SASKATOON, Sask. — The 2026 Canadian Country Music Awards may have ended on Saturday night, Sept. 19, but the memories will be forever part of the ongoing chapter in the city's relationship with Canadian country music. Saskatoon hosted the CCMAs for the third time.
From Saskatchewan's Jess Moskaluke being surprised with an invitation to debut at the Grand Ole Opry in October to the James Barker Band's quartet keeping the crowd entertained with their goofy banter as hosts, it was truly a night to remember.
For the James Barker Band, the night brought a little bit of everything — hosting the awards, taking home the Fans’ Choice Award and sharing the stage with some of Canadian country music’s biggest names. Asked whether hosting or winning was more exciting, the band members struggled to pick one.
For the band, the night was a double victory: the band hosted the ceremony and took home the Fans’ Choice Award. Asked which was more exciting, winning or hosting, the answer wasn’t easy for the foursome of James Barker, Taylor Abram, Bobby Martin and Connor Stephen.
They agreed that winning awards is always amazing, but hosting was a new experience for them, and they were honoured to be invited to host the CCMAs, which Saskatoon hosted for the first time in 2012 and again five years later.
The band’s biggest challenge may have been stepping onto the stage for the opening monologue, with Abram admitting there were some nerves before the curtain opened and wondering whether the jokes would hit with the audience or become awkward.
Those concerns quickly disappeared when the Saskatoon crowd responded with laughter and applause, with Martin adding that the audience made their job of hosting much easier than expected as they felt the energy in the packed SaskTel Centre.
Stephen said the crowd seemed ready to have a good time even before the band took the stage, and Barker added that one of the night’s most memorable moments came when the band thanked tour manager Bill Girdwood on the live broadcast after winning their second award.
Barker described Girdwood as a key figure behind the band’s day-to-day operations and as hard to miss in his Hawaiian shirt. The band also singled out the success of their friend Nate Haller, who picked up his second award of the weekend.
As for whether hosting could become part of the band’s future, the members appeared open to the idea. Stephen said hosting was more difficult than performing, but it also offered a different kind of excitement because of the audience's immediate reaction.
The band wrote much of its own material for the ceremony, which helped the hosting duties feel more natural. And, after joking about being available for weddings, garden parties, Junos and charity events, the message was clear: the James Barker Band may have discovered another stage it enjoys playing on.
Winning collaboration
Nate Haller admitted there was a slight problem with winning an award: the adrenaline rush apparently had nowhere to go. He said that after hearing his and Tenille Townes’ names as Musical Collaboration of the Year winners, he still felt the excitement in the arena even as the crowd’s applause died down.
Townes was happy to see Haller in the spotlight for a moment, as they were both honoured to be at the 2026 CCMAs, and winning the award for their song Backfire was a bonus. She said it was a joy to perform their song live, whose lyrics are heartbreaking but somehow say everything is going to be OK.
Haller said the contrast had rubbed off on him, with the song inspiring him to be more thankful in life, a somewhat refreshing idea that a song can tell the truth about heartache and still make people want to dance.
They were later asked if they would do another collaboration, and the answer was a resounding yes, with Haller adding that now they have homework to do.
Soon-to-be trio?
For Thelma & James' MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge, winning the CCMA’s Alternative Album of the Year for Starting Over and Video of the Year for Parking Lot Prayers was even sweeter because they could celebrate the wins together. Despite arriving two days before awards night, the couple quickly got caught up in the city's energy.
Porter grew up in Medicine Hat and said she has spent plenty of time in Saskatoon, which is why she knows the city’s country music history and the community’s electric vibe. Winning the awards was the icing on their cake, particularly for a couple who are always down for a good time.
The winning video has a spooky side, with a personal, story-driven song and a gospel choir featured prominently in the recording, so the couple wanted that same feeling to carry into the visuals. They filmed inside an abandoned theatre, where simply walking on the old stage meant watching your step.
At one point, the gospel choir sitting in the audience suddenly stood up and began singing. They described the result as moving, with the eerie feel of the old theatre providing an unexpected backdrop for the powerful choir.
But perhaps the best part of the awards as a married couple comes when the lights go down and the evening is over. Instead of having to tell each other about the big moment, they get to relive it together, especially with their daughter, who already announced that she wants to be in a “band” someday.
Her parents are hoping she might choose medicine instead. But if she does choose a musical career, they said they'll put an instrument in her hands and encourage her — leaving the door open for Thelma & James to someday become a family trio.
