Interlake musicians hope to hit a high note by garnering enough votes to win a music award.
The Manitoba Country Music Association released its list of nominees for this year’s awards. Until Sept. 20, fans can vote online for their top picks in two categories — Fan’s Choice and Cover/Tribute Artist, Duo or Group of the Year.
In the Cover/Tribute Artist, Duo or Group of the Year, local band Lost in a Small Town is in the running. The band features Trey King of Warren on lead vocals, Colton King of Warren on rhythm guitar and vocals, Garret Kristjanson of Warren on rhythm guitar and vocals, Craig Keena of Marquette on bass and vocals, Garrett Rattai of Lockport on drums and Cameron Ducharme of St. Laurent on lead guitar, fiddle and vocals.
The band has been together for six years, and Trey King points to the passion they all share for playing music. Coming up, they’ll be playing the End of Summer Outdoor Social, which will be put on by the Woodlands Rec Club on Sept. 23.
“When we play as a group everything clicks. We never get upset if one guy misses a note or lyric. We always find a way to laugh and just enjoy the moment. We’ve become such a close group these past years and we’re all proud to share the stage with each other,” he said.
“As for our own music, we are in the works of starting to write some originals, but getting this nomination for Cover/Tribute Artist, Duo or Group of the Year will make us want to taste some of those other award nominations.”
He expressed gratitude towards everyone who has helped the band along the way, including Trevor King.
“He helps us out so much, whether it be sound or giving us a break on the vocals or guitar,” he said. “We truly couldn’t do some shows without him.”
The band members are also grateful for the help of Gage Millar and Brandin Johnston.
“These guys have helped us out so much this past year,” he said. “They are also a part of making this happen for us. It truly takes a community effort to be nominated like this, and the sacrifices guys make to play shows.”
It’s an honour to be nominated for the award, he added.
“We want to thank our fans and families for making this possible. Every guy in our band shows up with such a passion and drive for music and a glowing smile on their face, which makes it special to be recognized as well. All the members are extremely talented, and seeing everyone improve musically and just watching the people everyone has become is truly amazing,” he said.
“We are very grateful for being nominated. It truly takes a community to make stuff like this happen, and it’s all the people that support us that make us want to thrive in it. We would also like to send our congratulations to everyone else that has been nominated in this category. Manitoba has a great field of musicians so now we’ve got to ask you the people to support.”
Another Interlake musician vying for votes for the Cover/Tribute Artist, Duo or Group of the Year award is 16-year-old East Selkirk musician Morgan Grace, who has been playing the fiddle since the age of four. She will be performing at Teulon Pumpkinfest on Saturday, Sept. 16. She will also perform at Indigenous Tourism Manitoba’s inaugural conference and gala on Sept. 19.
“I would say the best part about playing the fiddle or music in general is the people. The fans, the fellow musicians and all the people that do all the work in the background are all lots of fun,” she said.
“Being nominated is very humbling. It has been a very busy and adventurous year.”
In addition, Morgan Grace is nominated for the Emerging Artist award against Catie St. Germain, Chris Michael, Gary Gach, Mitchell Makoons and The Sean Taylor Band. She’s also nominated in the “Speciality Instrument” category along with Blaine Badiuk, Brad Moggie, Chris Nakonechny, James Klassen and Michael Audette.
Craig Keena of Lost in a Small Town received a nomination in the category of All Star Band of the Year – Bass, up against Ben Mak of Stony Mountain, as well as Brennan McNabb, Evan Gach, Greg Dunstan and Jon Mushaluk.
“It’s an honour to have someone with such talent as Craig in Lost In A Small Town. His passion for music is like none other. He’s always had influences in music from a very young age — and it shows,” Trey King said.
“His bass-playing skills are very impressive, and he’s always working on improving his playing or singing. We all appreciate everything he brings to our band. We want to wish him all the best of luck in this award category and wish everyone else in his category good luck as well.”
No stranger to the Manitoba Country Music Awards, Ben Mak has won the category three times already.
“It’s an honour to be considered for this award,” Mak said, “considering all the talent that’s in Manitoba.”
Lachlan McLean of Stonewall is vying for the award in the category of All Star Band of the Year – Guitar against Max Dupas, Rylan Knaggs, Sean Borton, Troy Flamand and Brad Moggie of St. Ambroise.
“I’m so appreciative of the opportunities I’ve had in recent years to work alongside and learn from some remarkable musicians,” said McLean, who performed this year alongside Manitoba artists including Don Amero and Emma Peterson.
“This nomination means a lot to me, and I’m especially grateful to have had the good fortune to be commended for simply doing what I love. Music has been good to me.”
Two Crows for Comfort is made up of Erin Corbin of Stonewall and Cory Sulyma of Stony Mountain. They also received a nomination in the category of Roots Artist, Duo or Group of the Year, along Banned & Outlawed, Doc Walker, Jivetown, Petric and The Sean Taylor Band. In 2021, the local duo won in the Roots category.
“It’s great to be nominated again,” Corbin said. “It’s always a wonderful surprise and a real treat to be mentioned among so many incredible musicians.”
The duo hits the road on Thursday, Sept. 14 and will be touring and travelling until the spring.
“We’ll be in and out of Canada a bunch over the next year or so — lots of miles being put on the truck,” Sulyma said.
“We’re also going to be releasing new music real soon. We’ll have a couple singles to put out while we’re on the road and an album to follow, so we’re really excited about that.”
The Dauphin Countryfest Festival or Event of the Year nominees are Morden Corn and Apple Festival, Hanover Ag Fair, Manitoba Stampede & Exhibition, Niverville Fair, Steinbach Summer in the City and Summer Winds Festival.
Award winners will be announced on Nov. 4 at Club Regent Casino and Event Centre in Winnipeg.
Voting for the Cover/Tribute Artist, Duo or Group of the Year award is open until Sept. 20 at 11:59 p.m. on the Manitoba Country Music Award website at www.manitobacma.com, where you can also see the full list of nominees in all categories. One vote per IP address is allowed.
