The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) has named agency Paquin Entertainment Group as its sponsorships AOR to reach a wider audience.

The Toronto-based agency will expand CCMA’s sponsorship portfolio, with the goal of fostering revenue growth while increasing the genre’s promotional impact, CCMA president Amy Jeninga tells MiC. Paquin will also be in charge of live entertainment strategy and execution, as well as the development of on-site activations. “While securing sponsorships is indeed a core component of Paquin’s responsibilities, their scope of work extends beyond this to ensure a comprehensive approach to enhancing the CCMA experience for both sponsors and audiences alike,” Jeninga says. The partnership includes the CCMA Awards presented by TD and the Country Music Week of this year.

Jeninga says that “Paquin’s innovative approach aligns seamlessly with the association goals of expanding sponsorship opportunities and reaching new audiences, making them an ideal partner for this venture.” For her, this deal comes at a good time for country music, given its increasing popularity and its ability to transcend generations with its diverse fan base. “The exponential growth in country genre music consumption, up 30% year-over-year, particularly among Gen Z, underscores the vibrant and expanding landscape of the genre, making it an opportune moment to partner with us.”

For his part, Paquin Strategic Partnerships managing director Phil Bouffard said the activations will focus on “showcasing the rich diversity and undeniable talent that defines Canadian country music.”

Last year, Bell Media obtained the exclusive rights to broadcast the CCMA Awards. CTV aired the 41st annual awards show on Sep. 16, as well as the Country Music Week, which took place from Sep. 14 to 16. The awards were previously aired on Global under a multi-year broadcast partnership with Corus that began in 2019.

This year, CTV will again air the awards and Country Music Week in September. Bell Media will also offer multi-platform coverage and content across digital media, social media and radio, including on iHeartRadio Canada’s Pure Country radio show.