Les Buffham at the WMA awards in 2009 | Facebook photo
Songwriter Les Buffham of Saugus picked up two awards Saturday night at the Western Music Association’s annual awards show in the historic KiMo Theatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Buffham was named Male Poet of the Year, while his song, “No Wilder Place,” which he co-wrote with singer Mary Kaye, was named Song of the Year.
It’s starting to become routine for Buffham, who won his first WMA Song of the Year award in 1997 for “Below the Kinny Rim,” which he co-wrote with Michael Fleming, who organizes Santa Clarita’s annual Cowboy Festival.
Other Santa Claritans nominated for WMA awards this year were the crew from “Around the Barn,” the Western-themed radio show on AM-1220 KHTS. It was the second nomination in as many years for “Barn” hosts Nancy Pitchford, Bobbi Jean Bell, Julie Pomilia and KHTS engineer Mike Dowler.
But the award for Radio Program of the Year went to singer-songwriter Marvin O’Dell’s show, “Around the Campfire,” out of Palm Desert.
Mary Kaye (left) and Belinda Gail
“The awards show was top notch and the competition in every category was fierce,” said Bell, who served on a panel with other radio personalities during the five-day event.
She said a number of other Santa Claritans also performed during the week, including singer-songwriter John Bergstrom, Gency Brown and Joe Herrington, who was nominated for Male Poet of the Year. Herrington, of Canyon Country, led a well-attended two-hour workshop on “Cowboy Poetry and the Power of Story,” Bell said.
Several artists who’ve performed this year at Bell’s OutWest Boutique in Newhall – and who’ve been featured in SCVTV’s OutWest Concert Series (http://outwest.scvtv.com) – came away with top awards.
Big winner: Dave Stamey.
Heading that list is Belinda Gail, who was named Female Performer of the Year, followed by Mary Kaye Knaphus as co-Songwriter of the Year (with Buffham); Devon Dawson and Jessie Robertson (aka Miss Dawson and the Outlaw) as Harmony Duo of the Year; and young Kristyn Harris, who won the Crescendo Award (rising star).
The big winner of the night was Dave Stamey, who has performed many times at the Santa Clarita festival, including this year. He came away with four awards: Entertainer of the Year, Male Performer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Western Album of the Year (“Twelve Mile Road”).
Mary Kaye (center) with Bobbi Jean Bell (left) and Gency Brown at Bobbi’s shop in Newhall.
Rounding out the list of winners were Patty Clayton for Western Swing Album of the Year (“Dancin’ in Denver”); Rich O’Brien, Instrumentalist of the Year; Susie Knight, Cowboy Poetry CD of the Year (“Western Wordsmith”); Yvonne Hollenbeck, Cowboy Poetry Book of the Year “Christmas on the Range”); Sam DeLeeuw, Female Poet of the Year; and Red Hot Rhythm Rustlers, Group of the Year.
The Curly Musgrave Silver Buckle Award went to Janet McBride. Dick Foran and Ken and Nora Griffis were inducted into the WMA Hall of Fame.
WMA fans in Newhall should keep an eye out for Barry Ward, who was nominated for Male Performer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Album of the Year (“West of Dodge”). Ward is scheduled to appear on the OutWest stage Feb. 16, 2013, as part of SCVTV’s OutWest Concert Series.
Read more about some of the local nominees [here] and see the complete list of nominees [here].
“Around the Barn,” a weekly Western-themed radio show on AM-1220 KHTS, has been nominated for Radio Show of the Year by the Western Music Association. It’s the second consecutive WMA nomination for the program, which is produced by engineer Mike Dowler of KHTS. "Around the Barn" is co-hosted by Nancy…
SCVTV Presents The OutWest Concert Series An Evening of Cowboy Poetry and Music OutWest Friday, April 19 Doors Open 7:30 p.m. Concert 8 p.m. $10 Suggested Donation Limited Seating RSVP 661.255.7087 OutWest "tips our cowboy hat" to the 20th anniversary of the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival! Join us for…
Critically acclaimed Western Music Singer/Songwriter, Mary Kaye returns to OutWest in Newhall Saturday, Nov. 3. This popular and engag ing performer will be joined by equally talented local musicians Gency Brown and Robby Bausch (right). Born in Texas and raised in Mississippi, Mary Kaye ventured off to Utah where she…
Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
The Santa Clarita Public Library will host a author event for "One Story One City" author Zoraida Córdova, 7-8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1 at The Mitchell River House.
Guitars for Vets Newhall Chapter has announced a Celebration Day, 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21 to recognize three of its veterans who have successfully completed 11-week guitar instruction program.
Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are now available for Vine 2 Wine, Circle of Hope’s signature wine-tasting event which will be held 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22 at the Sand Canyon Country Club.
The Santa Clarita Symphony Orchestra invites music lovers and Broadway enthusiasts to its Broadway Classics concert at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 16 at Canyon High School Performing Arts Center.
College of the Canyons will be hosting Information Nights on Thursday, March 6 at its Canyon Country campus and on Thursday, April 3 on Zoom to better assist high school seniors who are interested in starting their college experience at COC.
The Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative has announced a special Veteran Painting Day, a community event that will take place 8-11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 23 at Hello Subaru of Valencia, 24000 Creekside Road, Valencia, CA 91355.
The Master's University men's basketball team stayed in a tie for first place at the top of the GSAC standings with an 82-64 win over the Life Pacific Warriors Saturday night, Feb. 15 in San Dimas.
The Santa Clarita Public Library will host a author event for "One Story One City" author Zoraida Córdova, 7-8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1 at The Mitchell River House.
Braden Van Groningen took the set from Matthew Hamm and pounded it down for a kill to seal The Master's University's five-set win over Stanford Saturday night, Feb. 15 in Palo Alto.
A stout fourth-quarter defense stifled a potential Life Pacific comeback as The Master's University women's basketball team defeated the Warriors 79-57 Saturday, Feb. 15 in San Dimas.
College of the Canyons women's basketball did its very best to secure victory in its final game at the Cougar Cage on Tuesday, Feb. 18 but instead emerged from the contest on the wrong side of a 52-51 result vs. Santa Monica College.
College of the Canyons battled visiting Cypress College for 10 innings at Whitten Field on Tuesday, Feb. 17 before the Chargers pushed one across to escape with a 2-1 non-conference victory.
The William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board unanimously approved the appointment of Ben Wobrock as the new Principal of Castaic High School.
College of the Canyons men's golf kept its unbeaten streak intact with a two-stroke victory at the Western State Conference tournament played at Alisal Ranch Golf Course on Monday, Feb. 17.
The County of Los Angeles Fire Department and Women’s Fire League will host the ninth annual Women’s Fire Prep Academy, beginning on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies and detectives have successfully taken three suspects into custody, linking multiple felony cases across the Santa Clarita Valley.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger offering a $20,000 reward in exchange for information leading to the arrest of the individual responsible for the murder of 23-year-old Menghan Zhuang in Santa Clarita.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger issued the following statement, reacting to the grand re-opening of Grocery Outlet in Altadena, a significant milestone in the community’s recovery following the Eaton Fire:
Leaders from across L.A. County gathered at the El Rio Community School in Lincoln Heights on Tuesday night to kick off the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count.
The Santa Clarita Public Library is thrilled to announce this year’s selection for the One Story One City program – 'The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina' by Zoraida Córdova.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
0 Comments
You can be the first one to leave a comment.