Saskatoon country music fans get free sampling of 2017 award nominees at Saturday's FanFest

Country music fans in Saskatoon, grab your finest cowboy hat.

Several 2017 Canadian Country Music Association award nominees took to the stage Saturday at a free concert event at Prairieland Park, in the lead-up to Sunday night's awards show.

Fans lined up for a chance to take a photo with one of their favourite artists as nominees took to a stage and performed several songs for free.

Superfan Brandy Richardson of Kindersley, Sask., has attended 10 CCMA shows and was at Saturday's pre-show. Her mother gave her a custom guitar to collect autographs.

Also in the crowd were Anthony McEwen and Melissa Wasden. They know exactly who they'll be cheering on from the floor at SaskTel Centre. Dallas Smith's song Autograph an ode to getting engaged and a nominee Sunday night in the single of the year category struck a special chord with the newly-hitched Saskatoon couple.

"As soon as we heard it, we were like, 'This needs to be in our wedding,'" said McEwen."Whether it's our first dance..."

"Or walking down the aisle," finished Wasden."Anything. It's gotta be in there for sure."

Smith says the song is having the effect he intended.

"This song meant more than just an enjoyable song to listen to," he told CBC News Saturday.

"I was hoping that it would have a lot of meaning to people and be used in moments like that in their lives, and to have a song that will live like that beyond its radio life."

Country Music Week will conclude Sunday night with the CCMA awards.

The event, taking place at SaskTel Centre, will be broadcast on CBC Television at 8 p.m. local time.