Republic Live, the producers of the internationally acclaimed and multi-award-winning Boots and Hearts Music Festival, are thrilled to announce the eight finalists for the 2025 Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase (EAS), set to take place at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds. The finalists will perform on Thursday, August 7th to open the Kick-Off party featuring Tyler Joe Miller and headliner Justin Moore.
This moment marks a significant milestone for these rising stars. Along with the chance to perform on the festival’s main stage, the winner of the 2025 EAS will receive a $10,000 cash prize, a single release with Universal Music Canada, artist development sessions with RLive Management, a Gibson J-45 Special guitar, and a VIP tour of the Gibson Garage in Nashville.
All remaining finalists will be awarded a complimentary one-year STRUT VIP membership—an exclusive platform designed to empower emerging artists with vital tools, industry access, and personalized support to accelerate their careers.
The 2025 Emerging Artist Showcase Finalists are:
- Amanda Couture – Medicine Hat, AB
- Annika Catharina – Deroche, BC
- Jade Hilton – Toronto, ON
- Lake Porter – Kingston, ON
- Lowell Lawson – Toronto, ON
- School House – Ottawa, ON
- Sean Michael Ryan – Riverview, NB
- Warren Hargraves – Komoka, ON
Republic Live is also thrilled to announce that Sarah Vanderzon, winner of the 2024 EAS, has joined the roster of RLive Management. Raised just outside of Montreal, Vanderzon charmed audiences with her relatable energy and storytelling. Following the success of her 2023 independent EP, Same Sad Eyes, and her breakout festival performances, Vanderzon returns to perform at Thursday night’s Kick-Off Party (8/7), alongside Tyler Joe Miller and headliner Justin Moore.
“Partnering with the powerhouse team at RLive is truly a privilege. I have deep admiration for their work ethic and their unwavering commitment to growing artists’ careers,” shares Vanderzon. “The journey through the music industry is rarely easy, but with the support of my newfound collaborators, the road ahead feels a lot less intimidating, and I can’t wait to bring my vision to life.”
Already home to JUNO Award-nominated and CCMA Award-winning country artist Tyler Joe Miller, and 2024’s SiriusXM Canada’s Top of the Country winner Zach McPhee, RLive continues to focus on optimizing the infrastructure across their parent company Republic Live and aims to play a bigger role in continued artist development and new signings. Working in tandem with their artists, RLive helps build and execute the right strategy and develop creative content, while partnering with the best-in-class to elevate their vision(s) and inspire audiences across North America.
“This is an exciting day for our entire team. To officially welcome the 2024 winner Sarah Vanderzon to the RLive Management roster, while announcing this year’s Emerging Artist Showcase finalists, is a true testament to our dedication to building, supporting, and developing the best of Canada’s rising stars,” says Kate Howse, Artist Manager at RLive. “With an overwhelming number of entries this year, our finalists represent the best of the best from across the country, and we can’t wait to see them perform at Boots and Hearts this August.”
For over a decade, Republic Live and the Emerging Artist Showcase have championed rising Canadian country talent, providing artists with a high-impact platform to perform in front of one of the genre’s largest festival audiences and alongside top-tier industry names at Burl’s Creek. Past EAS winners and finalists have gone on to dominate the charts, break streaming records, and earn some of the industry’s highest honours, including multiple CCMA wins and nominations. The program has helped launch the careers of artists such as Canadian Country Music Award winner and Saturday night’s Front Porch Stage Headliner (8/9) Owen Riegling (2022), Josh Ross (2017), James Barker Band (2015), and Tim Hicks (2012).
Visit www.bootsandhearts.com for more information about artists, tickets, RV and tent camping, and parking.
