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The region’s hottest country music artists had a grand old time at the fifth annual Inland Northwest County Music Awards on October 23rd.
Held for the first time at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane, over 500 people showed up to support their favorite local musicians and of course hear some great music.
IN-CMA founder and organizer Rusty Jackson was delighted with how the event turned out, crediting producer Joey Anderson and the rest of the team for making the night special for so many.
The night featured 25 individual acts from 15 individual acoustic performers and 10 bands, mostly from North Idaho.
One artist who “cleaned up” at the event was Coeur d’Alene’s Carly Osica, who was named Favorite Solo Act of the Year, Favorite Singer-Songwriter, Favorite Female Vocalist and Runner Up in the Song of the Year categories.
“It was a really cool event,” Osika said. “I rarely get to see other local artists perform since I’m always playing my own gigs, so it was really fun for me to meet everyone and see them play.”
When it was announced that he had won Favorite Single Act, Osika said he was a bit surprised.
“This is my first year at all being included in the IN-CMA Awards, and I really didn’t expect to get so many nominations, let alone win anything.” “
Nominees for the IN-CMA are chosen with the help of area venues, who are given ballots and asked to provide five choices for each category. After the nominees are determined, the winner is determined by popular vote.
Jackson said more than 2,000 ballots were cast at the event this year, helping to narrow down the nominees to just a large group of friends and family casting ballots.
“I think the fans got it pretty right,” he said.
Jackson, who works as a software engineer, started the IN-CMA show as a way for local artists to get the word out about themselves and to recognize the vast amount of talent in the Inland Northwest.
“I got kind of fascinated with marketing because I realized that even though I wrote software, the only reason people bought it was because these people came up with clever ways to describe it,” Jackson said.
“It’s better to have a third party talk about you than just talk about yourself,” he added.
After a while of serving as a platform to talk about the events, Jackson decided that the IN-CMA needed an actual awards show.
Held at the Kroc Center the first two years and Nashville North in Post Falls the next two years, Jackson said he was excited to host the event in a venue that gave off an “awards show vibe.”
The next awards ceremony is scheduled for November 5, 2023 at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane.
“Spokane is becoming the Nashville of the Northwest,” Jackson said.
Visit in-cma.com for information on the soon-to-be renamed Northwest County Music Awards.
To hear the full interview with Rusty Jackson, tune in to the Friday, October 28 episode of the North Idaho Now Podcast.
2022 IN-CMA Award winners, organized by category and winner:
Dear New Act (New for IN-CMA)
Wildflowers – Winner
Honey and Roses – First Runner Up
Favorite female singer
Peyton Ray – Winner
Carly Osika – 1st runner up
Favorite Male Vocalist
Sam McCue – Winner
Chaz Ridler – 1st runner up
Dear single law
Carly Osika – Winner
Steve Starkey – 1st runner up
Favorite singer-songwriter
Joey Anderson – Winner
Carly Osika – 1st runner up
Favorite drummer/percussionist
Jake West – Winner
Matt Fett – 1st runner up
Favorite bass player
Nate Norman – Winner
Kelly Shelton – First Runner Up
Favorite lead guitar
Cody Norman – Winner
Jesse Quandt – 1st runner up
Favorite Instrumentalist (Other)
Fidlin’ Sara Jean — Winner
Debbie Hahn – 1st runner up
Dear Acoustic Law
Third Avenue – Winner
The Wildflowers – First Runner Up
Favorite band
Tamarack Ridge Band — Winner
Outwest — First runner-up
Favorite regional/travel laws
Copper Mountain Band – Winner
Kelly Hughes – 1st runner up
Entertainer of the Year
Copper Mountain Band – Winner
Sam Laid – 1st runner up
Best song of the year
Big Small Town — Sam Laid — Winner
Whiskey and Him — Carly Osika — 1st runner-up
Favorite radio personality
Kevin James – Winner
Sybil — First runner-up
Favorite radio station
99.9 Coyote Country — Winner
93.7 The Mountain — First Runner Up
Favorite big/band venue
Nashville North – Winner
Knitting factory — 1st runner-up
Favorite intimate live music venue
Iron Horse Spokane Valley — Winner
Black Diamond Presents — First Runner Up
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