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THE CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION® UNVEILS THE NOMINEES FOR THE 2026 CCMA AWARDS

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JOSH ROSS AND CAMERON WHITCOMB TOP THIS YEAR’S NOMINATIONS WITH SEVEN APIECE

JAMES BARKER BAND, THELMA & JAMES, AND TENILLE TOWNES EACH EARN FIVE

OWEN RIEGLING CELEBRATES FOUR NOMINATIONS, WITH MORGAN GRIFFITHS, NATE HALLER, BRETT KISSEL, AND MEGHAN PATRICK NOTCHING THREE NOMINATIONS EACH

192 ARTISTS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS MAKE UP THIS YEAR’S BALLOT, INCLUDING 71 FIRST-TIME NOMINEES

CTV RETURNS AS THE EXCLUSIVE HOME OF THE 44TH ANNUAL CCMA AWARDS 

Tickets For The 2026 CCMA Awards Available HERE

TORONTO, July 16, 2026 /CNW/ — Today, the Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®) is thrilled to reveal the official nominees for the 2026 CCMA Awards, taking place at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, SK on September 19. This year’s CCMA Award nominees include 192 artists and industry professionals, with 71 earning their first-ever nomination. Available exclusively on CTV and streaming on Crave through the live CTV channel, the 2026 CCMA Awards bring the artistry, identity, and creative spirit of Canadian country music to a national stage for one unforgettable night.

Topping this year’s nominations with seven nods each are Josh Ross (Entertainer of the Year, Ford F-150 Album of the Year, Fans’ Choice, Male Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Musical Collaboration of the Year, Video of the Year), Cameron Whitcomb (Entertainer of the Year, Ford F-150 Album of the Year, Fans’ Choice, Male Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Alternative Country Album of the Year presented by National Music Centre, Songwriter(s) of the Year presented by SOCAN), while James Barker Band (Entertainer of the Year, Ford F-150 Album of the Year, Fans’ Choice, Group or Duo of the Year, Single of the Year), Thelma & James (Ford F-150 Album of the Year, Group or Duo of the Year, Alternative Country Album of the Year presented by National Music Centre, Video of the Year, Songwriter(s) of the Year presented by SOCAN), and Tenille Townes (Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Alternative Country Album of the Year presented by National Music Centre, Musical Collaboration of the Year, Songwriter(s) of the Year presented by SOCAN) each earn five.

Celebrating four nominations is Owen Riegling (Entertainer of the Year, Ford F-150 Album of the Year, Fans’ Choice, Male Artist of the Year), with first time nominee Morgan Griffiths (Fans’ Choice, Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year presented by FACTOR, Single of the Year), Nate Haller (Single of the Year, Musical Collaboration of the Year, Songwriter(s) of the Year presented by SOCAN), Brett Kissel (Entertainer of the Year, Fans’ Choice, Video of the Year), and Meghan Patrick (Female Artist of the Year, Songwriter(s) of the Year presented by SOCAN, Video of the Year) boasting three apiece.

Now in its second year, the Francophone Artist of the Year presented by Spotify category will be awarded to a Francophone act (solo, duo, or group) that has demonstrated exceptional achievements within the current eligibility period. This year’s nominees are Francis Degrandpré, Fred Dionne, Gab Forest, Vince Lemire, and Laurence St-Martin.

Country music fans across Canada can help choose the winner for the Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year presented by FACTOR (Sully Burrows, Morgan Griffiths, Zach McPhee, Brock Phillips, Josh Stumpf) and the Fans’ Choice Award (Jade Eagleson, Morgan Griffiths, James Barker Band, Brett Kissel, Tyler Joe Miller, The Reklaws, Owen Riegling, Josh Ross, Josh Stumpf, Cameron Whitcomb) by casting their vote at www.ccma.org/fanvoting – voting will be live today (7/16), at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Country Music Week 2026 kicks off in Saskatoon on Wednesday, September 16, offering fans the unique opportunity to celebrate the magic of country music and the genre’s brightest homegrown stars, all culminating with the 2026 CCMA Awards on September 19, featuring previously announced performances from Dean Brody, James Barker Band, The Reklaws, Owen Riegling, and homegrown Saskatchewan stars including Weyburn’s Tenille Arts, Shaunavon’s Hunter Brothers, Hudson Bay’s Kalsey Kulyk, and Rocanville’s Jess Moskaluke, with more exciting announcements to come.

