Emerging Artist Showdown

2023 Emerging Artist Showdown Winners

We were completely BLOWN AWAY by this year's showdown! 🤯 We want to start off by thanking the 28K+ voters for helping us choose our 2023 Emerging Artist Showdown winners! It was a wild ride and we were so happy to see all of the love and support pouring in for all of these talented finalists. We're so proud to announce the top 3 winners:

🥇 Brothers Wilde (Side Stage Opener for Jade Eagleson & Chris Young)
🥈 Feral Minks (Side Stage Opener for The Trews & Tyler Joe Miller)
🥉 Sarina Haggarty (Side Stage Opener for Aaron Goodvin)

Lastly, we're honoured to host this competition in memory of James Cameron. This year we will be donating festival proceeds towards the Tanner Steffler Foundation, a local mental health organization - thanks to all of your support! 💛

Good luck to our finalists - let the voting begin!

Good luck to our finalists - let the voting begin!

Vote Now

Emerging Artist Showdown 2023 Finalists

We tell ya, every year y'all make it harder and harder to narrow down finalists! This year, we've decided to release 6 finalists and 3 winners in celebration of our 15th anniversary, and to showcase more talented emerging artists! In no particular order, we present to you the Emerging Artist Showdown 2023 Finalists!

Please vote for your top pick by July 24th, 2023 at 11:59PM. The top 3 finalists with the most votes will go on to perform on the Emerging Artist Side Stage to open for our festival headliners!

Good luck to our finalists - let the voting begin!

Good luck to our finalists - let the voting begin!

Vote Now
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Sarina Haggarty

City/ Town: London

About

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The Holy Gamblers are a Toronto-based honky tonk band, playing a combination of classic country and rock, hence the honky tonk moniker. Drawing heavily on influences like Willie Nelson, the Eagles, and The Rolling Stones - The Holy Gamblers offer a unique blend of tradition and modernity. All in all, they’re a young and energetic group ready to “kick ass and play the music that people want to dance and drink to”!

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Benny Douglas

City/Town: Hamilton

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Paige Rutledge

City/Town: Oakville

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First

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Brothers Wilde

City/Town: Kettle Point First Nation

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second

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Feral Minks

City/Town: Kitchener

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third

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Sarina Haggarty

City/ Town: London

About

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The Holy Gamblers are a Toronto-based honky tonk band, playing a combination of classic country and rock, hence the honky tonk moniker. Drawing heavily on influences like Willie Nelson, the Eagles, and The Rolling Stones - The Holy Gamblers offer a unique blend of tradition and modernity. All in all, they’re a young and energetic group ready to “kick ass and play the music that people want to dance and drink to”!

Vote Now
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Spencer Burns

City/Town: Toronto

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Feral Minks

City/Town: Kitchener

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Brothers Wilde

City/Town: Kettle Point First Nation

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Adam Cousins

City/Town: Brussels

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Vote Now

Voting now open!

Thank you for the submission!
Stay tuned for finalists!

general information

background information


video submission


INSTRUMENTS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS


Additional message

Thank you for your submission to
the 2022 Emerging Artist Showdown!

Finalists will be contacted in a few weeks.

Good luck!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
general information

background information


video submission


INSTRUMENTS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS


Additional message

Thank you for your submission to
the 2022 Emerging Artist Showdown!

Finalists will be contacted in a few weeks.

Good luck!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Vote Now

Voting closes July 24th, 2023 at 11:59PM.

ABOUT US

Great Music for a Greater Cause is more than just a catchphrase, it’s our mission. In 2008, our local Kinsmen Club had the idea to bring a large-scale festival to our small town in rural Ontario. Since then, we’ve celebrated over a decade of Lucknow’s Music in the Fields and our festival has expanded from a Kinsmen event, to a community-wide one. Every year, our non-profit and volunteer-run event attracts upwards of 8000 attendees (that's almost 8X the population of Lucknow)! You can feel good knowing that 100% of proceeds go directly to local charities, schools, hospitals and initiatives in need when supporting our festival.

Of course, we pride ourselves on the world-class talent that joins us in the fields every year - but we’re also proud to offer the opportunity for local and emerging artists from across the province as well. That’s why every year, our Emerging Artist Showdown encourages new talent to apply for their chance to perform for thousands of festival goers! Learn more about how you can win your way on stage this year! 

