Quick Facts
Biography
Crystal Shawanda (born July 26, 1983) is a Canadian country music artist. CMT documented her rise to fame in the six-part series Crystal: Living the Dream, which was broadcast in February 2008. Signed to RCA Nashville in 2007, she released her first single, "You Can Let Go", in Canada in January 2008. It was the fastest climbing single on the Canadian Country Singles Chart since Carolyn Dawn Johnson's "Georgia" in 2000, reaching the Top 10 in five weeks. It was released in the United States on February 25, 2008 .
Life
Shawanda was born in Wiikwemkoong First Nation, Manitoulin Island, Ontario.She spent her youth in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where she attended Korah Collegiate. Her surname translates to "Dawn of a New Day".
Many of Shawanda's songs have been inspired by her connections to Wiikwemkoong and part of her 2016 album was recorded at the Debajehmujig Creation Centre in Manitowaning, Manitoulin Island.
Music career
Shawanda's first album, Dawn of a New Day, was released in Canada on June 24, 2008, and in the United States on August 19. The album entered the Canadian Country Albums chart at number 2, and the Billboard Top Country Albums chart at number 16. It became the highest charted album by a full-blooded Canadian First Nations country artist in the SoundScan era.
Shawanda toured with various artists across Canada and the northern United States in 2008. In 2009, she toured Canada and the United States with Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley as a special guest on the Paisley Party 2009 tour. Her first single, "You Can Let Go", peaked at number 21 on the Hot Country Songs charts. In mid-2009, Shawanda left RCA Nashville and, through her own record label, New Sun Records, and a distribution deal with EMI/On Ramp Records, released a Christmas album titled I'll Be Home for Christmas.
In 2010, Shawanda released a single, "Beautiful Day", via her own label, New Sun Records. Shawanda also performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2010, performing "Let's Come Together" and "This Is My Land". She then released another single, "Love Enough", on August 15, 2011 in both Canada and the United States. Shawanda's second studio album, Just Like You, was released by New Sun on April 24, 2012.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | ||
| Dawn of a New Day |
| 16 | 81 |
| I'll Be Home for Christmas |
| — | — |
| Just Like You |
| — | — |
| The Whole World's Got the Blues |
| — | — |
| Fish Out of Water |
| — | — |
| Voodoo Woman |
| — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN | US Country | |||
| 2008 | "You Can Let Go" | 5 | 60 | 21 | Dawn of a New Day |
| "What Do I Have to Do" | 5 | 79 | — | ||
| "My Roots Are Showing" | 12 | 87 | 57 | ||
| 2009 | "Dawn of a New Day" | 7 | 90 | — | |
| "Try" | 24 | — | — | ||
| 2010 | "Beautiful Day" | 39 | — | — | Just Like You |
| "Fight for Me" | — | — | — | ||
| 2011 | "This Fever" | — | — | — | |
| "Love Enough" | — | — | — | ||
| 2012 | "Closer" | 32 | — | — | |
| "Down on Broadway" | — | — | — | ||
| "Chains" | — | — | — | ||
| 2013 | "Someone Who Loves You" | — | — | — | |
| 2016 | "Laid Back" | — | — | — | Fish Out of Water |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
- Notes
- a^ "You Can Let Go" also reached number nine on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
As a featured artist
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | |||
| 2009 | "In Your Arms Again" (George Canyon featuring Crystal Shawanda) | 16 | What I Do |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "You Can Let Go" | Margaret Malandruccolo |
| 2009 | "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | |
| 2010 | "Beautiful Day" | Stephano Barberis |
| 2012 | "Down on Broadway" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Aboriginal Peoples Choice Awards | Best New Artist of the Year | Won |
| Best Country Album of the Year - Dawn of a New Day | Won | ||
| Best Single of the Year - "You Can Let Go" | Won | ||
| Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards | Best Artist of the Year | Won | |
| Best Album of the Year - Dawn of a New Day | Won | ||
| Best Country Album of the Year | Won | ||
| Best Music Video of the Year - "You Can Let Go" | Won | ||
| Best Single of the Year - "You Can Let Go" | Won | ||
| Canadian Country Music Association | Single of the Year - "You Can Let Go" | Nominated | |
| Female Artist of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Program/Special of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | Album of the Year - Dawn of a New Day | Nominated | |
| Female Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| Canadian Radio Music Awards | Best New Country Artist | Won | |
| Juno Awards | Best New Artist | Nominated | |
| Country Recording of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Canadian Country Music Association | Female Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| 2013 | Juno Awards | Aboriginal Album of the Year | Won |
| 2015 | Juno Awards | Aboriginal Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2017 | Juno Awards | Indigenous Music Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2017 | Indigenous Music Awards | Best Producer/Engineer (for New Sun Records – Missy Knott/My Sister's Heart) | Nominated |
