On May 23, 2020, Culture Country General Manager Nadia Houle unveiled the nominees for the 8th annual edition of the Gala Country, to be held in September 2020. In all, 13 Willie Awards are scheduled to be presented to Francophone Canadian and Anglophone Quebec artists and craftspeople who’ve distinguished themselves over the past year.

Culture CountryFor the first time, this year’s Gala Country edition will be presented as part of the ever-popular St-Tite Western Festival. While the Festival’s 20th edition has been cancelled due to the current situation, Gala Country still wished to draw the public’s attention to the work of country music creators. Culture Country is now working on a new concept that follows current public health requirements.

SOCAN will partner with Gala Country again this year, sponsoring the Songwriter of the Year award, for which the nominees are Beauséjour, Danny Boudreau, Frank Williams, Joseph Stephen, and Léa Jarry. SOCAN will reward the winner with a free creative stay at the SOCAN House in Nashville.

This year’s most nominated artists are Beauséjour, with five nominations; Phil G. Smith and Véronique Labbé, with four each; Karo Laurendeau, Léa Jarry, and Cindy Bédard with three apiece; and Laurence Jalbert and Matt Lang, both of whom earned two nods.

 Once again this year, the public is invited to vote for the artists of their choice in one of the categories by voting, no more than once a day, until Aug. 21, 2020. People’s choices will make up 40% of the final scores.

To vote, visit https://culturecountry.com/.

Complete list of nominees:

ORIGINAL SONG ALBUM OF THE YEAR

  • SI ON Y ALLAIT (PATRICK NORMAN)
  • BEAUSÉJOUR
  • UNE MINUTE (VÉRONIQUE LABBÉ)
  • LE MÊME CHEMIN (ANICK GAGNON)
  • TRENTE-TROIS (HERT LEBLANC)

COVERS ALBUM OF THE YEAR  

  • MERCI MES AMIS (CONRAD BEAUDIN)
  • LAURENCE JALBERT AU PAYS DE NANA MOUSKOURI (LAURENCE JALBERT)
  • HÉRITAGE DE NOËL (RENÉ TURGEON)
  • LE TEMPS QUI FILE (SYLVAIN BOUDREAU)

 SOCAN SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

  • BEAUSÉJOUR
  • DANNY BOUDREAU
  • FRANK WILLIAMS
  • JOSEPH STEPHEN
  • LÉA JARRY

SONG OF THE YEAR

  • LUCILLE STARR (SINGER-SONGWRITER: BEAUSÉJOUR)
  • LA GIBSON DE MON PÈRE (PERFORMER: PATRICK NORMAN, SONGWRITER: DANNY BOUDREAU)
  • ENCORE BELLE (PERFORMER: MANON BÉDARD, SONGWRITER : PASCAL ALLARD)
  • ON FAIT DU COUNTRY (SINGER-SONGWRITER: PHIL G. SMITH, COMPOSER: JOHN-ANTHONY GAGNON-ROBINETTE)

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY PAJA COMMUNICATIONS

  • BEAUSÉJOUR
  • LÉA JARRY
  • PHIL G. SMITH
  • VERANDA

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

  • COUNTRYFEST TRANSACADIENNE
  • FESTIROULE COUNTRY DE TROIS-RIVIÈRES
  • FESTIVAL COUNTRY DE LOTBINIÈRE

RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR  

  • AVENUE DU FAR WEST WITH SYLVAIN CARON AND DANY CÔTÉ
  • ÇA SONNE COUNTRY WITH VALÉRIE CORMIER
  • EN ROUTE VERS L’OUEST WITH VÉRONIQUE LABBÉ
  • DESTINATION NEW COUNTRY WITH KARO LAURENDEAU
  • RADIO SHOW WITH BENOIT BÉLANGER

TV SHOW OF THE YEAR

  • ALLER-RETOUR COUNTRY WITH KARO LAURENDEAU
  • CHANSON VIA COUNTRY WITH VIATEUR CARON AND PATRICIA CARON
  • STAR COUNTRY WITH ROBERT DOYON
  • TOUT SIMPLEMENT COUNTRY WITH GUYLAINE TANGUAY

GROUP OF THE YEAR

  • ALEX AND ALEXANDRE JR MEUNIER
  • BEAUSÉJOUR
  • LENDEMAIN DE VEILLE
  • LES TICKY JONES SYLDAN

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

  • CINDY BÉDARD
  • KARO LAURENDEAU
  • LAURENCE JALBERT
  • LÉA JARRY
  • VÉRONIQUE LABBÉ

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR  

  • LAURIE LEBLANC
  • MATT LANG
  • PATRICK NORMAN
  • PHIL G. SMITH
  • RENÉ TURGEON

SHOW OF THE YEAR

  • CINDY BÉDARD
  • MATT LANG
  • MON CŒUR EST UNE ÎLE (BRIGITTE LEBLANC)
  • MON PARTY COUNTRY (VÉRONIQUE LABBÉ)
  • ON FAIT DU COUNTRY (PHIL G. SMITH)