Country Music Week 2026 and the 2026 CCMA Awards are made possible through the support of the City of Saskatoon, Discover Saskatoon and Saskatoon Destination Marketing Hotels (SDMH), the Government of Saskatchewan, and the 2026 Host Committee. Bell Media will deliver extensive multi-platform 2026 CCMA Awards coverage and content across broadcast, radio, digital, and social media properties, including iHeartRadio Canada’s PURE COUNTRY.

Click Here For The Full List Of The 2026 CCMA Award Nominees

Click Here For 2026 CCMA Award Nominee Graphics and the Nom Day Toolkit

For more CCMA news, follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or visit www.ccma.org.

About The Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®)
Established in 1976, the CCMA® is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to promoting and recognizing Canadian country music. Now in its 50th year, the CCMA celebrates the spirit, community, and creativity fostered by country music through year-round initiatives, culminating every fall with Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards.

About CTV
CTV is Canada’s most-watched broadcaster, providing unparalleled entertainment content across two broadcast networks; a powerful suite of specialty channels with CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Life Channel, CTV Sci-Fi Channel, CTV Nature Channel, CTV Speed Channel, and CTV Wild Channel; and digital channels CTV Throwback and CTV Movies. CTV also features a wide range of sports and information programming, including CTV News, Canada’s highest-rated national and most-trusted local newscasts. CTV is available on Crave, the largest Canadian-owned streamer. CTV is from Bell Media, Canada’s leading media and entertainment company, with a portfolio of assets in premium video, audio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media.

About Discover Saskatoon and Saskatoon Destination Marketing Hotels (SDMH)
Discover Saskatoon is the official Destination Management Organization (DMO) for Saskatoon and the surrounding region. The organization is primarily funded by Saskatoon Destination Marketing Hotels Incorporated (SDMH), a collective of leading hotels committed to advancing Saskatoon’s visitor economy. Discover Saskatoon also receives additional support from the City of Saskatoon through a fee-for-service agreement.

Together, SDMH and Discover Saskatoon drive growth through strategic marketing, major event attraction, and experience development. SDMH hotel partners contribute through a voluntary Destination Marketing Program that fuels initiatives to elevate Saskatoon’s global profile, attract high-impact events, and enhance the visitor experience.

The visitor economy contributes nearly $800 million annually to the Saskatoon region, driving economic diversification, job creation, and community vibrancy. Through this partnership, SDMH, The City of Saskatoon, and Discover Saskatoon play a vital role in growing Saskatoon’s prosperity and global presence. 

Learn more at discoversaskatoon.com or sdmh.ca.

Media Contacts:

For the Canadian Country Music Association
Red Umbrella P.R. | press@redumbrellapr.com

For CTV
Natalie Cole | Natalie.Cole@bellmedia.ca

For Discover Saskatoon & SDMH
Leanne Schinkel | lschinkel@discoversaskatoon.com

For CCMA Awards + Country Music Week Sponsorship Inquiries
Sponsorship@ccma.org

SOURCE CTV

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TruTrade Showcases the Next Generation of Automated Trading Technology for Retail Traders

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TruTrade, a software company specializing in automated trading technology, is showcasing the latest generation of its technology designed to bring sophisticated trading automation to retail traders.

TruTrade‘s automated trading platform is designed to simplify how traders interact with the financial markets. Rather than requiring users to spend hours monitoring charts, identifying setups and manually managing positions, TruTrade’s technology is designed to automate key components of the trading process, including trade execution and position management.

The company’s latest technology reflects a broader evolution in automated trading, with an emphasis on making advanced automation more accessible to everyday traders regardless of their previous trading experience or time availability.

“Technology has completely changed what is possible for the individual trader,” said Brian Nutt, Co-Founder of TruTrade. “Our focus has been on developing institutional-grade automated trading technology that simplifies the trading process while giving retail traders access to a level of automation that historically was not readily available to them.”

TruTrade offers automated trading solutions designed for a variety of trading environments, including personal brokerage accounts, retirement accounts and supported proprietary trading accounts. The company’s technology ecosystem includes solutions for multiple financial markets and gives users the ability to select an automated approach based on their individual trading objectives.

As part of its focus on transparency, TruTrade is also providing prospective clients with access to recorded trading sessions demonstrating its automated trading technology in real-world market conditions. New demonstrations provide an opportunity to see how the technology executes and manages trades before speaking directly with the company.

TruTrade continues to invest in making automated trading technology easier to access, understand and use as automation plays an increasingly important role in the retail trading landscape.

