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2019 Awards

Female Vocalist of the Year

• Devon Worley
• Elizabeth Keeney
• Joyann Parker
• Sarah Morris
• Erin Grand (Winner)

Male Vocalist of the Year

• Anderson Daniels
• Ben Johnson
• Brad Morgan
• Jake Nelson
• Chris Kroeze (Winner)

Band of the Year

• Hitchville
• Pat Watters Band
• Shalo Lee Band
• Shane Martin Band
• Lake & Lyndale (Winner)

Entertainer of the Year

• Chris Kroeze
• Devon Worley Band
• Mitch Grodon Band
• Sailor Jerri
• The Plott Hounds (Winner)

Album of the Year

• Better Place- Mitch Gordon Band
• Screen Doors and Steel Guitars Band- Sailor Jerri
• Solitary- Pamela McNeil
• Steady Heart- Vicki Emerson
• Damn the Wind- The Plott Hounds (Winner)

Song of the Year

• All Over You- Ben Johnson
• Garin of Salt- Brad Morgan
• Lightning- Dayna Koehn
• Lovin' My Mamma- Brooke Lynn
• There's a Weight- Lake & Lyndale (Winner)

New Artist of the Year

• Brady Luke Band
• Dariann Leigh
• Dayne Koehn
• Travis Thamert
• The Jensen Sisters (Winner)

Americana Artist of the Year

• Anne Deming
• Maygen Lacey
• MoeDeLL
• Vicky Emerson
• Sarah Morris (Winner)

Songwriter of the Year

• MoeDeLL
• Noah Alexander
• Russ Parrish
• Zak Norton
• Sarah Morris (Winner)

Music Video of the Year

• Give Me A Minute- Dariann Leigh
• Heartland- Anderson Daniels
• The Reckoning- Vicki Emerson
• I Like to Fish (But I Love to Drink)- Poppa Bear Norton (Winner)

Maverick Award

• Becky Kapell
• Danny Grause
• JT & the Gunsilngers
• Ledfoot Larry
• Mark Stone (Winner)

Tribute Act of the Year

• Tim Sigler (Eric Church)
• Girls Night Out (90's Ladies)
• Joyann Parker (Patsy Cline)
• Joe Flip (Stevie Ray Vaughn)
• Church of Cash (Winner)

Live Sound Engineer of the Year

• Chris Pogatschnick
• Gil Navarro
• Tom Pickard
• Zachary Thayer
• Cevin Reed (Winner)

Studio Engineer of the Year

• Jesse Ray Ernster
• Patrik Tanner
• Steve Kaul
• Zach Hollander
• Greg Huberty(Winner)

Concert Photographer of the Year

• Adam's Travel Photography- Adam Grim
• Creative Jam- Jenny Phillips
• Steve Diamond Elements- Steve Diamond
• Xpressive Images by Jamie- Jamie Miles
• Chris Walden Photography- Chris Walden (Winner)

By Andrew Ellis, Editor-in-Chief

The Second Annual Midwest CMA Awards: Something is Happening

Something is happening. That much was confirmed last night at the 2nd Annual Midwest Country Music Awards, hosted by founding board member Paul “PT” Thomas.

But what was that something? It was a little bit of everything, and it was impossible not to notice as the night’s festivities commenced.

It started before the doors even opened. During soundcheck you could hear the artists joking with each other as they waited for their turn for their individual run-throughs and the big finale. And just as the doors were about to open, the lobby of the Medina Ballroom was packed to the brim — fans and artists were ready.

The ballroom filled up very quickly, and had you walked in afterwards you were transported. It had the all the glitz and glamor of the any awards show, and the welcoming atmosphere the Midwest has been known for. Tonight was about celebrating the country music scene in the Midwest, and everyone was ready for a good time.

As everyone got seated, Paul “PT” Thomas’ voice boomed over the room, telling everybody how the Midwest CMA was born. When he ended with “We are the Midwest CMA” the audience erupted in cheers and applause. It was time to start the party.

The Show Begins

For the first performance Ben Johnson came out with just his acoustic guitar and sang “My Heart Will Bring Me Home.” Afterwards Chris Kroeze, who bring home the Male Vocalist of the Year award came out to perform a broken down version of his single “I’m Only Human” with his fiddle player Natalie Murphy. The crowd hung onto every word.

