London, Ont. super-fan to present award on stage at CCMA's after winning nationwide contest
While fans were lining up to get their picture with Canadian Country Music stars, Londoner Annette Dawm waited patiently to get her moment with Male Artist of the Year nominee Jade Eagleson.
The 30-year-old, originally from Chesley Ont. has an all-access pass this week, after winning the Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA) ultimate fan experience contest presented by TD Bank.
"It's really exciting just because I've been going to concerts since I was 17 so that's a lot of concerts," says Dawm, who is in a wheelchair after being born with Cerebral Palsy.
"This brings it together into one weekend and see all my favorite artists at once, that's pretty exciting."
Dawm kicked off her weekend with a concert Friday night. She'll have brunch at Covent Garden Market, attend Sunday's Gala dinner, and Monday's live award's show.
Saturday, she attended Fan Fest, and was sticking around for a free concert at CCMA House with big artists like Tim Hicks, Dallas Smith and Jess Moskaluke.
Dawm became friends with a number of artists over the past five years, after meeting them the last time the CCMA's were in London, Ont. in 2016. A few of them encouraged her to start a blog, and it has taken off with over 700,000 views.
"My goal with my blog is to interview as many creative people as possible," says Dawm.
"I don't just interview country artists, but that's obviously my favorite, and I try to interview as many people that I can."
Being a super-fan and interacting with stars over social media can be tricky.
"Sometimes, I don't want to bother them,' says Dawm.
"I feel like sometimes people can go overboard and it's kind of creepy, so I I try not to do that."
It's fans like her, that keep the artists performing.
"It's really great to be back and seeing people again and then performing it's really a huge blessing," says Eagleson, who was meeting fans Saturday.
"You take a lot for granted, so now that we have it back it's pretty great."
Rising country star Nate Haller says being back in a venue and meeting fans in person has been uplifting.
"I've only been able to do social media interaction with people during COVID, so it's cool to be able to fist-bump from afar and thank them for supporting my music, it's awesome."
After being given VIP treatment at the Hilton Double-Tree hotel this weekend, Dawm will be on stage Monday, but doesn't expect to be nervous.
"I'm just really excited to be able to go to a concert," says Dawm.
"To have it be this really big concert and to be part of it and be on stage and get to see everyone that I think that's my favorite part. I'm co-presenting with an artist, and I don't know if I'm allowed to say who it is, but you will find out when you watch the show."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.