Surrey-based musician Tyler Joe Miller is the winner of $25,000 as top performer in SiriusXM’s Top of the Country contest.
He’ll also be flown to Nashville with SOCAN for a week-long songwriting trip, among other music-related prizes.
“Holy smokes!! I don’t even know what to say! It’s still sinking in that I WON Top Of The Country last night!” Miller posted to Facebook on Saturday (Nov. 27), from London, Ont., during Canadian Country Music Association-planned events.
He thanked the contest hosts, fellow contest entrants and his record label, MDM Recordings.
“Thanks to my band for putting in the hard work to put on a kickass show with me, couldn’t do it without ya, this is all of our win,” added Miller, who won the third annual contest by accumulating audience votes and impressing a panel of judges.
Along with fellow contest finalists Kelly Prescott (from Almonte, ON) and Raquel Cole (Vernon, B.C.), Miller performed Friday at London Music Hall, capping a two-year ‘Top of the Country’ journey that began with submissions from musicians across Canada.
“Tyler Joe Miller has blown us away over the two-year competition and has clearly won the hearts of Canadians during the voting stages,” Paul Cunningham, with SiriusXM Canada, said in a news release. “The performance tonight caps off what has been an incredible journey to witness, and I wish all the finalists success as they continue on in their careers.”
Miller’s bio and song video are posted to topcountry.siriusxm.ca/artist/tyler-joe-miller.
“Tyler Joe Miller continues on his path in Canadian country music with the release of his debut EP Sometimes I Don’t, But Sometimes I Do and the rise of his current single ‘Sometimes I Do’,” the bio says. “His gold-certified debut single, ‘Pillow Talkin’’ earned him his first #1 hit, while follow-up track ‘I Would Be Over Me Too’ made him the first independent Canadian country artist to reach #1 with their first two singles.”
Miller was born in Surrey and first played in a band before he took a break from music for several years. During his time off, he began doing humanitarian work.
Miller now lives in the Cloverdale area, years after graduating from Frank Hurt Secondary in Newton.
“I am so grateful to have been a part of the SiriusXM Top of the Country competition and have the unique opportunity to learn and grow from some of the top players in the industry, and my peers,” Miller stated in a news release. “Thank you so much to the fans who voted for me and supported me along the way. It has been a dream of mine to pursue my passion of country music and I can’t wait for what’s next!”
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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