St. Albert’s Hailey Benedict nominated for 2024 CCMA award

St. Albert-grown country music artist Hailey Benedict is nothing short of a rising star. At just 14-years-old she took the stage at a Keith Urban concert, playing an original song. Since then, Benedict has graced the same stages as country artists such as Jason Aldean and Blue Rodeo, just to name a few.

Over the years, Benedict has become a rising Canadian country music sensation. She has received multiple songwriting awards in the genre. Her nomination for the 2024 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year is no exception.

Benedict has been attending the CCMAs since she was 14. Along with her nomination, she’ll attend the CCMAs in Edmonton on September 14 to present an award, and will perform at two events during CCMA Country Music Week, which is taking place from September 11 to 14.

She expressed how being nominated alongside other artists “who [she] looks up to is so special.” However, this isn’t the first time that Benedict has received a nomination for a CCMA award. In 2022 she won the award for Interactive Artist of the Year.

Benedict signs record and publishing deal, is releasing new single

When it comes to writing songs, Benedict explained she usually draws from personal experience.

“Sometimes I just like to create a story, and sometimes it’s autobiographical. But that’s kind of the fun part. I think the [fun of] songwriting is that no song is created the same. And it’s fun just getting to explore and and write from different perspectives all the time.”

Along with her monumental CCMA award nomination, Benedict has just signed a record and publishing deal with Big Loud Records — a Nashville-based company — and its Canadian partner Local Hay Records.

“[The moment] is still fresh, but it’s very exciting and kind of a pivotal moment for my career moving forward,” Benedict said.

With the announcement of her new record-signing, she also revealed her new, upcoming single. “Things My Mama Says” is set to release on October 4.

“It is a very personal song for me. And so I’m really excited to get to share that with everybody.”

Benedict hopes to one day release her debut album — something she says is in the works.

“I’ve been writing a ton the last two years, so I’m really excited to get to have that dream be fulfilled hopefully soon,” Benedict said.

Benedict expressed her excitement for her prospective performances at the CCMA awards. She’ll perform at the CCMA Songwriters Unplugged Series, which celebrates the writing process of original songs. Additionally, she’ll perform at the CCMA Legends Show which highlights past country hits by pairing rising country stars with legendary ones. Some artists in this particular series include Brett Kissel and Tenille Townes.

In terms of Benedict’s upcoming projects and performances, she expressed that she is “really looking forward to it.”