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Singer-songwriter from small town Ontario wins big at country music awards — See the full list of winners

Singer-songwriter from small town Ontario wins big at country music awards — See the full list of winners

The 13th annual Country Music Association of Ontario Awards took place Sunday at the the Music Hall in Hamilton.
Singer-songwriter Owen Riegling of Mildmay, Ont. had a big night, earning five awards, including Male Artist of the Year, Single of the Year and Album of the Year.
A post shared by CMAOntario (@thecmaontario)
Jason McCoy of the Road Hammers and Pure Country Radio hosted for the final time after 12 years, and was honoured with a new award in his name.
'We thank Jason for stewarding this wild, 12-year ride across the province, and for creating so many memories for artists, industry and audiences alike,' said CMAOntario chair Patrick Duffy. 'With the support of Slaight Music and the Slaight Family Foundation, we are honoured to add this namesake award to our roster.'
A post shared by CMAOntario (@thecmaontario)
Here are all of the winners at the 2025 CMAOntario Awards:
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
'Moonshines' by Owen Riegling
ALBUM/EP OF THE YEAR
'Bruce County — From the Beginning' by Owen Riegling
SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR
Owen Riegling, Daryl Scott, Jesse Slack (Moonshines)
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Robyn Ottolini
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Owen Riegling
GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
The Redhill Valleys
RECORD PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Adam Newcomb (Sacha, Elyse Saunders, Riley Taylor)
ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Mackenzie Leigh Meyer
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Sully Burrows
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Never Have I Ever by Elyse Saunders
INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR
Samantha Pickard, Strut Entertainment
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Jeff Brown (Kelsi Mayne, Washboard Union, Jason Blaine)
ARTISTE OU GROUPE FRANCOPHONE DE L'ANNÉE/FRANCOPHONE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Kristine St-Pierre
FANS' CHOICE
Owen Riegling
COMPASS AWARD
Josh Ross
HOLLY & STEVE KASSAY GENEROUS SPIRIT AWARD
Laurie Tiggelman
THE REAL MCCOY AWARD
Jason McCoy
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (LARGE MARKET)
KX94.7 (CHKX-FM, Hamilton)
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (MEDIUM MARKET)
Hot Country 93.9 (CFWC-FM, Brantford)
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (SMALL MARKET)
Pure Country 106 (CICX-FM, Orillia)
Andrew Hyatt, Sacha, Nate Haller, Robyn Ottolini, Mackenzie Leigh Meyer, Amanda & James, Alexa Goldie, Mitch Jean and The Western Swing Authority all took the stage at the 2025 CMAOntario Awards, capped off by surprise tribute performance in Jason McCoy's honour by Tim Hicks and Clayton Bellamy, who are his former Road Hammer bandmates.
McCoy would join them on stage for a 'powerful performance' of his Top 10 hit, 'I Feel a Sin Comin' On.'

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23 Wildly Unsettling Confessions People Randomly Spilled That Shocked Those Around Them
23 Wildly Unsettling Confessions People Randomly Spilled That Shocked Those Around Them

Yahoo

time21 hours ago

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23 Wildly Unsettling Confessions People Randomly Spilled That Shocked Those Around Them