To learn more about TruTrade and its automated trading technology, visit TruTrade.io.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trutrade-showcases-the-next-generation-of-automated-trading-technology-for-retail-traders-302890503.html

SOURCE TruTrade

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Tau Highlights Electrification Leadership at Climate Week NYC 2026

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IEEE / Columbia University fireside chat and 19 technical papers from Tau and its research partners highlight progress in software-defined power and the technologies enabling electrification at scale.

NEW YORK and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tau Motors, Inc., a pioneer in software-defined power conversion, highlighted the technical depth behind its approach to electrification during Climate Week NYC 2026. The 19 technical papers reflecting research by Tau and its partners at the Columbia Center of Advanced Electrification (CCAE) are featured in the 2026 IEEE/CCAE Symposium on Advanced Electrification Systems program. During a fireside chat at the Columbia University event, Tau Founder and CEO Wesley Pennington discussed how integrating power electronics, electric machines, and software can accelerate electrification.

The research, developed by Tau and its partners at CCAE and featured in the symposium program, covers power conversion and control, electric machine modeling, energy storage, and grid-connected systems. The work reflects Tau’s sustained investment in power conversion, controls, and electric machine engineering, disciplines central to its Ion™ and Gamma™ platforms. The papers also highlight the breadth of Tau’s work across sustainable energy systems.

Tau’s Ion™ platform combines modular power electronics with firmware and software libraries to support applications across mobility, industrial equipment, energy infrastructure, and data centers. Its Gamma™ electric machine platform integrates machine design, power electronics, and controls to enable rare-earth-free motion.

At the September 25 symposium, Wesley Pennington, Founder and CEO of Tau, joined Matthias Preindl, Associate Professor at Columbia University and Tau’s Chief Scientist, for a fireside chat exploring the “electro-industrial stack” and what becomes possible when power electronics, electric machines, and software are designed together. The conversation examined how programmable architectures can improve system performance, reduce material dependencies, and accelerate deployment across transportation, industry, and digital infrastructure.

“Accelerating electrification means making the systems that convert and control power more efficient, more affordable, and easier to deploy,” said Pennington. “When power electronics, electric machines, and software are designed together, we can optimize the entire system. Tau is building the software-defined power platform to give industry greater control over performance, costs, and supply chains—and accelerate deployment at scale.”

The symposium featured speakers from organizations including GM Energy, Siemens, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, alongside researchers and other industry participants.

Tau established CCAE alongside Columbia Engineering to connect advanced research with the practical requirements of industrial applications. The work addresses challenges that influence efficiency, reliability, and the ability to deploy electric systems across a wider range of uses.

About Tau
Tau Motors, Inc. is an advanced technology company accelerating electrification from electric vehicles to the grid and digital infrastructure. Its Ion™ and Gamma™ platforms combine power electronics, advanced controls, and hardware design to improve the performance, economics, and adaptability of electric systems. Drawing on deep expertise in systems engineering, Tau partners with industry leaders to rapidly develop and deploy products on its platforms across industries. For more information, visit taumotors.com.

Media Contact
Tau Media Office
media@taumotors.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tau-highlights-electrification-leadership-at-climate-week-nyc-2026-302890524.html

SOURCE Tau Motors, Inc.

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ULTRALOQ Launches Next-Generation Smart Lock Collection: Refining Home Entry with Natural, Intelligent and Trusted Access Solutions

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New Bolt Mission, Bolt Pro, and Latch 5 Pro give homeowners a choice between precise, hands-free UWB entry and tap-to-unlock digital keys 

LAS VEGAS and SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ULTRALOQ, a best-selling smart lock brand under Xthings, a global leader in IoT solutions, today announced the launch and availability of its next-generation smart lock collection, built to redefine access and provide customers with a wide range of effortless entry experiences that best suit their lifestyle.

The collection includes ULTRALOQ Bolt Mission, unveiled as the industry’s first ultra-wideband (UWB) enabled smart lock, featuring precise, hands-free approach-to-unlock functionality. Joining Bolt Mission are the ULTRALOQ Bolt Pro and ULTRALOQ Latch 5 Pro which are the first multi-model line of Aliro-Certified smart locks that empowers users to leverage their phone as their key through Apple Wallet or Samsung Wallet credentials. 

The latest ULTRALOQ models arrive at a time when digital wallets and standardized access credentials are reshaping how consumers expect to access their homes and other everyday assets. For the new collection, ULTRALOQ leverages UWB to enable precise, intent-aware entry to the home and Aliro, the open mobile-access standard developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance with support from leading mobile ecosystems including Apple, Google and Samsung. With Aliro, ULTRALOQ brings the familiar wallet-based experience consumers already use for payments and increasingly digital car keys to the front door.

