A young singer may get the boost she needs to launch into stardom after winning an award during Canadian Country Music Week in London, Ontario last month.
Nineteen-year-old Maddison Krebs won the On the Spot Contest hosted by rights management company ole Majorly Indie.
Krebs signed a contract with the red dot artist development program for music publishing, EP recording production, YouTube audio-visual management and support from the creative staff – worth about $40,000.
“Ole is a great launching point for me in terms of my songwriting and being a performing artist,” said Krebs. “I have a chance to get in a room with some really amazing songwriters that have written hits for tons of artists.”
Krebs spent the last two weeks in Nashville working with red dot creative staff and will return at the end of October to work with songwriters for four weeks.
“It’s a really amazing experience and super humbling for a small town girl,” she said. “This is the first time I won a competition and I’ve been in lots of competitions over the years.”
The experience will help Krebs build her catalogue of music and boost her recognition as a singer/songwriter.
“It’s the life I want,” she said. “I’m chasing the dream. It’s going to be quite an exciting year ahead.”
Krebs initially entered the On the Spot Contest in its first year last year.
“I had been following ole for quite a while because they are a very big publishing company,” she said. “I’ve been interested in being part of their team. I’ve always watched for different opportunities that may arise.”
Auditioning among dozens of other Canadian singer/songwriters ages 16 and older, Krebs didn’t make the cut the first time around. That didn’t stop her from throwing her hat into the ring again last summer.
“I sent them a cover song and an original tune and I got an email from them a month before the CCMAs saying, ‘You made the top 10,’” she said.
The finalists performed in front of a panel of judges and a crowd on Sept. 10 at the London Music Hall. Krebs sang Slow Dancing from her second album Bulls-Eye, which was released in February.
Krebs said she didn’t expect to hear her name when the winner was announced.
“I haven’t won anything before so I never expected this,” she said. “I gave my parents a call. My mom was crying and my grandma was on the other end, too.”
Krebs has a busy schedule with performances in Calgary and the Foothills this fall and traveling back and forth to Nashville.
“Right now I’m focusing on creating great music and just performing as much as I can and sharing the music and building myself as a Canadian artist,” she said. “My goal right now is just to keep working hard and making really great music and sharing it with people.”
Krebs said she is right where she wants to be.
“Songwriting has always come first for me,” she said. “This was such a big deal for me because I love to write all the time so it’s a place where I can build a foundation.”