We recently shared this post about wild, "WTF" confessions people casually let rip. BuzzFeed Community members then shared their own stories of times people dropped random confession bombs on them. We also looked at this Reddit thread by TrustyMadman detailing even more unsettling confessions people wish they'd never learned. 1."I was talking to a state Senator and he was casually telling me, in front of a few other guys, about how he would cheat on his wife behind the school we were close to." —swampfish 2."My brother-in-law arranged to have his car stolen because he could no longer afford the payments. The person he hired to steal it was supposed to set it on fire. The police found it fully intact. The arsonist forgot to open a window, so the lack of oxygen put the fire out. The police called, told him he could pick up his car, and gave him the address. My brother-in-law called the car thief/arsonist and complained about the service. When my brother-in-law arrived at the location that the police gave him, the car was fully engulfed in flames. The insurance company turned down the claim because they found it suspicious. He had to keep paying for a car that had to be scrapped. Talk about karma. I could write a book about the schemes my brother-in-law tried to pull, not one of which ever worked in his favor." —Anonymous 3."During a fight, my boyfriend confessed that he dated three ladies simultaneously as a younger man. Sometimes he slept with all three of them on the same day. He says it was not that great because it's not pleasurable if he is not emotionally attached. I was shocked." —Anonymous 4."A guy I dated one summer admitted that he used to commit armed robberies with his best friend and even shot people in the process. The best friend got caught and was locked up for life. He didn't get caught and lived a very low-key life. Not sure if he was telling the truth, but it was a disturbing story." —Anonymous 5."I was doing a European tour in my early 20s with a bunch of Kiwis, Aussies, South Africans, and a few others. We were sitting in a hotel room in Rome playing Never Have I Ever. People were throwing out pretty innocuous things until one guy said, 'Never have I ever stabbed a guy,' and had a drink." —SpoonNZ 6."A coworker didn't show up on Monday. On Tuesday, I said, 'I hope you feel better today.' She casually told me that she wasn't sick. She went to jail for stabbing her boyfriend in the leg with a fork. He didn't press charges, but the time before that, it was a knife in the arm. I guess the second incident got her in trouble with the county." —Anonymous 7."I was riding in a car after a funeral with my mother-in-law and her sister when they started talking about the relative who was just buried (I'll call him M). Long story short, M had numerous scandals throughout his younger years, including an affair with his sister-in-law that resulted in pregnancy. M's wife never knew or at least pretended not to know that her nephew was also her husband's son. That son is now in his 50s, and no one in his generation of relatives knows that his cousins are actually his half-brothers. M's children and grandchildren have all grown up believing M was a very religious, pious man. My husband is a cousin of M's son. They grew up practically brothers, and he doesn't even know." —BeachBound1 8."A coworker once told me that in high school, she and a friend had witnessed a man drop his wallet, and they went to pick it up. The wallet had $5k inside. She said she and her friend figured he must be a drug dealer because only drug dealers would carry that amount of cash, so they kept the money and split it between themselves. She said she spent it slowly on new clothes and things over the next few months so her mother wouldn't get suspicious. I lost all respect for her after she told me the story. I could think of hundreds of reasons why someone might be carrying that much cash, and none of them had to do with drugs. My heart still hurts for the man who lost his wallet that two selfish children found." —Anonymous 9."I was on my way to visit a friend in Missouri when my car broke down just west of Tulsa. This was back when mobile phones were just a nerdy pipe dream, so I walked to a nearby convenience store to find a payphone to call another friend to ask for assistance. While I was waiting for my friend to arrive, I started chatting with the store's clerk. I told him about my car trouble, and he just happened to have the part I needed in his car and stepped away for a few minutes to get it. Once he returned, I thanked him, gave him a few bucks for the part, and made sure it was okay with him for me to hang out there a while longer while I waited for my friend to arrive. The clerk and I continued to chat, and this is when I learned that he already had a few years under his belt towards his degree in veterinary medicine. Then he proceeded to tell me about the surgery skills he recently had the chance to practice by removing a tumor from his buddy's stomach." "He, of course, didn't have access to the proper anesthesia, so his buddy just used a bottle of whiskey to dampen the pain instead. As I sat across the table from this guy, wondering how