The Finals show of Big Dog 92-7’s “The Next Big Thing” country talent competition was held last night at The Pump Roadhouse in Regina, with Chris Henderson and FOXX Worthee of Regina and Tim Toutant of Prince Albert aiming to convince an esteemed panel of judges that they should be named “The Next Big Thing”. Following impressive performances from all three artists, Chris Henderson was declared the winner. Originally from Estevan, Saskatchewan, Chris released his debut full-length album, “Follow the Signs” in the fall of 2008 and has released two singles to Canadian radio. In the same year, Chris was recognized with four Saskatchewan Country Music Award nominations including: Rising Star, Male Artist, Single of the Year and Album of the year.
The Next Big Thing started out with a pool of nearly 30 submissions from all across Saskatchewan, which was narrowed down to nine Semi-Finalists invited to perform in three live shows. Chris, FOXX Worthee, and Tim each won their Semi-Final show to move forward to the Finals.
A large audience was on hand to enjoy the performances. Three music industry professionals formed the judging panel: Ryan Zimmerman, General Manager of Astral Media’s Big Dog 92-7 FM; Steve Coady, Vice President of Radio Promotion for Warner Music Canada, and Marketing Chair for the JUNO Awards; and Ken Taylor, General Manager of the Craven Country Jamboree.
Chris Henderson receives a custom-tailored prize package worth approximately $20,000, including $5000 cash. The group will meet with SaskMusic, producers of the event, to choose from options such as studio time; releasing a single to national country radio; hiring a publicist; album manufacturing; professional photographs; website redesign; an all-expenses paid trip to the 2010 CCMAs; and more. The prize is designed to make a true and lasting impact on their career.
Big Dog 92-7 and SaskMusic congratulate the other six semi-finalists who performed on May 16, May 23 and May 30: Jen Lane, Amanda Jane Duncan, Steve Gibson, Conrad Bigknife, Jasmine Paige, and Stephanie Thomson. Thank you to The Pump, our venue sponsor. 50% of ticket proceeds from all shows went to the Big Dog Kids’ Fund.
For more information on Chris Henderson, please visit www.chrishendersonmusic.com
Regina’s True Country Big Dog 92-7 launched on February 20, 2008, and is owned and operated by Astral Media Radio, which operates 82 radio stations across Canada. SaskMusic is a member-based, non-profit corporation that stimulates the growth and development of the Saskatchewan music industry through leadership, promotion, training, advocacy and partnership.
