Drew Gregory lands six ACMA nominations

By Adelle Ellis, Times Reporter

In a mix of talent and good timing, local musician Drew Gregory is nominated for six awards with the 2018 Association of Country Music in Alberta (ACMA).
The awards ceremony is being held in Red Deer on Jan. 27.
Following the release of his newest album Good Place to Start last June, and the release of the single on the album, Know Good, Gregory was nominated in six categories: album of the year, single of the year, song of the year, male artist of the year, video of the year and fan’s choice.
“Everything kind of fell into place this year for having an album, a single and a video out all at once … to get to the final round with all six (nominations) is pretty cool, we’re definitely excited about that,” said Gregory who previously won the 2015 ACMA male artist of the year award and the 2016 ACMA album of the year award, along with being the 2016 YYC male artist of the year.
Gregory, who received his first guitar at 15 and who has been hooked on music since, has been steadily climbing the ranks and the charts after releasing his debut album, Country Hurricane in 2010.
This year’s six nominations for Good Place to Start and accompanying songs marks the most nominations Gregory has received in a single awards ceremony. The album also climbed the iTunes charts to the number one position on the same day it was released earlier last year. It is the second album following Country Hurricane where Gregory wrote every song on the album with credits from other song writers.
Gregory said with this album it is the first time he has used a producer twice, and the added comfortability with producer Jason Barry, his bandmates and increased skills in musicianship, songwriting and working with other songwriters have all led to this album’s success.
Before the ACMA awards, Gregory will be presenting a songwriter’s night, A Taste of Nashville, at the Standard Community Hall on Jan. 24. He will also be performing in a fundraiser for the Wheatland Kings hockey team at their annual night out with Drew Gregory at the Strathmore Civic Centre on Feb. 2.
Gregory also plans on releasing another single off his recent album before heading to Nashville this February to start writing new songs to hopefully be used on his next album.