Calgary radio station WILD 95.3 and Alberta Music on Sunday announced this year’s Top 12 Artists for Project WILD. A professional development program designed to educate, promote, develop and launch the careers of some of Alberta’s up and coming country and roots artists, the Top 12 announcement kicks off the Project’s second year.
The 2017 Project WILD Top 12 artists, in alphabetical order, are:
Andrea Nixon (Edmonton)
Brad Saunders (Calgary)
Charlie James (Calgary)
Dustin Farr (Olds)
Karac Hendriks (Sherwood Park)
Lucas Chaisson (Edmonton)
Lucette (Edmonton)
Mark Times (Parkland County)
Mikaila Cooper (Calgary)
Nice Horse (Calgary)
Ryan Langlois (Red Deer)
Tanya Ryan (Okotoks)
Each of the Top 12 Artists will make their debut with Project WILD at Knoxvilles on Sunday, June 25, completing orientation and then performing for the public to get their first live listen, in a series of showcase events running through to the November 2017 finale. For more information on this show, check out ProjectWILDcountry.com.
Administered by Alberta Music and funded through country radio station WILD 95.3, Project WILD, is part of a seven year, $4.9 million program, designed to kick-start the international music careers of three emerging Alberta artists annually, and give a boost to all Top 12 finalists selected by industry jury. The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group is backing the project through CRTC Canadian Content Development programming.
This is the second year for Project WILD, last year’s inaugural winners were The Dungarees (1st place), Sykamore (2nd place), and Ken Stead (3rd place). For the two years prior to the last, the program was known as the PEAK Performance Project, which also ran as a program in BC for seven years. Project WILD will run in Alberta for the next three years.