Murphy stayed on stage to perform a fiddle duet with Bettina Villamil. With each back and forth the crowd more into and then they merged into “Devil Went Down to Georgia” with the always energetic Shalo Lee Band. Lee brought the house down and showed why she’s been playing for so long. She knows how to put it all into each performance.

After Paul “PT” Thomas came out to welcome everyone to the show, he explained the meaning behind the show’s theme of “Roots and Wings.” Shortly afterward, the Studio Engineer of the Year award was presented to Greg Huberty his work with artist members Hailey James, Sailor Jerri, RJ Graff, and Travis Thamert.

Next up songwriter Jeff Dayton, also former bandleader for Glen Campbell, presented the Album of the Year to the Plott Hounds for Damn the Wind.

Some “Rude” Blues and Some “Mood”

Then it was time for Joe Flip and his Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute Band to bring some Texas blues onto the stage with “Rude Mood” followed by Pamela McNeil singing Stevie Nick’s “Landslide,” and “Fault Line” from her Midwest CMA nominated album Solitary.

PT came back onstage to showcase his own singing talent with a Midwest CMA parody of “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” and then through to Wisconsin native Ari Herstand who presented the Songwriter of the Year Award to Sarah Morris. Program Director Bill Satre of B93.3 Brainerd presented Song of the Year to Lake & Lyndale for “The Weight.”

Then armed with just her guitar, reigning Female Vocalist of the Year Erin Grand filled the room with her voice on “Mood,” and showed her sultry side. Wisconsin’s own Pat Watters Band kept the crowd moving with Brooks & Dunn’s “Brand New Man,” an original called “Love to be Wanted,” and Hal Ketchum’s “Small town Saturday Night.”

Toilet Tunes and Drinking Songs

It was then time for some more Sarah Morris as she and PT did a special Toilet Tunes performance for the awards show. Then it was back onstage as Midwest CMA Advisory Board member Shannon Hoheisel presented Video of the Year to Poppa Bear Norton for “I Like to Fish (But I Love to Drink),” which was followed by a video acceptance speech from the band’s singer Zak Norton.

Board member Bob Keseley presented Concert Photographer of the Year to Chris Walden who marked his second year in a row of winning the award. Then it was time to liven the mood up with some acoustic drinking songs. Jake Nelson performed fan favorite “Sip Sip,” Brad Morgan performed “Grain of Salt,” and Travis Thamert performed “Day Drinkers.”

Immunity and Mavericks

After PT came onstage claiming his immunity to the coronavirus due his bottle of Corona in his hand, Midwest CMA Advisory Board member Michelle Westberg presented the award for Best Tribute Band to the Johnny Cash tribute band Church of Cash. Afterwards, Lakes Jam General Manager Ken Lacy presented the Live Sound Mixer award to Cevin Reed.

Then it was time for something a little different. And you’d expect nothing else coming the nominees of the Maverick Award. Iowa’s Danny Grause, and Minnesota’s Becky Kapell, Ledfoot Larry, Mark Stone, and JT & the Gunslingers took the stage for a set that was as diverse as their own sounds. They started out with Waylon Jenning’s “Ain’t Living Long Like This,” then came Led Zeppelin’s “Rock And Roll” and the big finale of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”

Linton’s Legacy and Tributes to Country Legends

Following the energetic performance, PT walked on stage to talk about the concept of the Legacy Award. He then introduced last year’s inaugural recipient of the award, Neil Freeman to talk about this year’s recipient Sherwin Linton. A montage played of his career which included his friendship with Johnny Cash and other country legends, including a quote from Marty Stuart.

His daughter Melody came on stage to accept the award, and then they rolled to his video acceptance speech. In his speech he presented the next performance which was by Church of Cash performing “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and bringing us into the world of Johnny Cash. Then Joyann Parker walked onstage, channeled Patsy Cline and performed “Walking After Midnight.”

The New Maverick

Then came the Maverick Award. Before board member Allie Gilbert could present the award, PT came on stage in a Maverick costume from Top Gun. He had been given the award last year by the actual winner Zak Norton for his work in creating the Midwest Country Music Association. Gilbert had to “explain” that he probably that it wasn’t working that way this year.

This year it went to Mark Stone, a longtime local musician and current lead singer of Mark Stone and the Dirty Country Band. He’s also tireless supporter of the local scene. The next performance was the Jensen Sisters and Dayna Koehn.

