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”(Single Again) is my first song that broke international borders, and I’m so grateful for that,” Ross said during Saturday night’s awards show.

“Thank you for having my back,” he told the crowd at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C.

Ross also clinched entertainer of the year for a second time at the awards.

He said it was “incredible” to win what he described as “the most meaningful award,” adding felt proud to join the likes of artists such as Dallas Smith.

Ross has said “Single Again” tells a true story. In 2019, he ran into a high school crush at a bar and offered to buy her a drink. She turned him down because she had a boyfriend, but Ross recalls saying, “Well, let me know if you’re ever single again.”

The single won video of the year and garnered Ross the industry award for Top Selling Canadian Single of the Year. He also won the association’s award for top selling Canadian album of the year for “It’s Complicated.”

Whitcomb, meanwhile, took home the coveted fans’ choice award along with the trophy for breakthrough artist of the year.

This year marked the first time the 22-year-old from Nanaimo, B.C., was nominated for a CCMA award. It follows the release of his track “Quitter,” a gritty, foot-stomping anthem that croons to its listeners about “the hardest part of getting clean.”

“Thank you for keeping me sober. Thank you for saving my life,” he said after accepting the breakthrough artist award, prompting cheers from the crowd.

“I love you sincerely from the bottom of my heart.”

Ontario’s Jade Eagleson, a five-time CCMA award winner and Juno award nominee from Bailieboro, Ont., landed male artist of the year.

Alberta’s MacKenzie Porter was awarded best female artist for a second year in a row, following several earlier nominations over the years.

Owen Riegling of Mildmay, Ont., won album of the year for “Bruce County (From The Beginning),” drawing inspiration from his experiences growing up in a small town.

“I’m shaking a little bit right now,” Riegling said as he held the award. “I just remember being a kid sitting in my bedroom for hours and hours and hours playing guitar, trying to learn how to sing, trying to write music and dreaming about getting to stand up on a stage someday.”

“Because of you guys, country music fans, I’m able to do that now. So thank you very much.”

Comedian Tom Green hosted the show, which returned to B.C. for a third time since the awards were first held in 1977. The previous B.C. shows were in Vancouver.

Green kicked it off with an acoustic guitar around his neck and performed his own song about not knowing exactly what to sing, but rolling with the punches.

While viewers may have tuned in to the broadcast to get a glimpse of their favourite country star, they were also treated to a return to Green’s roots with a late-night style conversation with Whitcomb. The singer handed a pair of drumsticks to a member of the audience and the pair threw his cowboy hat into the crowd.

A highlight of the night was a swoon-worthy performance by singers MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge under their stage name Thelma & James.

Speaking to reporters after the show, Porter said she would have to balance a solo career and a duo act.

“I’m a mom now, so multitasking is my forte,” she said.

Among the other winners, the James Barker Band from Woodville, Ont., took home group of the year. A new addition to the awards this year was the francophone artist of the year category, which was awarded to Salebarbes.

Musical collaboration of the year went to Madeline Merlo for “Broken Heart Thing” with Dustin Lynch, while Alternative Country Album of the Year was handed to Jake Vaadeland for “One More Dollar To Go.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2025.