I would respond or even if I should respond, I was saved by my friend who had just walked in the door. I used my friend's appropriately-timed arrival as an excuse to thank the clerk again for the part and be on my way." —Anonymous 10."I was just casually eating lunch at a restaurant with a friend I'd known for years when she suddenly got really spacy and just stared out the window, ignoring everything I was saying until I finally stopped talking and asked what was up. She pointed at a man outside across the street and said, 'I'm still 95% sure that's my oldest daughter's father.' I'd known her for years and knew her husband and kids. I'd never seen that guy in my life." —Anonymous 11."We were at a family get-together. It was a swim party. We're all having a good time enjoying the sun and swimming. Someone had a scab on their leg, and their sister in-law said, 'Oh, I love it when they get soggy!' Then, she asked her brother if he ate his it was a totally normal thing. He replied, shocked, 'No!! Who the heck eats scabs?!? That's the nastiest thing I've ever heard.' She said, 'I do all the time!' She's in her late 30s. She continued with, 'I just pick them off and suck on them until they get soft, and then swallow. I love it when they get soggy!' I am still disturbed and sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I will never look at that person the same again. When I look at her, all I can think is soggy scab mouth." —Anonymous 12."I (50F) let the condo maintenance man in to replace my thermostat. I've met him before, and he was always nice and quick with repairs. It was the start of summer, and he asked if my kids and I had any vacation plans. I reciprocated the question, and we were just making small talk. Out of nowhere, he casually says he murdered his brother. WTF?? I completely froze, then mumbled, 'Oh,' as he put the faceplate on. He didn't follow up on that statement, and I didn't ask for details. He quickly said bye and walked out. I moved shortly after." —plutoplop 13."My boyfriend's coworker told him that he used to rob sex workers back in his younger days." —Anonymous 14."My buddy casually dropped that his kid wasn't his. It's his wife's dealer's. But I guess they are good now, so whatever." —aknockingmormon 15."One of my coworkers was pregnant, and a group of coworkers were together sharing cravings they had when they were pregnant. Typical stuff, like ice cream and pickles. One of the older ladies, who had grown up in the Mississippi Delta, said, 'I ate dirt.' We all just stared at her. She then went on to talk about how she fried it in a frying pan. Some of us were discussing how bizarre it was later, and apparently, it was a thing in poor areas of Mississippi before the 1950s. It was a way to get nutrients and minerals when food was scarce. I will never forget her saying that, and learning that was actually a thing in America at one time." —Anonymous 16."A few months ago, I had a patient (who I treated every day for a few weeks) 'jokingly' tell me that he and his buddies had killed a man and thrown his body off a bridge into the water below. He was known for telling wild stories, but that one didn't sit well with me. I don't believe he was joking by the way he told it. At all." —Anonymous 17."'Oh, that looks just like the truck I stole and sold to pay for my college tuition.'" —Anonymous 18."In a group meeting that discussed consistency and longevity of maintaining a vegan diet, one asshole declared he has never cheated on his diet and has been vegan for decades. It sounded impressive until he confessed to cheating on his wife instead. Awkward." —lovelypenguin148 19."A female coworker told me about recently visiting her boyfriend's house. She wanted to have sex, but he told her he couldn't because he had a gonorrhea infection. She wanted to have sex anyway and was upset because he wouldn't." —Anonymous 20."My neighbor was helping me move. He picked up my washing machine and easily carried it up the stairs to the front lawn as if it only weighed 10 lbs. I told him I was impressed at how strong he was. He said he was used to carrying really heavy things because he used to be an enforcer for the mob. Jaw drop." —Anonymous 21."A 'friend' of mine told me he'd bitten someone's ear off in a fight. Later, he drove a semi truck into someone's house on purpose." —willflameboy 22."I used to work at a pharmacy, and one day this sweet-looking old man came in to pick up his meds. Out of nowhere, he says, 'You know, I buried my brother in the backyard when I was 12. No one ever found out.' I laughed nervously, thinking it was a joke, but he just stared at me and said, 'He deserved it.' I still don't know if he was serious or just messing with me, but I didn't sleep well that night." —naashpig "Asked my best friend what he had done for the day, and he casually told me about how he robbed a McDonald's. Mind you, we were in high school, and the way he casually breezed past it and explained his entire day?!?! Like sir, PLEASE! Let's back up a bit. You did WHAT????" —Independent-Bat9545 Has someone ever made a major confession to you that left you speechless? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form.