“Let the Girls Play” and a Salute to Patriots

The Jensen Sisters performed “River Song,” and Dayna Koehn performed the rowdy “Let The Girls Play.” Then they all joined in on Linda Ronstadt’s “When Will I Be Loved?”

New board member Matt Graunke came onstage to present the Americana Artist of the year award to Sarah Morris.

Then it was time for a salute to all the members who had served and are serving in the United States Armed Forces. The names appeared on screen as Navy veteran Sailor Jerri performed a small portion her version of “Hallelujah,” and she joined Anderson Daniels on his signature song “Heartland.”

Love for Lilly

PT came back onstage to talk about how far the Midwest Country Music Association has come. He then zeroed in the recent partnership with Masonic Children’s Hospital and introduced Nick Engbloom who gave rousing speech about the children and families staying there.

In one of the most powerful moments in the show he introduced a video diary from the Farmers Daughters’ Lindsey Olson. She had been at Masonic with her baby daughter Lilly for over 6 months, because she had to have three open heart surgeries and a heart transplant. She talked about how Lily was doing, the hospital, and how great it was to see her fellow artist friends on Masonic Music Mondays. You could nearly everyone wiping tears for their eyes.

The next performance was full of female power. Elizabeth Keeney performed “Free,” Brooke Lynn performed “Lovin My Momma,” a tribute to her dad with Julie Eddy on guitar, and Darian Leigh performed one of her newer songs “Closer.”

Passing the Torch

Afterwards reigning New Artist of the Year Anderson Daniels came out to hand the torch off. And it was the Jensen Sisters who took home this year’s New Artist of the Year. It was then time for people to get up again as Mitch Gordon performed his Honky Tonk-ready song “Beer Joint” and Shane Martin performed his glass-raising “Hankerin’& Jonesin.” They both closed it down with “Workin’ Man Blues.”

Tom Pickard of Le Musique Room came out to present the Band of the Year award to Lake & Lynndale. Then MoeDell, Russ Parrish, and the Plott Hounds performed one of the most memorable sets of the night. They each joined each other on their own songs with MoeDell’s “Porch,” the Plott Hounds “Country Blues,” and Russ Parrish “Washed By the Water” which brought everyone to church.

Arnie from COW 97O came onstage to present Female Vocalist of the Year to a very surprised Erin Grand for the second year in a row. Local scene veterans Hitchville showed everyone why they’re still going strong with an exciting performance of their hit single “Hole in the Wall,” and had everyone singing along to Little Big Town’s “Boondocks.”

Iowa’s Steve Shettler of KBOE 104.9 FM came on to present the Male Vocalist of the Year Award to Chris Kroeze. Then Sarah Morris and Vicky Emerson took the stage to perform “Wyoming.”

Entertainer of the Year

The board came onstage to present the Entertainer of the Year Award to the Plott Hounds. After thanking all the volunteers for their hard work, PT announced next years date for February 14th and reminded everyone that the Midwest CMA is a family.

Then it was time for the big finale. It started with Lake & Lyndale performing their award-winning song “There’s a Weight.” And then they rolled into the Band’s “The Weight,” which turned into a big sing along as Anderson Daniels, Erin Grand, Sarah Morris, Ben Johnson, Elizabeth Keeney, Brad Morgan, Jake Nelson, Chris Kroeze, Joyann Parker, and Dayna Koehn all came on stage in groups of two to trade lines of the song.

A Community Uniting

With the finale you could they were all having a blast on stage. It may have been the end of the show, but they were just getting started. And it was an energy that echoed the rest of the night.

Once the show ended nearly everyone stuck around to hang out. People were congratulating their peers, and catching up. They were talking about music and everything else. No one wanted to say goodbye.

So, what was that something that was happening? It was a celebration of something that’s uniquely theirs. It didn’t matter their place in the music scene. The country music community in the Midwest is becoming more united, and it won’t be long before everyone hears their collective voice.

