Tenille Arts’ trophy cabinet just keeps getting more and more crowded.
The 23-year-old from Weyburn came into Saturday night’s Saskatchewan Country Music Association (SCMA) Awards show with an industry leading five nominations and didn’t leave disappointed.
By the end of the night, she had walked away with all five awards, including Album of the Year, Single of the Year, and Female Vocalist of the Year. It was a bit of an overwhelming experience for Arts, who has rapidly risen through the country music ranks since being given the SCMA’s Emerging Artist Award just two years ago.
“If I could have told myself this when I was 15, that all of this stuff would start to happen, I probably wouldn’t have believed myself,” she said during an interview afterwards. “It’s really cool.”
Arts also received the Music Video of the Year for Cold Feet, which was directed by Patrick Tohill, and shared the Songwriter of the Year Award with Adam Wheeler and Mark Narmore for Rain Drops, Dirt Roads.
“It was kind of surreal,” Arts said. “I did not expect all of that. Even the nominations were crazy, so to be actually awarded five of them, I did not expect that.”
Estevan’s Chris Henderson and Regina’s Amy Nelson joined Arts as the big winners on Saturday. Henderson took home the Male Vocalist of the Year Award while Nelson was voted the Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year.
Henderson was not in attendance on Saturday due a conflicting tour schedule, but he sent along a speech expressing his thanks for being chosen out of a talented field.
Nelson, who has found a lot of success in Australia over the past two years, thanked her fans as well as those in the Saskatchewan music industry who helped her grow her career abroad.
The awards also had a strong Prince Albert flavor to them, including a big win for long-time resident John Quinn.
Quinn, who served a number of years on the SCMA board of directors, including four as president, was honoured with the 2018 Legends and Legacy Award.
“I grew up with music, and I guess it’s kind of in my blood,” Quinn said following the show. “I met so many great people in the country music field, across the province, but especially in the Saskatoon and Prince Albert area.”
Quinn said receiving the honour was a surprise, but added that it was one he wouldn’t soon forget.
L.J. Tyson was the other Prince Albert resident to take home an award. He received the $1,500 SIGA Indigenous Artist Development Bursary.
Other award winners included Saskatoon band Aces Wyld, who were named Group of the Year, Lumsden’s Justin LaBrash, who was named Emerging Artist of the Year, and J.J. Voss who took home the Roots Artist or Group of the Year Award. Award night host Jess Moskaluke was also recognized with an SCMA Award of Achievement.
