Maple Ridge father/daughter Tom and Carly McKillip are up for multiple awards at the 43rd Annual B.C. Country Music Awards (BCCMA).
Tom is up for the Best All Star Band - Special Instrument award for his saxophone playing as well as Producer of the Year alongside his daughter.
“This was a dream come true,” Tom said about working with Carly. “I won a Canadian Country Music producer award in 2007 and she won it in 2017 – so it runs in the family.”
Their work on the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Album Then and Now is what earned them the nomination.
Combining stars of yesteryear and artists of today, songs by Ian Tyson, Murray MacLauchlan, Jess Moskaluke, and Brett Kissel are featured on their 2018 release which takes a look back at Canadian Country history with new covers, duets, and re-releases.
“It’s a landmark album for me, which reconnected me with people I worked over the past forty years,” Tom explained. “And it managed to have the ‘then and now’ on the producers side too with me and Carly.”
Carly (married to Dallas Smith’s lead guitarist Darren Savard) is additionally nominated for Best Recording Professional of the Year and the Mike Norman All-Star Band Award for Best Keyboard.
She said the latter was an honor as the late Norman served as a mentor to her and was a close family friend to the McKillips.
Though she may not be able to make it to the actualy awards ceremony, having just given birth to her first child, Carly said the opportunity to work with her dad on the album was enough of an honor.
“I wish I had some dirt to tell you, but it was an easy experience,” Carly explained. “I think its a pretty unique opportunity to work with Dad like this; the chance doesn’t come along every day.”
As for Maple Ridge itself, Carly had nothing for positives to say about her home.
“We’ve been living here for 17 years now – it’s growing at a rapid place and there is always a ton of support in our community when me and my sister Britt are out,” Carly explained. “People say the are proud we are from Maple Ridge and that definitely goes both ways.”
The 2019 ceremony, hosted by Keri Adams, will be held at the Hardrock Casino in Coquitlam, Sunday, Oct. 20th.
The BCCMA shortlist is made up of a significant amount of Fraser Valley performing artists; Emily Taylor Adams, Karen Lee Batten, JoJo Mason, and Mitch Merrett are just a few of the local names nominated.
Maple Ridge musician Madeline Merlo withdrew her name this year for consideration to give more opportunities to emerging artists.
Maple Ridge band Me and Mae were additionally nominated for Group/Duo of the Year and Club Act of the Year on the BCCMA longlist.
Find the full list of 43rd Annual B.C. Country Music Award nominees below.
ENTERTAINER(S) OF THE YEAR
Aaron Pritchett
Ben Klick
JoJo Mason - Clayton Heights
Shawn Austin
The Heels
The Washboard Union
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ajaye Jardine
April Reign
Becca Hess
Emily Taylor Adams
Karen Lee Batten
Kristin Carter
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Aaron Pritchett
Ben Klick
JoJo Mason
Kadooh
Shawn Austin
GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR
Chris Buck Band
Jackson Hollow
Sons of Daughters
The Heels
The Washboard Union
VIDEO/LYRIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Aaron Pritchett - Better When I Do
Emily Taylor Adams - Leave The Light On
Kadooh - Somethin’ To Roll On
The Promised - We Could Be in Love
The Washboard Union - She Gets Me
RAY MCAULEY HORIZON AWARD
April Reign
Doug Folkins
Melissa Livingstone
Taylor-Rae
The Promised
TJ Miller
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Aaron Pritchett - Better When I Do
Becca Hess - I Don’t Do Love Songs
Chris Buck Band - Good Ol’ Days
JoJo Mason - Better On You
Kadooh - Somethin’ To Roll On
Shawn Austin - You Belong
Sons of Daughters - Ain’t Gonna Be Lonely Long
The Washboard Union - She Gets Me
ALBUM/EP OF THE YEAR
Aaron Pritchett - Out on the Town
Chris Buck Band - All In
Kadooh - Kadooh
Shawn Austin - Shawn Austin
Sons of Daughters - Love in a Bar
SOCAN SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
“Ain’t Gonna Be Lonely Long” - Chrystal Oudijk, Gavin Slate, Jimmy Thow, Travis Wood - performed by Sons of Daughters
“Good Ol’ Days” - Chris Buck, Ryan Stead, Anthony Fiddler - performed by Chris Buck Band
“Holy Smoke” - Mitch Merrett, Jimmy Thow - performed by Black Mountain Whiskey Rebellion
“She Gets Me” - Aaron Grain, Chris Duncombe, David Roberts, Gordie Sampson - performed by The Washboard Union
“Somethin’ To Roll On” - Kadooh, Jeff Johnson, Carly Dawn Campbell, Jesse Wainwright - performed by Kadooh
COUNTRY CLUB ACT OF THE YEAR
Appaloosa
Ben Klick
Hillside Outlaws
The County Line
The Millennials
GAYLORD WOOD TRADITIONAL/ROOTS COUNTRY AWARDS
Becca Hess
Jackson Hollow
Kenny Hess
Son of John
The Promised
The Washboard Union
COUNTRY VENUE OF THE YEAR
Gabby’s Cabaret
OK Corral Cabaret
The Duke Saloon
The Roxy
The Yale Saloon
MIKE NORMAN ALL-STAR BAND - BASS
Charlie Frie
Cyril Schermann
Matt Genereux
Michael Vanderlans
Phil Bell
MIKE NORMAN ALL-STAR BAND - DRUMS
Darrin Cherewayko
Matthew Atkins
Samuel Cartwright
Seamus O’Neill
Tobi D
MIKE NORMAN ALL-STAR BAND - GUITAR
Anthony Fiddler
Ben Klick
John Ellis
Jon Tucker
Ryan Stead
MIKE NORMAN ALL-STAR BAND – KEYBOARD
Carly Savard
Darryl Hebert
Geoff Robertson
Philip Laessoe
Roz Steel
ALL STAR BAND – SPECIAL INSTRUMENT
Eric Reed - Banjo, Dobro
John Ellis - Steel, Banjo
Philip Puxley – Banjo
Scott Smith - Steel
Tom McKillip - Saxaphone - MR
MIKE NORMAN ALL-STAR BAND – FIDDLE/MANDOLIN
Geoff Robertson - Mandolin
Javan Johnson - Fiddle
Julie Kennedy - Fiddle
Michael Meroniuk - Mandolin
Mike Sanyshyn – Fiddle/Mandolin - RECORDING PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
Carly Savard - Maple Ridge
Paul Shatto
Scott Cooke
Sheldon Zaharko
Soren Lonnqvist
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Andrew Davies
Cole Northey
Stephano Barberis
Style Dayne
Wes Mack
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Anthony Fiddler
Jeff Johnson
Mitch Merrett
Scott Cooke
Tom McKillip
INTERACTIVE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Aaron Pritchett
Ajaye Jardine
Ben Klick
Chris Buck Band
The Heels
DON ADAMS INDUSTRY SUPPORTER
Ben Klick (Klick Entertainment)
Country 107.1
Gone Country
Kenny Hess / Becca Hess - Rockin’ Riverfest
Paul Biro (Sakamoto Agency)
FANS’ CHOICE
Aaron Pritchett
Ben Klick
Chris Buck Band
JoJo Mason
Kadooh
Karen Lee Batten
Shawn Austin
Sons of Daughters
The Heels
The Washboard Union