Weyburn's Dan Cugnet is up for three Saskatchewan Country Music Awards: Emerging Artist of the Year, and for Best Alternative Country Album of the Year for his first two albums, 'Rodeo Cabaret' and '45'.

He said he was also on the short list for a couple of other awards as well, but he didn't get those official nominations.

"That's still alright, but it's really neat to kind of be recognized," he shared. "And now I'm going to be a part of the weekend in Assiniboia too, which I think is great that they're holding it in Assiniboia. So I think the idea is they're going to try to alternate between bigger centres and smaller centres each year. That's a huge area out there to draw from, that's probably a pretty significant fan base. So, very excited to be part of the weekend."

Cugnet added he knows Weyburnites do a great job at going out and supporting events like this. Tickets are on sale HERE.  

"They've got a kickoff cabaret on the Friday and then Saturday there'll be showcases throughout the day, different full band showcases and some like singer songwriter rounds. We'll have three people up on stage and I'm part of one of those. Everybody does two or three songs and then in half an hour later, it's a different group of songwriters. So that'll be throughout the day, and then the actual awards ceremony is televised." 

Whether or not he wins an award, Cugnet said he already feels like he has won.

"I feel like I've won already, just even being recognized because this wasn't on my bingo card of life five years ago that I'd be doing this, so it's still really kind of bizarre to me that I am."

He said making music is therapeutic.

"I think to try and write something and to have a creative outlet and to put it out there right? I think you gotta allow yourself to be vulnerable to try and write a song or to write a story, or paint a painting, or whatever it is you're doing, is another step of letting yourself be a little bit vulnerable to put it out there for other people to see it, or listen to it, or enjoy it or not. It's really been an interesting kind of little self-discovery journey." 

Read more about the SCMA awards HERE.