Dave Woods has become an integral part of the country music scene in Canada in general and Ontario specifically over the last decade. From his podcast interviews to live stream shows to live events, Dave has provided both indie artists and major label acts a platform to get their music heard.  Dave’s passion for country music and live music is matched only by restaurant and performance venue owner John Marlatt of The Moonshine Café in Oakville, Ontario.

So when you combine the two, Dave with his live shows and John with the venue, it’s a perfect musical marriage. When Dave decide he wanted to feature singer/songwriters in the Nashville style of “in the round” or this case “in the row” he chose the name Stories Songs and Six Strings for the show and picked The Moonshine Café as the ideal location.

There‘s an old music business axiom that it takes ten years to become an overnight success and Dave Woods is a living example of the proof of that statement.

The year 2020 marks 11 years since Dave Woods had a vision that today is a fixture in the Canadian country music scene. Dave started in radio in Orillia, KICX 105, now called Pure Country, and was a real lover of country music.

“My Dad, Dave Sr., and I would watch country music videos together. He was a huge Hank Sr. fan but he really liked the songs that were coming out on CMT at the time. So we bonded watching them together and while watchingTNN (The Nashville Network). It was there that I would see Ralph Emery and listen to the way he interviewed people and thought it was so cool that I’d like to do something like that on radio or a podcast. So I started putting together an idea to do a show called ‘In The Country with Dave Woods’.”

Another great CMAO was held on Sunday June 16, 2019, in Ottawa, at The National Arts Centre, hosted once again by the talented and funny Jason McCoy.

Western Swing Authority providing amazing back up music for all of the performances.

Meghan Patrick coming away the big winner with 5 awards under her belt and Tim Hicks and The Reklaws with 2 awards each.

The Winners of the 7th Annual CMAOntario Awards are:

SINGLE OF THE YEAR sponsored by PURE COUNTRY
“Feels Like That” – The Reklaws

ALBUM OF THE YEAR sponsored by COUNTRY 93.5
Country Music Made Me Do It – Meghan Patrick

SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR sponsored by SOCAN
Meghan Patrick, Kelly Archer, Justin Weaver – “Walls Come Down”, Recorded by Meghan Patrick

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by Spring Tree Farm
Meghan Patrick

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by ECAO/IBEW
Tim Hicks

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR sponsored by Country 103
The Reklaws