Opry debut, CCMA award nominations invigorate Canadian country star Jade Eagleson

EDMONTON — Jade Eagleson didn’t think he could be any more passionate about music, but he says he’s found another gear.

The country singer-songwriter from Bailieboro, Ont., is a five-time Canadian Country Music Association award winner and Juno award nominee whose songs have been streamed online more than 305 million times.

He is tied with MacKenzie Porter with six nominations in the CCMA Awards, set for Saturday night in Edmonton.

Those nominations, his upcoming debut at the legendary Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and the success of his latest album “Do It Anyway” have the 30-year-old looking forward to just about everything that could be in store for him.

“When you’re putting stuff out that you’re really connected to and really love, and other people love it just as much as you, it kind of creates this additional gear in you that you didn’t even know you had,” Eagleson told The Canadian Press.

Eagleson’s third studio album “Do It Anyway,” released last fall, has earned him a CCMA award nomination for album of the year, as well as nominations for male artist of the year, songwriter of the year and entertainer of the year.

His remaining nominations this year are for the fan’s choice award and single of the year for the track “Rodeo Queen,” which he co-wrote with Daryl Scott.

“Do It Anyway” was also nominated for country album of the year at the 2024 Juno Awards in March.

Eagleson has previously said “Do It Anyway” was an intimidating album to release because the songs were so personal, but its commercial and critical success has been reassuring.

“This record, to me, was a deviation from that safety net that a lot of artists kind of go through when they’re releasing all radio-safe stuff.”

That’s not to say Eagleson didn’t put his heart into his first two records. Rather, he feels he’s reached a point in his career where he can take more risks.

He also thinks country fans, thanks in large part to social media, have become more eager for singers to break away from popular formulas.

“I feel that if I were to have started my career now, it would be a different story,” he said. “I could probably release stuff that I felt more attached to right out of the gate.”

Just as Eagleson, who now calls Nashville home along with his wife Marina and two sons, is wearing more of his heart on his album covers, he’s gearing up for his long-sought debut at the Grand Ole Opry on Oct. 18.

The Opry, considered by many country artists the pinnacle performance opportunity, is a weekly music showcase and broadcast that dates back nearly a century.

“The tradition of country music and everything surrounding it has always been a very big thing for me, and obviously at the centre of all that is the Opry,” Eagleson said. “My dream since day one was to someday end up there and play there.”

“My wife and I will go catch a show from time to time, and I just look at the stage and it’s hard not to get a bit emotional.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press