CCMA MUSICIAN HALL OF HONOUR ADDED TO NATIONAL MUSIC CENTRE'S COUNTRYFIED EXHIBITIONS

COUNTRY MUSIC COMMUNITY HONOURED THROUGHOUT STUDIO BELL DURING COUNTRY MUSIC WEEK 2022

(Calgary, AB — September 1, 2022) The National Music Centre (NMC) in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA) is pleased to announce that the CCMA Musician Hall of Honour will be temporarily featured at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, starting on September 1.

The Musician Hall of Honour was established in 2000, and is reserved for musicians who have been awarded the same CCMA Musician Award five or more times. Upon achieving their fifth award within the same category, their name will forever be included in the Hall of Honour in celebration of their great contribution to Canadian country music. From notable guitarists to drummers and bass players to fiddlers, 17 names will be added to the walls of Studio Bell’s Homegrown Country exhibition.

The Musician Hall of Honour, featuring name panels and artist bios, will be open for public viewing right in time for Country Music Week, which takes over Calgary from September 8-11.

“Finding new ways to celebrate Canada’s country music community is always exciting for National Music Centre,” said Andrew Mosker, President and CEO, NMC. “We’re thrilled that the public will have a temporary space to learn more about the contributions of these 17 fantastic musicians.”

As the official permanent home of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (CCMHF), National Music Centre is the custodian of more than 1,270 artifacts within the CCMHF collection, including instruments and memorabilia (textiles, awards, photographs).

In celebration of the 2022 Hall of Fame artist and builder inductees, country singer George Fox and celebrated country producer Randall Prescott, several new instruments and artifacts will also be on display at Studio Bell. Treasures from Fox include handwritten lyric sheets, two stage outfits, and the acoustic/electric guitar on which he wrote his first two albums and several Top 10 hits, such as “Angelina,” “No Trespassing,” and “Lime Rickey.” From Prescott, fans can see a banjo, a stage outfit, and a selection of some of his awards, including his 1989 JUNO Award presented to the Family Brown (during Prescott’s tenure with the group), and his 1997 CCMA Award for Producer of the Year.

The 2022 Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and CCMA Musician Hall of Honour inductees will all be recognized at two separate private ceremonies during Country Music Week in Calgary.

First launched in 2019, the Homegrown Country exhibition at Studio Bell was also updated earlier this year with even more items from the CCMHF. The collection includes items from Anne Murray (blouse from Grammy performance), k.d. lang (1984 “A Truly Western Experience stage outfit"), Terri Clark (blouse and jacket), Hank Snow ("Nudie suit"), Stompin’ Tom Connors (signed stomping board), Paul Brandt (guitar), Dick Damron (banjo), Colleen Peterson (acoustic guitar), Gordie Tapp ("Hee Haw overalls"), and Patricia Conroy (stage outfit), among others.

Items from other country stars are also woven throughout the building, including dazzling stage wear from The Mercey Brothers, Carrol Baker, and Shania Twain, along with Wilf Carter’s cowboy boots and saddle. On Studio Bell’s main floor, visitors will be able to see a slideshow display of photographs taken by renowned Country music photographer Bill Borgwardt, as well as one of his cameras and other memorabilia.

Country music fans are encouraged to make Studio Bell a part of their Country Music Week experience. Admission to Studio Bell is currently being offered at a pay-what-you-can rate. Suggested rate is $15. Any amount, big or small, supports NMC's charitable efforts.

Cap off your visit to Studio Bell with a stop at CCMA-winning Country Club of the Year, the King Eddy, for no cover evening shows, including CCMA OFF COUNTRY events on September 8 and 10. Plus, show your Studio Bell ticket stub to receive 10% off your bill. See more info on concert listings at kingeddy.ca/whats-on.

About National Music Centre | Centre National de Musique
The National Music Centre (NMC) has a mission to amplify the love, sharing, and understanding of music and is preserving and celebrating Canada’s music story inside its home at Studio Bell in the heart of the East Village in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) on Treaty 7 territory. NMC is the home to four Canadian music halls of fame, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Quebec’s ADISQ Hall of Fame. Featuring musical instruments, artifacts, recording equipment, and memorabilia, the NMC Collection spans over 450 years of music history and innovation. A registered charity with programs that include exhibitions, artist development, performance, and education, NMC is inspiring a new generation of music lovers. For more information about NMC’s onsite activities, please visit studiobell.ca. To check out the NMC experience online, including video-on-demand performances, made-in-Canada stories, and highly entertaining educational content, visit amplify.nmc.ca.

About the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA)
Established in 1976, the CCMA is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to the promotion and recognition of Canadian country music. Built upon the foundation to educate, elevate and celebrate Canadian talent, the CCMA progressively heralds the spirit, community and creativity that country music fosters through year-round initiatives, culminating every fall with Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Sponsors of Country Music Week 2022 and the 2022 CCMA Awards presented by TD include FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund,” Radio Starmaker, Tourism Calgary and the Government of Alberta. For more information, visit ccma.org.

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Media Contact:
Julijana Capone, Senior Publicist
National Music Centre
T. 403.543.5123 | C. 403.710.4758
julijana.capone@nmc.ca | @nmc_canada

Tiffany Astle
Penelope PR
T. 416.554.7329
tiffany@penelopepr.com