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Penticton promoter wins big at CCMAs

Invictus Entertainment Group was named Booking Agency of the Year and Management Company of the Year
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Penticton’s Invictus Entertainment Group earned several awards at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards including Booking Agency of the Year and Management Company of the Year. President Jim Cressman earned the Ron Sakamoto Talent Buyer or Promoter of the Year award. Invictus executives pose with the Management Company of the Year Award. Left to right, Rob Cyrynowski, vice-president, Louis O’Reilly, management company vice-president, Jim Cressman, president, David Langley, director of marketing and touring. Submitted photo

A Penticton promoter and his company won big at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards.

Invictus Entertainment Group was named Booking Agency of the Year and Management Company of the Year at last Sunday’s CCMA’s in Saskatoon, Sask.

Invictus’ Jim Cressman earned the Ron Sakamoto Talent Buyer or Promoter of the Year award for the second year in a row.

“It never gets old,” Cressman wrote in an email to the Western News this week. “It’s validation and we love it, but it’s not our why. We raise our standards as a company and continually grow, learn, adapt and evolve to contribute more value back to the people we do business with. I believe the awards are a byproduct of that mandate.”

Related: South Okanagan men nominated for CCMA Awards

A number of artists Invictus represents earned awards or industry recognition during Country Music Week festivities including Aaron Pritchett, Brett Kissel and Dan Davidson.

“(It was) amazing to see Brett Kissel win awards for interactive artist, video of the year, and male artist of the year. He was also awarded two gold albums from Warner Music for Started With A Song and Pick Me Up. Aaron Pritchett made a big splash by documenting a journey and tour to the CCMA’s in a VW Bus, which is also the name of his new single and our management division client, Dan Davidson, picked up a gold single distinction for his song called Found.”

Summerland’s Paul Biro and Sakamoto Agency was shutout at the CCMAs. Biro, who works for Sakamoto Agency was in the running for the Ron Sakamoto Talent Buyer award while the agency was up for Booking Agency of the Year.

“We may not have taken the hardware home, but the overwhelming support that we received from the industry for our company and artists as a whole was a blessing beyond belief for us, from the welcoming reception we sponsored to our own private Sakamoto Agency mixer and artist showcase, our time was filled with many great moments. There was endless meetings and time spent with many old friends and some new, it is a family reunion. The CCMA staff, award show producer Joel Stewart and team, event producers Rawk Entertainment, The Saskatoon Host committee, TCU Place and the beautiful city of Saskatoon all did an amazing job. Country is alive and well in Canada,” he stated.

Several Sakamoto artists received recognition including Washboard Union who earned Roots Artist of the Year, and Aaron Goodvin, who received recognition for his first gold single Lonely Drum.

“Once again it was incredibly rewarding to be at CCMA and be nominated. Having our artist The Washboard Union win Roots Artist of the year was fantastic and their performance on the award show has received an incredible amount of positive attention, we could not be happier,” he stated.