The Judges

Hamilton’s singer-songwriter Brian Melo became a household name in 2007 after winning Canadian Idol. Brian’s debut album “Livin’ It” revealed his fast-emerging songwriting instincts. The album achieved Gold Status, and his first single, “All I Ever Wanted,” hit #1 on the charts and became the unofficial anthem for the 2008 Canadian Summer Olympics Team. Brian charted two additional singles, “Shine” and “Summertime” from his debut. “Summertime” was also covered by Australian Idol Shannon Noll and was a Top 20 hit down under.

In 2010, Brian released his 2nd album “The Truth” which was a collection of songs that showcased Brian emerging as a world class singer-songwriter. He possesses an uncanny ability to combine classic rock energy with contemporary nuance and unforgettable melodies. He has, in a word become “prolific,” having written hundreds of songs over the last several years, with many cut for other artists,’ TV and film. Brian also had two singles from “The Truth,” Soundproof,” and “Anywhere But Here” that both charted on Canadian Radio.

Over the last several years, Brian has the opportunity to share the stage with some great artists such as Queen, Maroon 5, Rihanna, Bon Jovi, Alanis Morissette, Chicago, and American Idol Kelly Clarkson. His national tours saw him rock some of Canada’s most legendary venues and partner with other rising stars, such as Faber Drive, whom he also guested on their “Sleepless Nights” single and video.

After the success of his two solo records, Brian started writing and working on his upcoming third album, until one show would send his career on a new path. Brian was invited to perform a rendition of “Eye Of The Tiger” for Sylvester Stallone at a Gala in Brian’s hometown of Hamilton, Ontario where Stallone would be the guest of honour. Wanting to gather the best talent possible for his performance, he invited (vocalist) Victoria Boland and (guitarist) Andrew Rudd to share the stage with him. Shortly after that, the band Apollo’s Crown was born! Brian and Apollo’s Crown recorded their debut album “Providence” with Grammy nominated producer Dave Brainard at The Legendary Grand Victor RCA Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, where he lived for 5 years. Although he had a truly unforgettable experience with AC, Brian was ready to bring his newfound knowledge and expertise back home, where he could focus all of his energy on his solo career.

His passion for music and people is always apparent. He is constantly growing, staying creative and giving back to his community. Brian is currently working on new material for his next solo project while making a tremendous impact through his music mentoring programs and podcast Beyond the Melody.

Mike Robins exploded onto the Canadian country music scene with his chart topping group Autumn Hill in 2013. The duo achieved huge radio success with multiple top 10 and top 20 singles such as “Blame”, “Anything At All”, “Mixtape” and “Can’t Keep Waiting”. Along with their success at radio, the band’s music video’s topped the CMT charts, with “Blame” hitting #1.

Mike’s music has garnered millions of streams across all plaNorms, such as Spotify and Apple Music. Mike continued to work to cement his place in the Canadian country music landscape with his other critically acclaimed project, East Adelaide. The raw and honest single “You Don’t Get To Love Me” gained over 700 thousand views on Youtube alone.

He has been nominated for 4 Canadian Country Music Awards, 2 Juno Awards and 4 Country Music Association of Ontario Awards and has been the winner of the CMAO’s Rising Star and Best Group/ Duo Awards. Along with these awards and nominations Mike has been invited to perform many times on these award shows as well, including the CCMA National Television Broadcast. One of those performances featured his band’s duet with the incredible Canadian legend Jann Arden.

No stranger to the big stage, Mike has headlined tours throughout Canada and has shared the stage with many of Country music’s finest, such as Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line, Dean Brody, Dallas Smith and Tim McGraw to name a few. Mike has captivated crowds with his high energy and unforgetable live performances at all major Canadian country music festivals such as Boots and Hearts, Havelock Jamboree, Country Thunder, Cavendish Beach Fest, The Calgary
Stampede and Big Valley Jamboree.

Now branching out on his own as a solo artist, this accomplished singer/songwriter/guitarist continues to grow and deliver. Often being compared to artists like John Mayer and Keith Urban, Mike’s new music showcases his soulful smooth vocals, raw emotion, and electrifying guitar work. Mike’s songs continue to be deeply rooted in country music’s long tradition of storytelling. His fresh sounding debut single “Lightning Don’t Strike Twice” and the follow up “One Beer At A Time” have generated hundreds of thousands of streams so far, and are already creating quite a buzz within the industry. Armed with new music, there is no denying that the best is yet to come from Mike Robins.