With Your Hair. The CCMA Awards will take place in Hamilton, Ont., on Sept. 9 hosted by Twain and be broadcast on the CBC.