2018 Awards

Female Vocalist of the Year

• Devon Worley
• Sarah Morris
• Kari Arnett
• Erin Grand (Winner)

Male Vocalist of the Year

• Jake Nelson
• Russ Parrish
• Ben Johnson
• Chris Kroeze (Winner)

Band of the Year

• Hitchville
• The Farmers' Daughters
• Feeding Leroy
• The Plott Hounds (Winner)

Entertainer of the Year

• Shane Martin Band
• The Plott Hounds
• Devon Worley band
• Cody Hicks
• Chris Kroeze (Winner)

Album of the Year

• When the Dust Settles- Kari Arnett
• Standard Harmony- Graham Bramblett
• The Sunrise Resistance- Devon Worley band
• Lost Summer Day- The Plott Hounds (Winner)

Song of the Year

• This American Life- Kari Arnett
• Human- Chris Kroeze
• God Bless the Working man- Tyler Richton & The Highbank Boys
• '89 Chevy- Ben Johnson
• You are Not Alone- Jake Nelson (Winner)

New Artist of the Year

• Sailor Jerri
• Whiskey Trail
• Tyler Richton & The Highbank Boys
• Chaunte Shayne
• Anderson Daniels (Winner)

Americana Artist of the Year

• Kari Arnett
• The Federales
• The Home Fires
• Jason Paulson Band (Winner)

Songwriter of the Year

• Sarah Morris
• Ben Johnson
• Jerod Michael Thompson
• Zak Norton (Winner)

Music Video of the Year

• Conversation With My Heart- Doug Collins
• Left Turn- Cody Hicks
• Veterans Hallelujah- Sailor Jerri
• Seeing Someone- Levi Pelzer
• You Are Not Alone- Jack Nelson (Winner)

Maverick Award

• Sherwin Linton
• White Iron band
• Swanny Rose
• Poppa Bear Norton (Winner)

Tribute Act of the Year

• Joe Flip (SRV Tribute)
• Girls Night Out
• Tim Sigler
• The Thrillbillies (Winner)

Live Sound Engineer of the Year

• Cevin Reed
• Chris Pogatschnick
• Nickoli Ipsen
• Tom Pickard (Winner)

Studio Engineer of the Year

• Owen & Davide- F5 Soundhouse
• Kevin Bowe
• Zach Hollander- The Pearl Recording Studio
• Todd Fitzgerald- Winterland Studios (Winner)

Concert Photographer of the Year

• Jamie Miles
• Thomas Dean
• Jenny Phillips
• Chris Walden (Winner)

By Andrew Ellis, Editor-in-Chief

The 1st Annual Midwest CMO Awards: A Community Comes Together

It had all been building up to this. We talked about it in the meetings that lead to the launch of the Midwest Country Music Association, and had toted has one of the major benefits of becoming a member. Sunday, February 17th it became a reality. It was a celebration unlike the Midwest scene had ever seen.

The craziness started as the red carpet was about to begin and you could see the guests beginning to arrive. And they all came dressed to impress in their own way. There were plenty of cowboy hats, bolo ties, tuxedos, dresses, gowns, and styles that rivaled those you see on the red carpet at the ACM’s or CMA’s.

The red carpet itself was is own kind of craziness, which is expected for the first year. It was a mix of following the detailed schedule of having each nominee walk the red carpet at a certain time, and pulling other nominees aside for quick interviews when someone else was running late. At one point if you looked down the carpet as nominees, members, and fans were making their way you could see that it looked like legit red carpet. People were stopping for photos and interviews. The energy was electric.

The interviews with each nominee were pretty short: How does it feel to be nominated? What can we expect from you this year? What do you like most about being a Midwest CMA member? The answer to that last question had a lot to do with finally finding a community, or a family, of likeminded people.

As the final nominees made their way down the red carpet it was almost time for the show to start. Announcer Shayne Michaels politely urged everyone to find their seats, and the lights dimmed soon after.

He announced the co-hosts, founding board Paul Thomas and executive producer of the awards show Jamey Worley. Only Jamey made it to the stage, and when Thomas didn’t show up they launched into their first bit where PT had gone to the Edina Entertainment Center instead of the Medina Entertainment Center. She was talking to him on her cell phone, (his part was re-recorded) and the bit got a great laugh from the audience. It ended with PT running on stage to embrace Jamey.

A Celebration of Country Music’s Many Influences

After a short welcome message they let the night kick into high, electrified gear with the Devon Worley Band performing their song “Black River Magic,” a little bit of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” and then ending with their own “Broken Record.” They received a nice touch of fiddle from Hitchville’s Ben Goeb and Shalo Lee Band’s Bettina Villamill.

That began a night that while it was labeled as an awards show, was really a celebration of the country music community in the Midwest as a whole. There were 12 different music segments featuring more than 30 different musicians from the organization, and they were mixed in between the 16 awards that were to be handed out.

