Doc Walker Sweeps the Canadian Country Music Awards

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Doc Walker may have summed up this year’s Canadian Country Music Awards perfectly in its latest album title: Beautiful Life. The hometown heroes swept the 2008 awards in front of an ecstatic crowd at the MTS Centre on September 8, winning five major awards and 10 trophies in total. Viewers across the country tuning in to CBC’s nationally-televised broadcast witnessed a humble trio, who were also this year’s Honourary Chairs of Country Music Week, accepting their awards before standing ovations.

The Portage la Prairie band – Chris Thorsteinson, Dave Wasyliw, and Murray Pulver --was named Group of the Year and picked up the Fans’ Choice Award. Their fifth release, Beautiful Life, won for Album of the Year, while the title track won for Single of the Year and Video of the Year. Doc Walker also landed three trophies at a gala event on September 7, winning for Songwriter for the Year, Guitar Player of the Year for Pulver, and Bass Player of the Year for back-up band member Brent Pearen. The band’s team also got some attention at an industry brunch on September 6: docwalker.ca was named Website of the Year and Beautiful Life won for Album Design of the Year.

The band, which won Album of the Year at the 2007 CCMAs for its previous self-titled release, brought down the house with a performance of “Beautiful Life” on the televised awards show. They also briefly joined Winnipeg-born legend Randy Bachman on stage for a chorus of his song “Prairie Town.” Afterwards, Bachman closed the show with his BTO hit, “Takin’ Care of Business.”

Doc Walker wasn’t the only Winnipeg outfit to land an award this year. Booking agency Paquin Entertainment, which also has an office in Toronto, was named Agency of the Year at the industry brunch on September 6.

Doc Walker’s outstanding showing was the pinnacle of an incredible Country Music Week, hosted in Winnipeg, September 5-8, 2008. Some of the best country music acts from across Canada, as well as some of the most talented homegrown artists, took over stages throughout the city for four nights of concerts, parties, and showcases. Industry professionals from around the world converged on Winnipeg for the annual event, which also hosted the wildly popular FanFest, seminars, open mics, and more..

Country Music Week is one of Canada’s biggest and most popular music events. Vancouver will play host in 2009.

Click here to see the latest Doc Walker video for "That's All."

Click here to listen to Doc Walker's "Annabelle" in the Manitoba Music Radio.

MANITOBA WINNERS FOR THE 2008 CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS

FANS’ CHOICE AWARD
Doc Walker

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
“Beautiful Life” – Doc Walker

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Beautiful Life – Doc Walker

SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR
Beautiful Life (written by Murray Pulver / Chris Thorsteinson / Dave Wasyliw; recorded by Doc Walker)

CMT VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Beautiful Life – Doc Walker

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
Doc Walker

MANITOBA WINNERS FOR THE 2008 CCMA ALL-STAR BAND AWARDS

Brent Pearen (Doc Walker) – Bass
Murray Pulver (Doc Walker) - Guitar

MANITOBA WINNERS FOR THE 2008 CCMA INDUSTRY AWARDS

BOOKING AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Paquin Entertainment

ALBUM DESIGN OF THE YEAR
Patrick Duffy/Traci Goudie/Jill Snell – Beautiful Life (Doc Walker)

WEBSITE OF THE YEAR
docwalker.ca (Doc Walker) – Ashley Harms/Tim Neufield/House of Bands, Webmasters

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