23 Shocking Confessions That Left People Speechless
23 Shocking Confessions That Left People Speechless

Buzz Feed

time21 hours ago

  • Buzz Feed

23 Shocking Confessions That Left People Speechless

We recently shared this post about wild, "WTF" confessions people casually let rip. BuzzFeed Community members then shared their own stories of times people dropped random confession bombs on them. We also looked at this Reddit thread by TrustyMadman detailing even more unsettling confessions people wish they'd never learned. "I was talking to a state Senator and he was casually telling me, in front of a few other guys, about how he would cheat on his wife behind the school we were close to." "My brother-in-law arranged to have his car stolen because he could no longer afford the payments. The person he hired to steal it was supposed to set it on fire. The police found it fully intact. The arsonist forgot to open a window, so the lack of oxygen put the fire out. The police called, told him he could pick up his car, and gave him the address. My brother-in-law called the car thief/arsonist and complained about the service. When my brother-in-law arrived at the location that the police gave him, the car was fully engulfed in flames. The insurance company turned down the claim because they found it suspicious. He had to keep paying for a car that had to be scrapped. Talk about karma. I could write a book about the schemes my brother-in-law tried to pull, not one of which ever worked in his favor." "During a fight, my boyfriend confessed that he dated three ladies simultaneously as a younger man. Sometimes he slept with all three of them on the same day. He says it was not that great because it's not pleasurable if he is not emotionally attached. I was shocked." "A guy I dated one summer admitted that he used to commit armed robberies with his best friend and even shot people in the process. The best friend got caught and was locked up for life. He didn't get caught and lived a very low-key life. Not sure if he was telling the truth, but it was a disturbing story." "I was doing a European tour in my early 20s with a bunch of Kiwis, Aussies, South Africans, and a few others. We were sitting in a hotel room in Rome playing Never Have I Ever. People were throwing out pretty innocuous things until one guy said, 'Never have I ever stabbed a guy,' and had a drink." "A coworker didn't show up on Monday. On Tuesday, I said, 'I hope you feel better today.' She casually told me that she wasn't sick. She went to jail for stabbing her boyfriend in the leg with a fork. He didn't press charges, but the time before that, it was a knife in the arm. I guess the second incident got her in trouble with the county." "I was riding in a car after a funeral with my mother-in-law and her sister when they started talking about the relative who was just buried (I'll call him M). Long story short, M had numerous scandals throughout his younger years, including an affair with his sister-in-law that resulted in pregnancy. M's wife never knew or at least pretended not to know that her nephew was also her husband's son. That son is now in his 50s, and no one in his generation of relatives knows that his cousins are actually his half-brothers. M's children and grandchildren have all grown up believing M was a very religious, pious man. My husband is a cousin of M's son. They grew up practically brothers, and he doesn't even know." "A coworker once told me that in high school, she and a friend had witnessed a man drop his wallet, and they went to pick it up. The wallet had $5k inside. She said she and her friend figured he must be a drug dealer because only drug dealers would carry that amount of cash, so they kept the money and split it between themselves. She said she spent it slowly on new clothes and things over the next few months so her mother wouldn't get suspicious. I lost all respect for her after she told me the story. I could think of hundreds of reasons why someone might be carrying that much cash, and none of them had to do with drugs. My heart still hurts for the man who lost his wallet that two selfish children found." "I was on my way to visit a friend in Missouri when my car broke down just west of Tulsa. This was back when mobile phones were just a nerdy pipe dream, so I walked to a nearby convenience store to find a payphone to call another friend to ask for assistance. While I was waiting for my friend to arrive, I started chatting with the store's clerk. I told him about my car trouble, and he just happened to have the part I needed in his car and stepped away for a few minutes to get it. Once he returned, I thanked him, gave him a few bucks for the part, and made sure it was okay with him for me to hang out there a while longer while I waited for my friend to arrive. The clerk and I continued to chat, and this is when I learned that he already had a few years under his belt towards his degree in veterinary medicine. Then he proceeded to tell me about the surgery skills he recently had the chance to practice by removing a tumor from his buddy's stomach." "I was just casually eating lunch at a restaurant with a friend I'd known for years when she suddenly got really spacy and just stared out the window, ignoring everything I was saying until I finally stopped talking and asked what was up. She pointed at a man outside across the street and said, 'I'm still 95% sure that's my oldest daughter's father.' I'd known her for years and knew her husband and kids. I'd never seen that guy in my life." "We were at a family get-together. It was a swim party. We're all having a good time enjoying the sun and swimming. Someone had a scab on their leg, and their sister in-law said, 'Oh, I love it when they get soggy!' Then, she asked her brother if he ate his it was a totally normal thing. He replied, shocked, 'No!! Who the heck eats scabs?!? That's the nastiest thing I've ever heard.' She said, 'I do all the time!' She's in her late 30s. She continued with, 'I just pick them off and suck on them until they get soft, and then swallow. I love it when they get soggy!' I am still disturbed and sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I will never look at that person the same again. When I look at her, all I can think is soggy scab mouth." "I (50F) let the condo maintenance man in to replace my thermostat. I've met him before, and he was always nice and quick with repairs. It was the start of summer, and he asked if my kids and I had any vacation plans. I reciprocated the question, and we were just making small talk. Out of nowhere, he casually says he murdered his brother. WTF?? I completely froze, then mumbled, 'Oh,' as he put the faceplate on. He didn't follow up on that statement, and I didn't ask for details. He quickly said bye and walked out. I moved shortly after." "My boyfriend's coworker told him that he used to rob sex workers back in his younger days." "My buddy casually dropped that his kid wasn't his. It's his wife's dealer's. But I guess they are good now, so whatever." "One of my coworkers was pregnant, and a group of coworkers were together sharing cravings they had when they were pregnant. Typical stuff, like ice cream and pickles. One of the older ladies, who had grown up in the Mississippi Delta, said, 'I ate dirt.' We all just stared at her. She then went on to talk about how she fried it in a frying pan. Some of us were discussing how bizarre it was later, and apparently, it was a thing in poor areas of Mississippi before the 1950s. It was a way to get nutrients and minerals when food was scarce. I will never forget her saying that, and learning that was actually a thing in America at one time." "A few months ago, I had a patient (who I treated every day for a few weeks) 'jokingly' tell me that he and his buddies had killed a man and thrown his body off a bridge into the water below. He was known for telling wild stories, but that one didn't sit well with me. I don't believe he was joking by the way he told it. At all." "'Oh, that looks just like the truck I stole and sold to pay for my college tuition.'" "In a group meeting that discussed consistency and longevity of maintaining a vegan diet, one asshole declared he has never cheated on his diet and has been vegan for decades. It sounded impressive until he confessed to cheating on his wife instead. Awkward." "A female coworker told me about recently visiting her boyfriend's house. She wanted to have sex, but he told her he couldn't because he had a gonorrhea infection. She wanted to have sex anyway and was upset because he wouldn't." "My neighbor was helping me move. He picked up my washing machine and easily carried it up the stairs to the front lawn as if it only weighed 10 lbs. I told him I was impressed at how strong he was. He said he was used to carrying really heavy things because he used to be an enforcer for the mob. Jaw drop." "A 'friend' of mine told me he'd bitten someone's ear off in a fight. Later, he drove a semi truck into someone's house on purpose." "I used to work at a pharmacy, and one day this sweet-looking old man came in to pick up his meds. Out of nowhere, he says, 'You know, I buried my brother in the backyard when I was 12. No one ever found out.' I laughed nervously, thinking it was a joke, but he just stared at me and said, 'He deserved it.' I still don't know if he was serious or just messing with me, but I didn't sleep well that night." And: "Asked my best friend what he had done for the day, and he casually told me about how he robbed a McDonald's. Mind you, we were in high school, and the way he casually breezed past it and explained his entire day?!?! Like sir, PLEASE! Let's back up a bit. You did WHAT????" Has someone ever made a major confession to you that left you speechless? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

