NEWS ARCHIVE

Gordie Sampson receives 2007 Juno Award "Songwriter of the Year"

March 31, 2007
Thirty-two Awards were handed out at The 2007 JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony attended by over 1,200 artists, industry executives, CARAS members, sponsors, VIPS and Saskatchewan dignitaries. Hosted by Quebec superstar and double-platinum recording artist Gregory Charles, the evening celebrated an amazing year in Canadian music at TCU Place in Saskatoon and featured a series of collaborative performances by twenty JUNO Award nominees.

Highlights from the winners circle included Nova Scotia's Gordie Sampson taking home the Songwriter of the Year Award for his co-write "Jesus Take the Wheel " recorded by international recording artist, Carrie Underwood. Other wins of the evening included a double win for Nelly Furtado (Artist of the Year, Pop Album of the Year) , City and Colour (Alternative Album of the Year), Jim Cuddy (Adult Alternative Album of the Year) , Mobile (New Group of the Year sponsored by FACTOR and Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters), Dianna Krall (Vocal Jazz Album of the Year), Dixie Chicks (International Album of the Year), George Canyon (Country Recording of the Year sponsored by SIRIUS Satellite Radio), Jim Byrnes (Blues Album of the Year), Swollen Members (Rap Recording of the Year) and Sam Roberts (Video of the Year sponsored by VideoFACT

February 12th, 2007
And The Grammy Goes To... Gordie Sampson - Country Song of the Year "Jesus Take The Wheel"

Gordie Sampson Wins Grammy Award for Country Song of the Year "Jesus Take The Wheel"

During the 49th Annual Grammy Awards broadcast live from Los Angeles' Staples Center (on CBS Television), Gordie Sampson received his first Grammy Award for his co-write "Jesus Take The Wheel" recorded by Carrie Underwood.

Sampson's co-write, "Jesus Take The Wheel" (written by Sampson/ Lindsey/ James), marks Gordie's first Grammy Award and first #1 American hit single topping the Billboard charts for six weeks. Gordie's radio success with "Jesus Take the Wheel" has delivered a slew of professional accolades which include SOCAN's "Songwriter of the Year" at the Canadian Country Music Awards, the ASCAP "Song of the Year", the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMA) "Single of the Year" and the Nashville Songwriter's Association's "International Songwriter Achievement Award".

Other recent credits to Sampson's songwriting include the Trace Atkins single "Words Get in the Way" as well as his up and coming co-write for international recording star, Keith Urban (When God Made A Woman).

"Jesus Take The Wheel was probably the first song that I heard that really struck a chord with me. The song tells such a great story. And fortunately, everyone around me felt the same way about the song that I did, so recording it and making it my first single was a no-brainer"- Carrie Underwood

"A great song is only a great song when it's in the right hands," says Sampson. "We knew when we wrote 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' that it was a good song. It had the potential to do really well, but I'm sure it wouldn't have done as well if it was (placed) with any other singer in the entire world.

Gordie has received extensive radio success in Canada with his own CD, Maplemusic recording Sunburn, Sampson has yielded two top 20 hits at Hot A/C radio and his George Canyon co-write "My Name", was honored at the Canadian Country Music Awards as the CCMA 2005 Song and Single Award of the Year. Gordie is currently writing material for his third release, scheduled for release in the fall 2007.

A couple of months ago, Sampson wrote with Bon Jovi of all bands. The session with front man Jon Bon Jovi and guitarist Richie Sambora yielded a country song called "On Another Day," for possible inclusion on the New Jersey band's next album.