EMERGING ARTIST 
SHOWDOWN

EMERGING ARTIST SHOWDOWN

Each year, we open the gates to the Emerging Artist Showdown and welcome video submissions from across the province. Our Lucknow’s Music in the Fields committee carefully reviews the applications and releases the finalists for public voting! The fan favourite and runner-up is decided based on votes, and will be added to the official 2023 lineup as the side-stage openers for our Saturday night headliners! For year 15, we've decided to extend our offering to welcome a third place winner as well to perform Friday! 

Stay tuned for the list of finalists and voting details!

Are you ready to PERFORM in the fields?

Submissions will be accepted until June 30, 2023 at
11:59PM EST
Apply Now

HONOURING JAMES CAMERON

We love hosting new talent on stage to share with the world, and this contest has become even more meaningful to us in recent years. Back in 2012, Kitchener-local James Cameron entered his band into our first ever Emerging Artist Showdown as an energetic teenager. The crowd was so impressed that we brought them back in 2013, and again in 2018 to celebrate our 10th year in the fields. Since then, he continued to play events across Southern Ontario to an ever-growing fan base - always owning the stage with his incredible energy and trademark red pants. Sadly in 2020, we lost James to his ongoing battle with mental health. We wanted to honour him by dedicating this contest in his memory, incorporating his band logo, and making the commitment to donate festival proceeds towards local mental health organizations. We look forward to continuing this commitment and showcasing new talent on stage again this summer. Thank you again to the Cameron family for allowing us to organize this tribute.

Tanner Steffler Foundation Logo

Tanner Steffler Foundation

This year, we will be partnering with The Tanner Steffler Foundation. Their aim is to enhance and improve mental health and addiction resources and support networks for youth between the ages of 12-24 within Huron County. Learn more about this incredible organization here: https://www.tannerstefflerfoundation.com/

about the tanner steffler foundation
artist

2022 Submissions Are Now Closed

Thank you for the submission!
Stay tuned for finalists!

general information

background information


video submission


INSTRUMENTS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS


Additional message

Thank you for your submission to
the 2022 Emerging Artist Showdown!

Finalists will be contacted in a few weeks.

Good luck!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
general information

background information


video submission


INSTRUMENTS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS


Additional message

Thank you for your submission to
the 2022 Emerging Artist Showdown!

Finalists will be contacted in a few weeks.

Good luck!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Vote Now

Please vote for your top pick by July 27th, 2022.

2023 Emerging Artist Showdown
Application Form

general information

background information


video submission


INSTRUMENTS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS


Additional message

Thank you for your submission to
the 2023 Emerging Artist Showdown!

Finalists will be contacted in a few weeks.

Good luck!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

past CMAO SPotlight performers

Since 2014, Lucknow’s Music in the Fields has partnered with the Country Music Association of Ontario (CMA Ontario) to bring even more amazing talent to the fields. Every Spring, the CMA Ontario seeks out a Rising Star to perform in Lucknow to open for our Friday night headliners! This incredible organization actively services emerging artists across the province by providing strategies and advice on how to make it in the Country Music industry. Here's a look at our past CMAO Spotlight performers:

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23: CMA ONTARIO SPOTLIGHT NIGHT

Please stay tuned for our Emerging Artist Showdown Stage Program for 2019

SATURDAY AUGUST 24: EMERGING ARTIST SHOWDOWN

Great Music for a Greater Cause is more than just a catchphrase, it’s our mission. In 2008, our local Kinsmen Club had the idea to bring a large-scale festival to our small town of Lucknow. Since then, we’ve celebrated over a decade of Lucknow’s Music in the Fields and our festival has expanded from a Kinsmen event, to a community-wide one.

CMAO Ontario spotlight night - sponsored by the country music association of ontario
past performers:  johnson crook (2017) sacha (2016), shea dupuy (2015), emily reid (2014)

EMERGING ARTIST WINNERS (PERFORMERS)

SPONSORED IN PART BY THE HOWICK MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY

  • Josh Ross (2017)

  • Kristen Hawley (2016)

  • Vanessa Marie Carter (2015)

  • Runaway Angel (2014)

  • Amy Rose (2013)

  • The James Cameron Band (2012)

PAST RUNNER-UP PERFORMERS

SPONSORED IN PART BY THE HOWICK MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY

  • Alessia Cohle (2017)

  • Buck Twenty (2016)

  • Eric Ethridge (2015)

  • Brooklyn Roebuck (2014)

  • The Walters Twins (2013)

  • Kerosene Creek (2012)

2022 Official Contest Rules

Emerging Artist Showdown 2022 Official Contest Regulations