Canadian Country Music Industry Recognizes Unwavering Support
April 27, 2010
Canadian Country Music Industry Recognizes Unwavering Support
Promoter thanks industry for 17 consecutive wins
(Toronto, ON) April 27, 2010 – The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) announced today that the CCMA Award for Talent Buyer or Promoter of the Year will now be named after its most decorated (and only) recipient Ron Sakamoto.
Each year an award is presented to an exceptional talent buyer or promoter who, in the opinion of the membership, has best presented and promoted Canadian country artists in Canada within the current balloting year. The award for Talent Buyer or Promoter of the Year was introduced in 1993 and has only ever had one winner, Ron Sakamoto (Gold & Gold Productions Ltd.) of Lethbridge, Alberta.
“On behalf of the CCMA Board of Directors, membership and staff I am pleased to recognize Ron with this distinction for his unwavering dedication to Canadian country music,” says Chair of the CCMA Board of Directors, Jackie Rae Greening. “His commitment to the development and promotion of both domestic and international talent perfectly embodies all that the CCMA stands for.”
With nearly 45 years of promoting shows under his belt, Ron Sakamoto has worked with the likes of Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Dixie Chicks, Michelle Wright, Prairie Oyster, Charlie Major, etc. He has been honoured with the CCMA's Hank Smith Award of excellence, which recognizes an individual who has contributed his or her time and talents behind the scenes to the advancement of Canadian Country music. Ron has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Lethbridge and has two scholarships named after him that are given out each year; the Business Management scholarship and the Digital Audio Arts Program Scholarship which is called the Ron & Joyce Sakamoto Award. Ron Sakamoto has won the American CMA Talent Buyer of the Year award - a worldwide distinction - on more than one occasion.
"On behalf of my wife Joyce and our family, I am honoured and humbled to have this award named after me, and it is with heartfelt thanks to everyone that helped me achieve this tremendous accomplishment ( too numerous to list ) as I did not do this by myself,” said Sakamoto. “I especially want to thank the CCMA members that voted for me through 17 years of doing what I love to do. Promoters always put their money where their heart is and I've been fortunate enough to be rewarded for that for 17 years in a row. So now, with naming this award for me, I want to extend thanks to Chair Jackie Rae Greening and the Board of Directors of the CCMA for recognizing me with this honour in perpetuity. I will be honoured to present the award to another well deserving Talent buyer/Promoter. P.s. Just to let everyone know I plan to retire in 23 years, so I'll be around for awhile yet!"
The inaugural Ron Sakamoto Talent Buyer or Promoter of the Year Award will be presented by Sakamoto himself at the CCMA Industry Brunch & Awards at Country Music Week 2010 to be held in Edmonton, Alberta, September 8-12. For more details or event ticket information, visit
www.ccma.org or www.countrymusicedmonton.com.
-30-
For more information:
Brandi Mills
Canadian Country Music Association
(p) 416-947-1331 ext.211
