Abbotsford country singer named finalist in national competition<\/p>\n
Published 1:26 pm Tuesday, April 21, 2026<\/p>\n
Abbotsford country singer Morgan Griffiths has nabbed one of three finalist spots in a nation-wide talent search competition.<\/p>\n
Griffiths was selected for the next stage of the SiriusXM Top of the Country competition following online voting April 7 to 14 for the eight semifinalists.<\/p>\n
The top three performers \u2013 also including Shawnee Kish of Edmonton and the Blue Ridge Band from Levis, Que. \u2013 now compete for the $25,000 grand prize, with the two runners-up taking $10,000 each.<\/p>\n
They will perform at Canadian music festivals \u2013 including Toronto\u2019s Departure Festival (May 4 to 10) and LASSO Montreal (Aug. 15 and 16) \u2013 and attend CMA Fest in Nashville (June 4 to 7).<\/p>\n
The competition culminates at Country Music Week 2026 in Saskatoon, Sask. from Sept. 16 to 19, where the finalists will perform live and the 2026 winner will be crowned on stage.<\/p>\n
Performances will be broadcast live on SiriusXM\u2019s Top of the Country Radio (channel 171).<\/p>\n
The contest, held in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association, began with inviting solo artists and groups to register earlier this year.<\/p>\n
The eight semifinalists were selected by an expert panel to record their original tracks in studio, which were posted online, and then followed by the public voting period.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Griffiths has also been nominated for five BC Country Music Awards, which will be presented on Sunday (April 26) at the Great Canadian Casino in Coquitlam.<\/p>\n
Griffiths is a rising singer\/songwriter whose breakout single Bourbon was released on March 1, 2025.<\/p>\n
The whiskey-soaked anthem resulted in Griffiths being chosen as iHeart Radio\u2019s Future Star, Rogers Radio\u2019s One to Watch and Artist of the Month on JRFM.<\/p>\n
Bourbon debuted at number 42 on the Mediabase country chart and went on to peak at No. 4 \u2013 the highest charting debut by an independent Canadian country artist.<\/p>\n
Griffiths has also been featured on the cover of Apple Music Canada\u2019s country playlist for Bourbon, which now has more than 2.2 million streams.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
RELATED: Abbotsford country singer nabs 5 nominations at BC Country Music Awards<\/a><\/p>\n