A Canadian artist set to perform in Simcoe County is vying for a spot in an international music contest. Singer-songwriter Tyler Shaw, known for hits like “House of Cards,” “To the Man Who Let Her Go” and “With You,” is one of five Canadian artists who are contenders to represent Canada at the Eurovision Song Contest 2027. Hosted by the European Broadcasting Union,Eurovision is touted as “the world’s biggest live music event” where artists from around the world compete in the singing competition. The winner will receive a glass microphone trophy and their country will get the honour of hosting the event the following year. “It’s the Olympics of songwriting essentially,” Shaw tells CTV News in an exclusive interview. The competition not only puts a spotlight on the Canadian arts scene, but Shaw says this is a huge opportunity for him as it could give him the global recognition he’s looking for. “It opens up a lot of doors for artists here in Canada especially with this contest,” Shaw says. Members of the public can vote with Thursday being the last day. CPKC Holiday Train Not only is Shaw gearing up for Eurovision, but he’s also set to perform in our region on the CPKC Holiday Train. It’s making a whopping 50 stops. Once the train rolls in, an entire side of one of the cars folds down and transforms into a makeshift stage. He’s set to perform for around 15 minutes. Whether there are a handful of people or thousands gathered, Shaw says the energy is high. “When that happens, you just can’t stop the excitement, no matter how big or small the crowd is,” Shaw says. Shaw released his first album in 2015 and since then, he says if you pay attention to life, you can find inspiration everywhere. “The inspiration, it really does just follow my life,” Shaw says. But the last few years have especially given him something to write about. “Obviously becoming a father has opened up perspective over the last six years and just story-telling wise,” Shaw says. Shaw’s forthcoming album there’s no easy way to put this... will be out Feb. 19. The title track was released at the end of last month. The train will roll up in Springwater, MacTier and Parry Sound on Nov. 30.
