The votes are in, Canadians have chosen the three finalists for  SiriusXM’s Top of the Country, and Fox Island River’ Jason Benoit is among them. A live battle will take place during Country Music Week, where he’ll vie for $25,000, the title of “Canada’s next Big Country Star,” and plenty of other perks.

SiriusXM Canada is  the country’s leading audio entertainment company. This year, they launched the inaugural SiriusXM Top of the Country competition, in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA). The top 3 was derived from coast-to-coast public voting, and has resulted in a showdown between West Vs. Central Vs. East coast Canada. The 3 finalists are:

Leaving Thomas (Calgary, AB)

Andrew Hyatt (Sudbury, ON)

Jason Benoit (Fox Island River, NL)

The Competition Is But The Latest News in His Burgeoning Career

Benoit is from the Qalipu First Nation Fox Island River on the West Coast. He made a mark with his first single, a country rendition of the dance song “This Is What It Feels Like,” when it peaked on the Billboard Canada Country chart at number 46, and landed on the Country Heat 2014 compilation.

Around the same time, Benoit signed a label deal with the newly formed JV Records/Sony Music Canada. His single, “Gone Long Gone,” reached the top ten on the Canada Country chart in the summer of 2015. that same summer Benoit received the inaugural CCMA Discovery Atlantic Award from the Canadian Country Music Association.

Other Perks of the Competition

“This has been a fun few months,” said Tracy Martin, President of the CCMA. “The talent in the first phase of Top of The Country was exceptional, it’s hard to believe that we are down to three. Our finalists now have the opportunity to spotlight their talent on some very big stages this summer. We can’t wait to see them perform at the finale during Country Music Week.”