A country singer-songwriter from Windsor has cleared a major hurdle in the race to be named the best in Canada.
Kelsi Mayne, a self-proclaimed "shower singer", is one of the three artists moving on to the finals state of the SiriusXM Top of the Country competition, a nationwide effort to find Canada's next country music star. Mayne confirmed the news on her official Twitter account Monday morning.
The three finalists were chosen by a telephone and internet vote out of a field of eight semifinalists. All of the semifinalists received a professionally-recorded video of their audition, according to SiriusXM.
Mayne graduated from the University of Windsor with a degree in nursing. She told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com earlier this month that reaching the finals, let alone winning the whole thing, would be beyond anything she had ever imagined.
"I can’t even fathom what it would do for my career," said Mayne. "For me, it would leaps and bounds."
Having spent several years performing and working on her songwriting, Mayne submitted a video for the competition earlier this year. It was not immediately clear how many performers submitted material.
The Top of the Country competition, from SiriusXM satellite radio, is presented in conjunction with the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), which hands out the annual CCMA Awards. The contest is only in its second year, with last year’s winner, Andrew Hyatt, putting together his own career on the Canadian country music stage.
Mayne will compete against Matt Lang, a singer-songwriter from Maniwaki, Quebec who recorded his first English-language album last year; and Tim and the Glory Boys, an independent quartet from Abbotsford, BC. specializing in Canadian bluegrass.
The three finalists will be invited to attend a week-long songwriting and performing clinic in Nashville, as well as attend an event in Toronto to participate in a mentoring session with veteran artists and industry brass. This will culminate in a performance this September in Calgary during CCMA Country Music Week. The winner will be chosen from this performance and receive $25,000.
Mayne's official finals profile can be seen at the official SiriusXM Top of the Country website.
https://twitter.com/KelsiMayne/status/1132997763313143809