Twain keeps rolling with 8 country nominations

Shania Twain's year keeps getting better.

Twain, the most popular female country artist ever, earned eight nominations Wednesday for the 1998 Canadian Country Music Awards, which take place in Calgary in September.

Bruce Guthro, a native son of Sydney Mines, also picked up two nominations. While Cookie Rankin and Natalie MacMaster were nominated for vocal or instrumental collaboration of the year for their hit Drunken Piper.

The overwhelming nod from the Canadian country recording industry comes in the middle of Twain's first North American tour. The 32-year-old superstar from Timmins, Ont., has sold more than four million copies of her latest album, Come on Over, which just a day earlier was nominated for album of the year by the American country music industry.

Twain's success is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Canadian country music, said Tom Tompkins, president of the Canadian Country Music Association.

"A huge array of talented young up-and-comers is waiting in the wings to join her," he said.

Newcomer Jason McCoy picked up six nominations, including best album and single, while last year's rising star award winner, Julian Austin, landed five.

The awards will be presented at a gala to be broadcast Sept. 14 on CTV from Calgary's Jubilee Auditorium.

This year's host, singer-songwriter Terri Clark of Medicine Hat, Alta., is nominated for female vocalist of the year along with Twain, Lisa Brokop, Tracey Brown and Michelle Wright.

Twain is also up for awards for top album, single, song, video and vocal collaboration, and is cited in the fan's choice category. Her eighth nomination is in the best-selling country albums category, where Come on Over was the only Canadian entry recognized by the association.

Other best-album nominees were Charlie Major for Everything's Alright, Paul Brandt for Outside the Frame, McCoy for Playin' for Keeps, and Austin for What My Heart Already Knows.

"It's not really why anybody's in the business, but I think it certainly helps your career," McCoy said about awards events after his six nominations were announced.

Best single nominations were given to McCoy for Born Again in Dixieland, Brokop for How Do I Let Go?, Austin for Little Ol' Kisses, Bruce Guthro for Walk This Road and Twain for You're Still the One.

Nominees for male vocalist of the year were Austin, Brandt, Gil Grand, McCoy and Duane Steele.

Rising star award nominations went to Chris Cummings, Grand, Bruce Guthro, Beverley Mahood and Rick Tippe.

This year's best group award will be a contest between country award perennials Blue Rodeo, Prairie Oyster and Thomas Wade and Wayward and rookies Leahy and Farmer's Daughter.

The awards, which top off the annual industry conference, Canadian Country Music Week, give artists a chance to catch their breath and evaluate the Canadian country scene, Austin said.

"It's a nice way to phase out a really busy year," he said.