Calgary country singer set to make history at Country Music Alberta Awards

Calgary country music rising star Amy Hef is making history this weekend as the city hosts the annual Country Music Alberta Awards (CMABs) for the first time in its 12-year history.

Hef is the first-ever queer act to be nominated in the Horizon Female Artist of the Year category, an honour she doesn’t take lightly.

Some people might think that country music and openly queer musicians don’t mix, but Hef says her experience has been positive.

“I think people are very open,” she tells Calgary Citizen, adding she hasn’t faced any challenges because of her sexual orientation.

“I think they see that I’m just a normal person, I have a family, and I work hard. [The country world] is putting a foot forward to understanding and getting the picture that love is love and learning to make space for others that don’t fit in the straight box.”

‘A pretty big honour’

Hef was born and raised in Saskatchewan, before living in Los Angeles for 10 years. She now calls Calgary home with her wife and their young twin baby girls, and she travels back and forth to LA where she recently visited to write and record new music.

“My creative zone has always been LA and the people I work with. One day, hopefully maybe I can bring my family down there to live as well,” Hef says.

Hef is honoured to be nominated in this year’s awards and is excited to perform in front of her hometown crowd.

“It’s a pretty big honour to be asked to play. I’m pretty new to the scene for the country awards and it’s always fun to be at home because I know a lot of people in the crowd so it should be a fun time,” she says.

She hopes the award nomination helps further her country music career.

“I’ve learned to expect nothing so when you do hit something, it’s always just a nice surprise,” she says, adding it feels nice to get the recognition.

“It feels good because everybody works so hard and this industry is so full of roller-coaster ups and downs, so when you get recognized and see that people still care about you, it makes you feel good and makes you keep on going.”

From pop to country

Before becoming a rising star in the country scene, Hef got her start in pop music, releasing her debut EP in 2008. Before that, she was a professional drummer who toured North America.

In 2013, Hef was named the winner of the 90.3 AMP Radio’s Rock Star contest, which encouraged her to launch a solo career.

Her 2014 single “Creepin’ Me Out” hit pop radio stations across the country, and in 2017 her release “Drunk On Conversation” reached over a quarter-million streams.

At the YYC Music Awards, she won Female Artist of the Year in 2017 and Pop Recording of the Year in 2019.

Hef’s debut country single “Between Us” launched in early 2022 and was played on SiriusXM’s CBC Country radio.

“Basically when I write, it’s always with an acoustic guitar, and I find that it was just an evolution of music,” Hef says, adding she likes to try new things in her music.

“I think music has always been a big full circle thing … and the evolution of my songwriting has been making a home in country right now. I’m loving the community and world I’ve been exploring.”

A growing family

On top of her musical success, Hef and her wife welcomed baby twins into their lives last year.

“We planned on having one, but they split and we had identical twins,” she laughs, adding it’s been a beautiful experience for her and her wife.

“They’re so beautiful and when I look at them I just can’t imagine having only one. They are meant to be here, and they’re here to shake the world up. I know these girls are gonna change the world somehow, some way, and I look forward to what they’re going to do.”

Hef credits her wife for being so supportive during her career.

“She’s like, 10 humans in one and she’s so inspiring. She makes sure that I can still be me and do what I gotta do. And when I’m home, I’m home, and then when I need to work, I can work.”

This year’s awards are set to take place on April 2 at the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino. Hef was also nominated in the Fan’s Choice category and will learn if she won at the event.

With over 100 Alberta musicians and industry professionals recognized across 23 categories, this year’s awards show is set to be bigger than ever, and also features other Calgary acts Lindsey Ell and Devin Cooper.