REGINA - Pop-country band Emerson Drive steered its way to the Canadian Country Music Awards Monday night and left with a trunk full of hardware.
The smooth-sounding quintet - which recently lost a member-took home song and video of the year awards for their hit "Moments," which they performed to kick off the show, as well as for group of the year.
"A song is what makes and breaks a career and you can have the most incredible artist with the most talent, but if you don't have a song you don't have anything," said lead singer Brad Mates.
"When you get a gem like "Moments" you just hope and pray that everyone feels the same way you do about it."
"Moments" hit No. 1 as a single on the Billboard country music charts south of the border earlier this year. The song peaked at No. 4 in Canada for the band that got their start in Grande Prairie, Alta.
Veteran Canadian country act Brad Johner impressed fans in his home province, picking up the first award of the night for male artist of the year. Johner, who got his start with his brother Ken as The Johner Brothers, was born in Midale, Sask., about 150 kilometres southeast of Regina.
Johner told the crowd about how he wrote an acceptance speech when he and his brother were nominated for an award in 1992 and he has kept it in his wallet ever since. But he ended up forgetting his billfold in the dressing room backstage.
"I lost a lot of awards over the years so I am always shocked when I win one," Johner told reporters after the show. "Winning it here on your home turf with all of the fans there and everybody who knows who you are is always exciting."
Alberta singer-songwriter Carolyn Dawn Johnson - a perennial winner at the annual awards show - won female artist of the year, but was edged out for the fan's choice award by another Albertan, Terri Clark.
"I must be really tired because I'm feeling very emotional," Johnson said holding back tears.
"I love music so much," she said as someone in the crowd yelled back: "We love you!"
Clark accepted the award via video from Toronto, where she is recording her next album.
"We're just going to keep doing what we do," she said.
Mitch Merrett, Aaron Pritchett and Deric Ruttan won the songwriter of the year award for the irreverent hit "Hold My Beer," which Pritchett recorded himself.
Pritchett called the tune - which features the refrain "hold my beer, while I kiss your girlfriend" - a "killer fun song" that everyone can sing along to.
He told reporters that he first saw the slogan on a T-shirt and when he put it in a song it ended up working. He thought people wouldn't like it because it was too offensive, but when it won the approval of his grandmother he knew he was on to something.
"I knew that it was an anthem," Pritchett said. "(Listeners) connect with that song because it is relatable in a way that there are good Canadian guys that just want to go up to girls and go, 'I'm a good Canadian guy, get this jerk off you - come with me'."
Manitoba group Doc Walker won album of the year award for its self-titled release.
Corb Lund won the award for roots group of the year, while Shane Yellowbird of Hobbema, Alta., took home the rising star honour. Yellowbird, whose debut album is "Life is Calling My Name," was nominated for five awards.
Nova Scotia's George Canyon was also nominated for five awards, but failed to take home any hardware.
Awards show host Paul Brandt, whose long-awaited new album "Risk" comes out Tuesday, was also shut out in the four categories in which he was nominated.
