Haley Benedict won the country music competition

In July, the former CTV News Calgary guest received a very important musical honor on Thursday night.

Alberta's Haley Benedict has been named the winner of the 2023 Sirius-XM Country of the Year competition.

Benedict defeated Noah Derksen and Teigen Geise in the finals.

“What an honor to be named this year's @siriusxmcanada Best of Country winner,” Benedict said on social media Friday afternoon. “Big thanks to SiriusXM, @CCMAofficial, @prsguitars and everyone else who made this possible.”

The St. Albert country crooner walked away with $25,000 in prize money.

It was another notch in the musical belt for the singer-songwriter. Benedict released new music in July and is gearing up for a tour next month, with a stop in Calgary on Nov. 1 at Bella Concert Hall.

Benedict's musical success came to light in 2016 when Benedict and his little sister, Makenna, invited him on stage to sing at a Keith Urban concert in Edmonton, after Urban noticed that the mothers of 14-year-old Haley and 12-year-old Makenna had guitars. made.

“He saw the guitars and said, 'I see these guitars, why don't we pick them up?' said. I said “What, what?” said Haley.

When Urban Haley was once asked what her dream profession was, she replied, “Singer-singer.”

This prompted Urban to ask Haley to play a song he wrote called “Clean Slate.”

The CTV Edmonton story says Haley has been singing and playing instruments since she was six years old.

With files from Diego Romero and Angela Jung.