Amy Jeninga, President of the CCMA adds, “We are excited to welcome these new members whose unique experience and insight will help us shape the future of Canadian country music. Together we’ll continue to elevate the genre, create meaningful opportunities, and celebrate the artists and fans who make this community so special.”
Re-elected for a second term for the 2024-2025 CCMA Board of Directors is:
Casadie Pederson
Casadie Pederson originally hails from Myrnam, Alberta. Pederson moved to Nashville in 2019 where she opened Muse Creative Management, providing artist management, A&R Services, as well as writer management and royalty rights admin services. Over the years she has served as a creative consultant for multiple prominent publishing companies in Nashville. She continues to provide A&R services for projects, finding artists great songs with her strong ties to the publishing community in Nashville and has placed over 60 songs with artists.
Over the years, Pederson has worked with prominent Canadian talent and currently manages Emerson Drive as they celebrate 25 years on the road with their final tour in 2024. She also manages reigning CCMA Record Producer of the Year, Danick Dupelle.
Pederson has spent the last five years strongly focused on royalty and rights management with the financial complications our industry has seen since COVID -19 and has uncovered nearly one million dollars of back royalties for several artists. She remains focused on advocating for Canadian artists and songwriters on both sides of the border.
Newly elected to the 2024-2025 CCMA Board of Directors are:
Joel Baskin
Since joining The Feldman Agency in 2011, Joel Baskin has developed a diverse, wide-ranging roster of artists. Baskin has constantly adapted his services to meet his clients ongoing needs, an approach predicated by his desire to create custom built solutions for his artists. This approach has been applied consistently over his eighteen plus years in the industry; first as founder and president of The Pilot Agency, and now serving as a Senior Booking Agent and Vice President at The Feldman Agency.
After relocating to Toronto in 2009, Baskin continued to take on new projects with TPA before selling the company to The Feldman Agency in 2011. In 2019, Joel joined the management team at The Feldman Agency as Vice-President.
With Feldman, Baskin works with Shania Twain, Josh Ross, Avril Lavigne, The Beaches, Three Days Grace, Tim Hicks, Owen Riegling, Robyn Ottolini, DAX, Lindsay Ell, Gerry Dee, and Letterkenny.
In 2016, Baskin obtained a Digital Marketing Management Certificate from the University of Toronto and in 2021 obtained a Certificate of Business Management from Ryerson University.
Some recent highlights include the record-setting Shania Twain arena tour in Canada as well as selling 45,000 tickets in Newfoundland, the strategy behind the sold-out Josh Ross “Trouble” tour, and many other milestone achievements for artists such as Owen Riegling and Lindsay Ell.
Anne Stirk
Anne Stirk has built a career spanning over 18 years in the music industry and currently holds the position of Director of Marketing & Brand Strategy at Republic Live. She plays a pivotal role at the helm of Canada’s leading country festival, Boots & Hearts. Her journey in the music business began at Universal Music Canada, where she was instrumental in the company’s shift towards digital streaming, collaborating with major platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
Anne’s career progressed at Spotify Canada, where she worked closely with iconic Canadian talents such as Celine Dion, Shania Twain, and Nickelback, as well as nurturing emerging artists like Jade Eagleson, James Barker Band, Valley, Johnny Orlando, and The Beaches. Her strategic approach at Spotify involved more than promoting individual artists; she engaged with key industry stakeholders in Canada to identify opportunities for international exports and supported global import strategies, expanding Spotify’s market share in Canada.
Now at Republic Live, Anne leverages her extensive marketing knowledge and a deep passion for music to lead and inspire her team. Her contributions are well-respected in the industry, reflecting her ability to blend strategic marketing with a genuine commitment to artist development.
Newly appointed to the 2024-2025 CCMA Board of Directors are:
Jeremy Johnson
Jeremy Johnson is an emerging voice in the global music industry and co-founder of Johnson Talent Management (JTM), an artist management company. In 2023/2024, JTM artists achieved 21 award nominations, including a CCMA Nomination for ‘Alternative Country Album of the Year’, along with ECMA, WCMA, SCMA, MCMA, and MusicNL award wins and nominations. This is along with media support from Breakfast Television, ET Canada, CTV’s etalk, Toronto Star, a #1 iTunes Canada Album (Homegrown Heart), a #3 iTunes Canada Album (Retro Man … More and More), and over 150 live performances across six countries. Jeremy has been nominated for ‘Manager of the Year’ by the Canadian Live Music Association, and as a member of the LGBTQ* community, he is proud to be visible and use his voice to ensure that Country and Americana music is a genre where everyone belongs.
Kerry Martin
Originally from Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Kerry has worked in the music industry for fifteen years as a music journalist, broadcaster, columnist, special projects producer, and is currently a senior music curator with Amazon Music. Before working at Amazon, Kerry worked at Google, YouTube, and CBC and has worked with global livestreams like Coachella, with festivals such as the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, and live broadcast events such as The Tragically Hip’s National Celebration concert with CBC. Kerry is actively involved with the Juno Awards, CCMA Awards, CMA Awards, Polaris Music Prize, and Americana Music Honors & Awards and has served as a board member for the Canadian Music Therapy Fund. Though the roles have changed over the years, the passion and goal has always remained the same: help Canadian artists build their careers and get their stories out to the world.
These celebrated individuals join the current elected and appointed Board of Directors in ushering the CCMA into Country Music Week 2025 and the 2025 CCMA Awards in Kelowna, BC.
The 2024/2025 CCMA Board of Directors are:
- Joel Baskin
- Carmen Choney
- Warren Copnick (Vice-Chair)
- Jenn Dalen
- Jackie Dean (Chair)
- Angelika Heim
- Sharon Hinds
- Lindsay Hyslop
- Morgan James
- Jeremy Johnson
- Kerry Martin
- Madelaine Napoleone
- Melissa Cameron-Passley
- Casadie Pederson
- Joelle Proulx
- Julia Rambeau Smith
- Anne Stirk
- Charlotte Thompson
For the latest CCMA news, follow along on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube or visit www.ccma.org.
About the Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®)
Established in 1976, the CCMA® is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and recognition of Canadian country music. Built upon the foundation to educate, elevate, and celebrate Canadian talent, the CCMA progressively heralds the spirit, community, and creativity that country music fosters through year-round initiatives, culminating every fall with Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards.