Local country music artist Brady Kenneth has been nominated for an award by the Manitoba Country Music Association.
Originally from Niverville, the Île-des-Chênes resident is one of six acts vying for the Emerging Artist award, set to be handed out at the 2019 Manitoba Country Music Awards held on Sunday, November 10 at the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre in Winnipeg.
Kenneth will perform along with co-nominees Brian Jacobs, Emma Peterson, Rhianna Rae Saj, Aaron Starr, and The Moonlit Road that day at the Emerging Artists Showcase.
“I’m definitely honoured to be nominated alongside these artists,” says Kenneth. “It’ll be fun to get on stage with all the other nominees and perform for an audience of our peers, fans, and fellow nominees.”
He adds that this will be a first-time experience for him—one that he plans to soak in.
Kenneth released his debut album in 2016, titled That’s the Way She Goes, and an additional three singles earlier this year. Since releasing his latest song, “Between You and Me,” in July, the track has been played more than 55,000 times on Spotify.
While he acknowledges that he is still developing his sound, Kenneth describes his music as “modern country with a touch of classic in the tone.” And despite his recent success, Kenneth is modest, clarifying that he is new to the genre and didn’t grow up listening to country music.
“I’d say a big draw was the fact that there was all of a sudden this element of coolness to country [music] that never really existed before,” he says. “It wasn’t just for grandma and grandpa anymore… When I started hearing songs from artists like Eric Church, I was hooked pretty quickly.”
With plans to release several more tracks online, Kenneth is looking forward to what his future holds. He’s focused on writing new material and working with a producer in Toronto. He has a scheduled visit to Nashville, with plans to write several more songs while there.