All three lock models are Matter Certified and compatible with leading smart home platforms, including Apple Home, Google Home and more, allowing users to incorporate the lock into their broader smart home experience. Bolt Pro and Latch 5 Pro also integrate with Samsung SmartThings, enabling more home-wide automations triggered by lock activity, such as turning on lights or adjusting the thermostat when the door unlocks. Household members can have their own Digital Key in Samsung Wallet, providing individual access to the same lock while SmartThings helps manage access and automations across the household.  

The collection will be available online in October through The Home Depot, where customers can shop the new ULTRALOQ lineup. The new collection delivers intelligent, effortless and trusted entry across accessible price points, empowering users to choose the access features that best suit their lifestyle and needs.

ULTRALOQ Bolt Mission: The Smart Lock That Knows When You Are Coming Home

Bolt Mission (MSRP: $299.99) delivers a precise, intent-aware hands-free entry experience by combining Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) discovery, UWB ranging, radar-based presence sensing and local decision logic. The result is hands-free entry that responds to true arrival, not strictly proximity. Rather than unlocking simply if a phone is nearby, Bolt Mission analyzes precise distance and direction of approach, allowing it to distinguish an authorized user approaching from outside from normal movement inside the home.

Designed to deliver a premium hands-free experience, users can keep their phone in their pocket or bag while the Xthings Home app runs securely in the background. With Bolt Mission, there’s no app to open upon approach, no PIN to enter and no separate hub required for hands-free entry.  

To support dependable intent detection (approach vs. departure) and efficient battery life, Bolt Mission features built-in radar to keep the lock alert when it matters most and conserve power when it does not. Intent detection logic is processed locally between the authorized phone and the lock, delivering fast approach-and-unlock entry.

ULTRALOQ Bolt Pro: Premium Front-Door Deadbolt with Wallet-Based Access 

Bolt Pro (MSRP: $269.99) is the collection’s premium digital-key deadbolt, bringing Aliro-Certified tap-to-unlock access together with fingerprint, PIN, app and physical-key entry. Aliro-Certified, Bolt Pro lets users unlock their door with a simple tap of their compatible device, without ever having to open an app. Digital keys are stored in a compatible mobile wallet, giving users a familiar tap experience similar to the contactless interactions they already use every day.

Designed to support a wide range of access methods, Bolt Pro pairs digital wallet access with fingerprint, PIN, app control and physical key backup. While digital wallet access may be ideal for everyday users, fingerprint provides fast personalized entry options and PIN codes can be issued to children, guests, cleaners or other service providers in need of access. 

ULTRALOQ Latch 5 Pro: Wallet-Based Access for More Doors

Latch 5 Pro (MSRP: $249.99) brings the same tap-to-unlock digital wallet experience to doors that use a lever rather than a deadbolt, including side entrances, home offices, garage-entry doors, rentals and shared spaces. Residents or employees can use a compatible digital wallet or fingerprint for access, while visitors and other temporary users can receive PINs. Aliro and Matter Certified, Latch 5 Pro delivers the same digital key experience and smart home platform compatibility as Bolt Pro. 

Executive Quotes

“The front door is moving away from keys and apps toward digital credentials and intent-aware access,” said Raj Sundar, Senior Director of Product Management for ULTRALOQ. “Our goal with this collection is to make that transition seamless and practical for customers, whether someone wants their door to detect their arrival and unlock hands-free or wants to quickly tap the phone or watch they carry every day to authorize entry.”

Available Online via The Home Depot

The new collection of ULTRALOQ smart locks will be available for purchase online through The Home Depot beginning in October. Customers can explore each model in the collection, compare access options, and learn more about the distinct features each lock delivers to select the ULTRALOQ model that is right for them.   

The ULTRALOQ collection is available now online through ULTRALOQ as well as Amazon and will be available online via The Home Depot in October.  

For additional information about ULTRALOQ, please visit www.ultraloq.com. 

About ULTRALOQ

ULTRALOQ, a best-selling smart lock brand under Xthings, is dedicated to developing innovative and secure smart access solutions. With a focus on blending cutting-edge technology with convenience, ULTRALOQ’s products are designed to provide a secure and keyless entry experience for both homes and businesses, making smart security more accessible than ever.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ultraloq-launches-next-generation-smart-lock-collection-refining-home-entry-with-natural-intelligent-and-trusted-access-solutions-302890527.html

SOURCE ULTRALOQ; Xthings Inc.

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