Hitchville was the second music segment featuring a string section that added a nice touch their ballad. As lead singers Heidi and Matt both sang you were reminded of why they’re one of the most popular country acts in the region.

The next segment featured the first a few tributes to the women who have given so much to the history of country music. Fan favorites the Farmer’s Daughters took the stage with The Jensen Sisters and Sailor Jerri to sing of their favorite country classics while also sharing some of their originals, which showed just how unique they all are.

Female domination continued with singer-songwriters Dayna Koehn, Sarah Morris, and Vicky Emerson all playing parts of their originals songs. Each was able to showcase their unique sounds with Koehn’s signature voice filling the room, and Morris and Emerson’s calmer but confident vocals highlight how lyrically strong their songs are.

After another award it was time for a tribute to Southern rock – the Plott Hounds’ specialty. And helped that their lead singer Noah Alexander is from Atlanta, which added nice touch of authenticity to the segment. He was joined by up-and-coming artist Anderson Daniels and Up South’s Mike Villalva who each took turns on lead vocals.

Then it was time for blues and gospel to be given the spotlight. Chaunte Shayne started it off with an energetic take on one of her originals, and it led naturally into a powerful rendition of Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High on that Mountain” featuring the Shalo Lee Band, Hitchville’s Matt Kneefe, and a gospel choir.

The next tribute to the women of country music hit the stage in the form of Girls Night Out, a tribute band who specializes in giving women in country music spotlight. The main singers were Erica Hanson, who got to perform a little of her own song, and Jennifer Urbach. After that Duluth’s Whiskey Trail hit the stage for an acoustic performance of their original “Nashville.”

After two awards, it was time for a salute to the outlaws. The ones who decided to go against the Nashville grain and do their own thing. A concept many members are following in their own way. Leading the tribute was JT & the Gunslingers with some help from a very animated Mitch Gordon and Jake G. from the Hell Country Truckers.

Following two more awards was a solo number by up-and-comer Erin Grand performing her song “Dangerous.” She also joined Jake Nelson and Mark Stone for the following segment devoted to country’s pop influences that included Nelson’s own “Bad News” and an unexpected rendition of Blake Shelton’s “Boys Round Here.”

The music segment included a lot of guitars and they all turned it up one final time. The Devon Worley Band, JT, Shalo Lee, Noah and Catfish from The Plott Hounds, and Todd Owen. There was also the surprise of some saxophone by Zoot, a guy the Devon Worley Band had let sit in with them the previous night. No one was complaining.

And the Award Goes to…

The categories the first year round were tough, with each nominee equally as deserving as the next. The Jason Paulson Band took home the Americana Artist of the Year, with Paulson’s band accepting since he’s was in the hospital. Jake Nelson took home both Video of the Year and Song of the Year for “You’re Not Alone.” It was bittersweet as the friend he wrote that song for lost his battle with depression that previous Tuesday.

Anderson Daniels took home the New Artist of the Year Award, and Zak Norton took home Songwriter of the Year. The Maverick Award also went to Zak Norton who ended up giving it to Paul Thomas for starting this whole organization in the first place. The Tribute Act of the Year went to the Thrillbillies, and The Plott Hounds took home Album of the Year for their Lost Summer EP and also later one took home Band of the Year, too.

Then it was time for the awards for those who don’t get the recognition they deserve. Studio Engineer of the Year went to Todd Fitzgerald, Live Sound Engineer of the Year went to Tom Pickard, and Chris Walden took home Concert Photographer of the Year.

The Legacy Award was presented by founding board member Paul Thomas and went to Neil Freeman of Total Country BOB FM. This was very fitting for the first year as BOB FM has been steadfast in their support of local country artists, and have given many members their first spins on the radio.

Erin Grand ended up taking home Female Vocalist of the Year, and Chris Kroeze ended up taking Male Vocalist of the Year. He also capped the night off by taking home Entertainer of the Year as well.

The Beginning of a Movement

In the end this was more than an awards show. It was a celebration of the country music scene in the Midwest, and a confirmation what the Midwest CMA has set out to do since the beginning – supporting and building a community of artists, fans, and businesses.

The ingredients are all there. This night proved that. Now it’s time to foster that community like farmers tend to their crops. Texas, Bakersfield, and many more places have already left their mark on country music. Fly over states no more. The Midwest is on deck.