SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwire - Sept. 11, 2012) - ole, one of the world's largest independent music publishers has been honoured by the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) as Music Publisher of the Year for the 6^th consecutive time in the company's eight-year history in a year when ole writer/artist Gord Bamford was named Songwriter of the Year. It's the longest successful run by an independent publisher in the history of that category at the CCMA Awards.

This year ole writers/artists dominated the winner's circle as part of 17 ole direct and affiliated awards. They were also responsible for more than a quarter of the songs heard in live performance during the CBC-televised CCMA Awards Gala.

Dean Brody (Roots Three/ole), who opened the show with a performance of his #1 single "Canadian Girls," one of five ole-related songs heard that night, was named Male Artist of the Year and took the honours for Album of the Year, the prestigious final award of the night, for Dirt, which also received recognition for Album Design.

Johnny Reid, who recently accounted for 10 percent of the titles on the SoundScan Country Top 50 album sales chart, took home the Top Selling Album award for Fire It Upalong with the coveted Fans' Choice award. He performed his current single "Dedicated To You (The Remix)" at the Awards.

Gord Bamford picked up his Songwriter award for co-writing "Is It Friday Yet?" Producer of the Year, for his co-production work on his album Is It Friday Yet? and Interactive Artist of the Year. Video director Stephano Barberis was honoured for his work on Bamford's video "Is It Friday Yet?" Bamford closed the Awards gala with a performance of the title track of his current album, Is It Friday Yet?

"ole is pleased to receive this honour from our peers in the CCMA for the 6^th year in a row," states CEO Robert Ott. "We remain passionate about great songs, songwriters and Country music on both sides of the border."

Other ole-related awards included Top Selling International Album of the Year, won by Lady Antebellum's Own the Night, which has two cuts co-written by ole's Monty Powell, and Roots Artist of the Year, which honoured Jimmy Rankin whose current album, Forget About the World, contains ole songs, including the title track co-written by ole writer, Tebey.

ole writer/artists Johnny Reid, Dean Brody (Roots Three/ole), Gord Bamford and George Canyon were featured performers on the CBC-televised show, as was Eric Church, who recently topped the U.S. Billboard chart for two weeks with the platinum single "Springsteen," which he co-wrote with ole writer, Ryan Tyndell.