It was a hard decision for judges to choose between three stellar performances but it would be Rayne Gray from Raymore who would take home the prize of $2,500 worth of studio time and coaching from Randy Woods, recording engineer, songwriter, and producer.
Gray says she was overwhelmed with the win from her performance of Evanescence’s My Immortal and a family version of Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box.
Announcing the award was Humboldt’s own, Ray Whitton, who also judged the competition. Whitton encouraged everyone to keep on going with their art, whether it be in the shower, at a bar, or on a stage.
Gray herself says she has dealt with stage fright in the past and has been able to work past that. Everyone should follow their dreams, she says, and the Showcase is great for that as it provides opportunities for local talent.
Gray will now get down to the business with writing new songs for her new album.
Woods, who was judge of the competition with Whitton and Scott Patrick from Wyatt, says that he did not like being a judge at the competition because he had to choose between the three performers.
“It was a very narrow margin and in the end we collectly thought that (Gray) was the best candidate.”
This Arts Humboldt event is the second one of its kind in Humboldt with Alanna Hoesgen winning in 2014.
Larry Jorgenson with Arts Humboldt says the $2,500 prize was delegated as a recording session to ensure that Canadian content is produced from the money from the Canadian Content Development funds.
The funds are given to Arts Humboldt from Bolt FM for the Showcase to, “be used to support, develop or promote Canadian musical or spoken word talent,” says the CCD Act website.
“In Canada, we have a requirement that radio stations have to play a certain percentage of Canadian music. That’s how they ensure that they have enough content to play so we don’t have to listen to the same artist over and over again,” says Jorgenson.
Joining Gray on stage was Humboldt performers, Dawson Keller and Jodie Hergott.
Keller performed Maren Morris’s My Church and Uncle Kracker’s Follow Me and says those songs resonate with him.
“My Church, I heard it when I was having a bad day so it means something to me.”
Keller applauded his fellow competitors and says he was glad he was not a judge for the performance because of the difficulty of choosing only one of them for the prize.
Hergott was alone on stage during the Showcase without her usual band of ruffians from 40 oz. Philosophy.
Hergott says that it is a completely different experience and even admitted to the audience how nervous she was before performing Maren Morris’s My Church and an original song called Rocking Chair.
“It’s you and only you to look at and if you screw up on your guitar, it’s you. There’s no one else to blame and people will notice.”
Hergott says it was a good experience to step out of her comfort zone.
