Canadian country artists Jessica Sevier and Ryan Langdon are celebrating multiple 2026 CMAO Award nominations. For Jessica, these are her very first career nominations and are for Single of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and Breakthrough Artist of the Year. This year, Ryan is nominated for Male Artist of the Year and Music Video of the Year.
In more news, Jessica and Ryan will make their UK debut at the British Country Music Festival in Blackpool on September 4 and 6, followed by a 4-date solo acoustic co-headline tour together, marking their first international performances. All dates are listed below.
In addition to this, Jessica recently released her heartfelt new single, “Springsteen,” via The Orchard and has a handful of live performances in Toronto coming up, including Departure Festival at Paradise Grapevine Winery on May 9 and NXNE at The Cameron House on June 13, 2026.
To start, 2026 has been a whirlwind for both of you. Jessica, you’re celebrating your first four CMAO nominations, and Ryan, you’re up for Male Artist and Music Video of the Year. When you both got the news, who was the first person you called, and how did you celebrate?
Jessica: Totally a crazy start to the year getting four nominations, I am so honoured! I sat with my friend as the nominations were announced, and we kept refreshing to see if I got anything. The first one that was announced was Single of the Year, and when we saw it, we just started screaming! Then the next three came out, and I was just totally flabbergasted. My cousin was actually the first person I talked to about it; she was also following along as the announcements came out. After the excitement, I celebrated by going to my favourite spin class. I had so much excitement in my body that I had such a great workout!
Ryan: Honestly, it was one of those moments you don’t really see coming, even though you’ve been putting in the work for a long time. When I got the news, the first call was to my wife. She’s been there through every high and low, so that was a pretty special moment to share with her right away.
Jessica, you’re performing “Good To Drive” at the Port Credit Memorial Arena on May 31, and Ryan, you’re taking the stage for “Songs and Stories” on May 29. How do you each prepare differently for a high-stakes televised awards performance versus an intimate storytelling set?
Jessica: Lots and lots of water and cardio! I’m super neurotic about any performance and have a very specific routine. I don’t drink alcohol or coffee for a few days leading up to the event in order to keep my voice healthy. I also make sure I’m consistent with my cardio routine to keep stamina on stage. My producer and musical director Ron Lopata has also been working with me to plan a show stopping performance!
Ryan: With a “Songs and Stories” show, it’s definitely a more laid-back approach for me. It’s all about slowing things down and really connecting with the audience on a personal level. I love stripping back some of my high-energy songs. It gives them a whole new life and takes me right back to where it all started. Those moments feel the most real, and that’s what makes those shows so special.
You are both heading to the UK this September for the British Country Music Festival and your “Two For The Road” co-headline tour. Since this is your first international run, what is the one thing—aside from your instruments—that you absolutely have to pack for life on the road together?
Jessica: There are so many things I need to stay sane while on the road – I’ve never been a light packer! But I think the most important thing I think I will pack for this tour might be a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. As much as I love performing, I am also quite an introvert. With the amount of travelling we will be doing on this tour it’s important to find some quiet moments of peace. With my headphones on and some of my favorite tunes I can find some moments to relax and mentally prepare myself for the next show.
Ryan: I’m a pretty simple guy. Give me my phone, a week’s worth of clothes, and my wallet, and I’m good to go. I don’t like to overcomplicate things. I’m more of a go with the flow kind of person… don’t need much, just ready for whatever comes.
Ryan, you’ve hit the Top 40 in Canada and Top 15 in Australia. Now that you’re making your UK debut in Blackpool, do you find that country music fans overseas connect with different parts of your music than the fans back home in Ontario?
Ryan: It’s been really cool seeing people from all over the world, especially in the UK, connect with my songs. At the end of the day, my music’s all about bringing people together, no matter where they’re from. I don’t think that changes depending on where you’re listening. It’s about having a good time with your friends, being around the people you love, and just living life to the fullest. That’s something I think everyone can relate to, wherever they are.
Jessica, your new single “Springsteen” is a beautiful tribute to the power of music during tough times. You’ve mentioned your dad’s old cassette of The River was a lifeline for you. Ryan, was there a specific artist or record that served as your “Springsteen” when you were finding your voice?
Ryan: Yeah, I definitely had a few artists who really shaped me when I was finding my voice. I leaned a lot on guys like Trace Adkins, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, and Chris Young. They each brought something different, but all of them had that commanding, raw, soulful grit in their voices, and that really stuck with me and influenced how I approach my own sound.
Jessica, your music is often described as a blend of country, rock, and R&B, while Ryan, you’re known for high-energy anthems. On this upcoming solo acoustic tour, how are you both stripping back these big sounds to keep the focus on the raw lyrics?
Jessica: My music always starts with lyrics and an acoustic guitar so it is very natural to me to play acoustically. I think this run will give the audience a chance to really hear the message behind my music and the emotions I was feeling when I wrote them. Since this is my first international run I hope this stripped down set will help the audience get to know me on a deeper level and make a stronger connection between the fans and I.
Ryan: I always have a lot of fun stripping the big anthems back. That’s how most of them started before they came to life. Honestly, it takes me right back to where it all began for me, when it was just me and an acoustic guitar.
You’ve both been through significant life hurdles—Jessica, you’ve spoken about recovering from a serious horseback riding accident and Ryan, you’ve been grinding through the industry to reach 20 million streams. How do those “tougher” chapters of your lives fuel your ambition today?
Jessica: My horseback riding accident taught me a lot. It was the first time I learned how to deal with my depression, but it also taught me how precious life is. My life could’ve been drastically different after my accident, but I got super lucky and was able to fully recover from breaking two vertebrae. I realized that I have a purpose, and no matter how tough life gets, I know now that I can persevere through anything.
Ryan: The music industry isn’t always easy to navigate, especially when it comes to protecting your mental health. But now that I’m married with two little ones in my life, everything’s shifted. They’ve given me a deeper purpose… a reason to keep pushing, to keep showing up, and to chase this dream harder than ever.
Jessica, you have some iconic Toronto dates coming up at Paradise Grapevine and The Cameron House. How does the energy of the Toronto music scene shape the way you approach your “Breakthrough” year?
Jessica: Toronto has been my home my whole life, and it is where I learned to love music and performing. It feels very full circle that now I have gotten to play some of the city’s most iconic venues. I’ve played to many crowds here, small and large and no matter what the energy here is always high and super supportive. I hope to see some new and familiar faces at some of my upcoming shows!
Q) For the “Two For The Road” tour, are there any plans for the two of you to collaborate on stage? Can fans expect a duet or a shared moment during those acoustic sets?
Jessica: We have a killer show planned for this tour, and I am super excited about it. I don’t want to give away too many secrets, but there may be some duets within the set… covers and maybe something original!
Ryan: We’ve definitely got a few things up our sleeves for this tour; it’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun.
Looking past the UK tour into the end of 2026, what does “success” look like for each of you by the time December rolls around?
Jessica: I think success can look different to everyone. By the end of this year, success to me would be that my debut EP is finally out and that we crushed the tour! I would also like to start recording my sophomore EP and maybe even have a song released from that! The future is so unknown, but I am optimistic that the rest of this year is going to be beautiful.
Ryan: As long as people are connecting with what I’m doing and truly feeling the music, that’s what makes me feel successful. Of course, the goal is always to get it out to as many people as possible, but at the end of the day, it’s about making something that actually means something to the ones listening
