Tenille Townes

Tenille Townes (born Tenille Nicole Nadkrynechny; January 20, 1994) is a Canadian country music singer from Grande Prairie, Alberta. In 2011, at the age of 17, she was nominated for a Canadian Country Music Award for Female Artist of the Year.^[1][2]

Biography

Townes was raised in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and attended Peace Wapiti Academy high school.^[3] She was introduced to country music by her parents and grandparents during trips in the family car.^[4] At the age of nine, she attended a concert by Shania Twain during her Up! Tour bearing a sign asking for chance to sing with Twain on stage, which Twain granted.^[5] In 2009, she released the single "Home Now", a song she wrote from the perspective of a daughter whose father is posted in the war in Afghanistan, a topic she learned about in school.^[3][6] The track was produced by country musician Duane Steele.^[6]

Townes released her first album, Real, in June 2011.^[7] She has raised over $1.9 million for Sunrise House, a shelter for homeless youth in Alberta, through her annual fundraiser, Big Hearts For Big Kids. She appeared on the national television show Canada AM in August 2011, performing her single "Real Me,"^[8] and has released multiple songs to radio. She released her second album, Light, in March 2013. That same year, she relocated to Nashville.^[5]

Although Townes started her career under her birthname, she later changed her surname. In a 2018 interview on Everything GP, she explained, "Townes is actually from Township Road 722, which is the road that I grew up on and the house that built me essentially, so that’s where that all comes from.”^[9]

On April 13, 2018, Townes announced, through her official Facebook page that she had signed a record deal with Columbia Nashville.^[10] She released her first single with the label, "Somebody's Daughter," in September 2018, and it became her first to chart, where it reached number 92 on the Canadian Hot 100 and was a Number One hit on the Canadian Country chart dated February 2, 2019.^[11]

In 2018, Townes served as the opening act for all dates for Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town on their joint The Bandwagon Tour. In 2019 she appeared on Donovan Woods's album The Other Way, as a duet vocalist on the song "I Ain't Ever Loved No One".^[12]

Townes won four awards at the 2019 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards, which included one for Female Artist of the year, and three for "Somebody's Daughter" which won Single, Song, and Video of the Year.^[13]

In 2024, Townes parted ways with her longtime record label, Sony Music Nashville.^[14] To recognize Townes, and pay tribute to the positive impact she has made through her music and philanthropic efforts, on November 19, 2024, The City of Grande Prairie and Grande Prairie Sunrise House announced the renaming of a portion of 107 Avenue to Tenille Townes Way.^[15][16]

In 2025, Townes collaborated with fellow Canadian country artist Nate Haller on "Backfire".^[17] On February 27, 2026, she announced her fourth album, The Acrobat alongside the release of the title track, co-written with and featuring Lori McKenna. The album was recorded, produced, and mixed solely by Townes, who also plays every instrument on the project, and is set for release on April 10 via her own Township Records.^[18]

Discography

Albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Other charted songs

Music videos

Awards and nominations

Notes

1. ^ "The Thing That Wrecks You" did not enter the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, but peaked at number 25 on the Canadian Digital Song Sales component chart.^[32]

References

1. ^ MacLeod, Reinisa (August 2011). "Tenille takes on the country". Daily Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
2. ^ Griwkowsky, Fish (27 July 2011). "Two Edmonton country stars nominated for music awards". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 20 September 2011.^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Wood, Damien (2010). "Tenille's song hits national radio". Daily Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
4. ^ Wickstrom, Matt (2022-05-11). "Interview: Tenille Townes Reveals Her True Self on Stellar New EP 'Masquerades'". The Boot. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
5. ^ Hight, Jewly. "Nashville's Newest Voice". NPR. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
6. ^ Sperounes, Sandra (11 November 2009). "Alberta teen pays tribute to war heroes: Home Now captures national sentiment". Edmonton Journal. p. D1.
7. ^ Ilika, Dan (June 2011). "Dream becomes 'Real' for Tenille". Daily Herald-Tribune. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
8. ^ Rinne, Diana (August 2011). "Tenille nominated for first Canadian Country Music Award". Daily Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
9. ^ "Local musician makes it big". Everythinggp.com. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
10. ^ Townes, Tenille. "Tenille Townes signs with Columbia Nashville". Tenille Townes. Facebook. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
11. ^ "Canada Country chart for February 2, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
12. ^ "Hear Donovan Woods’ New Acoustic Version of ‘Truck Full of Money’". Rolling Stone, April 16, 2019.
13. ^ Peter Shokeir (September 10, 2019). "'It was a crazy feeling': Tenille Townes reflects on four wins at Country Music Awards". Daily Herald Tribune. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
14. ^ LB Cantrell (August 23, 2024). "Tenille Townes Parts Ways With Sony Music Nashville". Music Row. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
15. ^ Montague, Ethan (Nov 22, 2024). "City of GP renames 107th Avenue to Tenille Townes Way". My Grande Prairie Now. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
16. ^ "Tenille Townes Way unveiled by City of Grande Prairie and Sunrise House". City of Grande Prairie. Nov 19, 2024. Retrieved Jan 20, 2025.
17. ^ "Canadian country singer Nate Haller on his brand new single ‘Backfire’". Breakfast Television. July 28, 2025. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
18. ^ Hollabaugh, Lorie (February 27, 2026). "Tenille Townes Examines Life’s Balancing Act On New LP ‘The Acrobat,’ Due In April". MusicRow
19. ^ "Tenille Townes Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
20. ^ "Tenille Townes Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
21. ^ "Tenille Townes Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
22. ^ "Tenille Townes Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2024. *"The Thing That Wrecks You": "Canada Country chart for April 15, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2023. *"Backfire": "Canada Country chart for November 22, 2025". Billboard Canada. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
23. ^ "Tenille Townes Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
24. ^ "Tenille Townes Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
25. ^ MC certs
26. ^ "Tenille Townes says a 'wild thought' and chance encounter led to Bryan Adams duet". Edmonton News. February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
27. ^ Kennedy, John R. (September 21, 2021). "The Reklaws Lead 2021 CCMA Awards Nominations". iHeartRadio.ca. Bell Media
28. ^ "2022 CCMA AWARD NOMINEES". Canadian Country Music Association. 20 July 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
29. ^ "2023 CCMA Awards Nominees". Canadian Country Music Association. July 13, 2023. Archived July 14, 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
30. ^ "OFFICIAL 2023 CCMA AWARDS PRESENTED BY TD WINNERS". Canadian Country Music Association. September 16, 2023. Archived September 18, 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
31. ^ "2024 CCMA AWARDS NOMINEES". Canadian Country Music Association. Archived July 19, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
32. ^ "Tenille Townes Chart History (Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Tenille Townes at IMDb