A red carpet leap: lessons from the CMAB Awards
Growing up, some of my favourite country artists were from Alberta, including Terri Clark and Paul Brandt. So when the radio station I work for offered me the opportunity to cover the 15th Annual Country Music Alberta Awards in Edmonton, I was more than excited to say yes and see where this adventure would take me.
On top of that, Terri Clark was one of this year’s inductees into the CMAB Hall of Fame, which for me made it all the more special (imagine six- or seven-year-old Kass walking around singing “A Little Gasoline.” I have no idea why, at such a young age, I loved a song about someone running away from painful love — that is something to maybe look over in the future with a therapist, lol). But the experience of heading to Edmonton for an event that was not CFR or PBR Canada Finals was a different feeling at the same time I was beyond excited and the weekend did not disappoint. Also one of the stations won the award for Small Market Station of the Year - which was something extremely special to be there and see.
CMAB Awards
The CMAB Awards were held in mid-March and highlighted the achievements of musicians in Alberta along with industry professionals, hence the radio stations award.
I am a country music lover through and through [surprising right?], and over the years I have had the opportunity to interview a number of country artists on a news level, including Paul Brandt, Brett Kissel and Wes Mack. During my stint as a morning show co-host, I also had the chance to fulfil a childhood dream by interviewing Terri Clark, along with other artists including Dallas Smith, MacKenzie Porter and Aaron Pritchett. Here is the thing I learned, though: those interviews gave me some sort of crutch to lean on, whether that meant knowing it was a news interview or having a co-host who was driving the bus while I sat in the back, along for the ride and piping up when I could. This was different. This was me, my camera and the artists.
Now, I need to give credit to Mariya Stokes. I stood at the end of the red carpet trying to figure out how I was going to approach people for interviews — even though there were a handful I had reached out to ahead of time. She saw me there, probably looking like a deer in the headlights, and struck up a conversation with me, ultimately becoming the first interview of the night. It was exactly what I needed to break the ice, and I was rolling from there.
Photo- Interviewing Mariya Stokes by Sara Leslie Photography
My takeaways from the event:
It is good to step out of your comfort zone and do something new. It allows you to look at how you do things and realize what you can work on because it is outside your ordinary routine.
Sometimes overpacking and being overprepared is a good thing — because your original outfit or style plan may fall apart, such as your hair extensions being way too yellow for your hair.
Having people who support you at these events and who you can have fun with is a must, as I have gotten older for some reason I have become more of an introvert extrovert - sometimes just having your people there gives you the confidence and support you didn’t realize you needed (Thank you to my YQL mom and Maddie)
Alberta truly has some of the most amazing country artists out there, from Hailey Benedict to Brayden King, Dan Davidson to Noelle Hofmann.
Aaron Goodvin’s “Said No Redneck Ever” may be one of the top songs on my 2026 Wagon Trail playlist.
The Equipment Set-Up
My setup compared to PBR was a little different, one because I was on the road instead of being 10 minutes away from my apartment and two because when I am unsure what exactly I am going to need I like to have options. Instead of my small sling bag I used for PBR in Lethbridge, I used my backpack camera bag, which is my original camera bag. Packed inside was my Canon M100 body and lens for interviews, along with my Rode Wireless GO mic system and my Rode Interview mic, which connects to the transmitter of the Wireless GO setup. I also had my Canon 90D body with a 50-mm lens and 18-55 mm lens to use during the awards ceremony itself.
Along with my camera equipment, I packed an extra battery for both camera bodies, plus two MagSafe battery packs for my cellphone. Because both events I attended that weekend had food, my usual bag of snacks, electrolytes and protein bars stayed back at the hotel. (Also, as silly as it sounds, there is always something special that I love about editing in a hotel. I do not quite know what it is, but over the years it has become one of my favourite things, especially when I have a lot of work to catch up on.)
Post-event thoughts
After the event, I have been doing a post-mortem of sorts, looking over my interviews and reviewing my questions. I was also able to chat with our SM at the station I work at about things I noticed in my on-camera interviews that I want to improve and he gave me some very useful suggestions on how to improve those.
I was able to take that advice and start working on it before wagon season kicked off with the Calgary Stampede Canvas Auction and the Grande Prairie Stampede tarp sale at the beginning of April.
Covering the CMAB Awards also reignited my love of talking to artists and sharing their stories, something I hope to continue doing in the future, with an emphasis on Canadian artists, especially those who are Alberta-bound.
Photo’s in this post are from Sara Leslie Photography