‘90s Rock Icon Stuns Hugh Jackman With Surprise Backstage Concert: 'I'd Just Die'
‘90s Rock Icon Stuns Hugh Jackman With Surprise Backstage Concert: 'I'd Just Die'

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

‘90s Rock Icon Stuns Hugh Jackman With Surprise Backstage Concert: 'I'd Just Die'

'90s Rock Icon Stuns Hugh Jackman With Surprise Backstage Concert: 'I'd Just Die' originally appeared on Parade. Hugh Jackman is happy. The Music Man crooner was recently joined onstage by one of the most iconic voices of the '80s and '90s. Even better, the two warmed up for the show with a backstage, unplugged concert that has fans wanting this duo to take their act on the road. Jackman, 56, will be performing a total of 24 shows at Radio City Music Hall this year, part of his concert series titled From New York With Love. For a recent show, the Australian multi-hyphenate brought alt-rock darling Melissa Etheridge on stage for a duet of Etheridge's 1993 hit Come To My a video shared to Etheridge's social media, the two can be seen jamming and singing before either took the stage. As they finished, Jackman joyfully exclaimed, 'Oh my god, I'm so happy!' Fans were happy with the impromptu concert as well. One wrote on Etheridge's post, 'Wonderful! Thank you for the goosebumps .😁,' and another wrote, 'Can't stop loving Hugh jackman & Melissa!'Another fan endorsed the pairing, writing, 'Hugh Jackman should be protected and cherished as an asset to the whole planet. And I don't say that about many men. That's exactly how you act when a goddess is singing with you.' Melissa Etheridge–Hugh Jackman world tour? Yes, please. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 '90s Rock Icon Stuns Hugh Jackman With Surprise Backstage Concert: 'I'd Just Die' first appeared on Parade on Jun 3, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.

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