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George Canyon and other East Coast Performers in CMT Christmas Special

 

 

 

Toronto, November 9, 2011 - Corus Entertainment celebrates the spirit of the holidays with the CMT special Gift of Giving, exploring the issue of hunger in Canada. Hosted by country music singer and humanitarian George Canyon, the special will feature performances and interviews with Chantal Kreviazuk, Barenaked Ladies, Great Big Sea, Jimmy Rankin, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Kira Isabella. Gift of Giving will air throughout December on CMT, YTV, W Network and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada).

 

"We are thrilled to partner with George Canyon and honoured that so many musical artists, across diverse genres, are as dedicated as we are to raising awareness about hunger in Canada," said Ted Ellis, Vice President, Kids and Family Programming. "Our hope is that the Gift of Giving special and compilation CD will inspire viewers to reflect on the issue and to give more generously this holiday season."

 

A companion CD, distributed by Sony Music Entertainment Canada, features the show's performers as well as holiday music from Johnny Reid, Rascal Flatts, Dean Brody, Gord Bamford, Darius Rucker, Chad Brownlee, Luke Bryan and Sugarland. Gift of Giving, the first ever holiday compilation CD from CMT, will be available in-store and online on Tuesday, November 15. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this CD will go to Canadian food banks through Corus Entertainment's community giving initiative Corus Feeds Kids.

 

"It's heartbreaking that there are so many folks facing the issue of hunger in our country. I am so honoured to be a part of this initiative which helps families in need to put food on their table. After seeing the work they do first hand, I applaud the food banks for the important service they provide" said George Canyon.

 

In addition to being a multiple Canadian Country Music and Juno Award winning artist, George Canyon is also an active philanthropist, through his roles as Honorary Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force and as the national spokesman for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF). His album "Better Be Home Soon," released in March 2011, has already spawned 3 top ten hits, becoming Canyon's fastest selling album to date, by achieving Gold status within three weeks. Canyon's "Classics", released in 2007 turned Gold in October making this his 2nd Gold Album this year and the 3rd in his career to date. In addition to performing around the world, Canyon is also an actor. He recently took on the challenging role of an over-protective father of an autistic son, starring alongside Dean Cain and Luke Schroeder for the made for tv movie "A Mile In His Shoes," which debuted to over 50 million homes in the US and will soon air here in Canada.

 

Gift of Giving will premiere Thursday, December 1 at 8 p.m. on CMT and will repeat throughout December including airings on Saturday, December 24 and Sunday, December 25.

 

The special will also air on YTV, W Network and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada).