CCMA - Please reinstate STEEL GUITAR in the AWARDS categories! It is NOT country music without STEEL GUITAR! Think of the great Country songs without the soulful sound of a steel guitar - the iconic songs of LIGHTFOOT are full of Pee Wee Charles' masterful playing - The names listed below are renowned for their playing and the unique sound that only a STEEL GUITAR can add. Having the STEEL GUITAR included in the category of SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT is wrong. It is an integral part of country music history and is still a sound that is in today's country music. Since 1991 STEEL GUITAR has had it's own category and it should continue to be acknowledged for the major contribution it and the talented players still makes to the distinctive emotional sound of country music. Please put it back in it's own category.

Here's the list of Steel Guitar nominees and winners since 1991 (winners denoted with an * after their names).

ALL-STAR BAND (Steel Guitar)

1991 - Al Bragg (Blue Highway), Al Brisco (session), Dennis Delorme* (Prairie Oyster), Ron Dann (session), Lee Warren (Michelle Wright)

1992 - Al Brisco (session), Dennis Delorme*(Prairie Oyster), Mike Holder (Patricia Conroy), Steve Smith (Baker Street), Lee Warren (Michelle Wright)

1993 - Al Brisco (session), Burke Carroll (Coda the West), Dennis Delorme *(Prairie Oyster), Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald (Peewee Charles, freelance), Lee Warren (Michelle Wright)

1994 - Al Bragg (session), Dennis Delorme (Prairie Oyster), Mike Holder*(Hot House Band, session), Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald (Jim Witter, session), Lee Warren (Michelle Wright)

1995 - Burke Carroll (Coda the West), Dennis Delorme*(Prairie Oyster), Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald (Jim Witter, session), Bob Taillefer (Anita Perras), Lee Warren (Michelle Wright)

1996 - Burke Carroll (George Fox), Dennis Delorme*(Prairie Oyster), Jom Dorin (Lisa Brokop), Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald (Jim Witter, Terry Hill), Lee Warren (Michelle Wright)

1997 - Al Brisco (Al Brisco), Dennis Delorme*(Prairie Oyster), Mike Holder (Hot House Band), Doug Johnson (Wayward), Lee Warren (Michelle Wright)

1998 - Jeff Bradshaw (session), Dennis Delorme*(Prairie Oyster), Doug Johnson (Wayward), Mike Keates (Tom Jackson), Andy Schick (Jason McCoy)

1999 - Al Brisco (session), Dennis Delorme*(Prairie Oyster), Doug Johnson (Thomas Wade & Wayward), Ira Moorehouse (The Austinators), Andy Schick (Jason McCoy)

2000 - Al Brisco (session), Dennis Delorme*(Prairie Oyster), Doug Johnson (session), Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald (Jim Witter), Andy Schick (Jason McCoy)

2001 - Jeff Bradshaw (session), Al Brisco (session), Doug Johnson*(Lace Band), Andy Schick (Jason McCoy), Lee Warren (Michelle Wright)

2002 - Jeff Bradshaw (session), Wendell Ferguson (Wendell Ferguson), Doug Johnson (Lace), Andy Schick*(Jason McCoy Band), Lee Warren (Michelle Wright)

2003 - Jeff Bradshaw*(session), Greg Dirksen (Jake Matthews), Doug Johnson (session), John Lacey (session), Dave Martineau (Lisa Hewitt)

2004 - Jeff Bradshaw (Duane Steele, session), Al Brisco (Scotty Campbell, session), Doug Johnson (Beverley Mahood, Diane Chase), Andy Schick*(session), Lee Warren (Michelle Wright)

2005 - Jeff Bradshaw (session), Randle Currie (Brad Paisley), Ken Greer*(The Road Hammers), Doug Johnson (Beverley Mahood)

2006 -

2007 - Jeff Bradshaw (Adam Gregory), Dennis Delorme (Prairie Oyster), Kenny Greer*(The Road Hammers), Charlie Hase (Tim Hus)

2008 - Jeff Bradshaw*(Gord Bamford), Evan Ehgoetz (Shane Yellowbird), Kenny Greer (The Road Hammers), Grant Siemens (Corb Lund), Steve Smith (The Wilkinsons)
2009 - Jeff Bradshaw*(Gord Bamford), Kenny Greer (The Road Hammers), Doug Johnson (various), Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald (George Canyon), Grant Siemens (Corb Lund)

2010 - Jeff Bradshaw*(Gord Bamford), Evan Ehgoetz (Shane Yellowbird), John Ellis (Ridley Bent), Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald (George Canyon, session), Grant Siemens (Corb Lund)

2011 - Jeff Bradshaw (Gord Bamford), Evan Ehgoetz (Shane Yellowbird), John Ellis (Ridley Bent, One More Girl), Doug Johnson (Tonya Kennedy, session, Terry Sumsion), Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald*(George Canyon)

2012 - Jeff Bradshaw*(session), John Ellis (Ridley Bent, session), Smokey Fennell (Danny Hooper, Brett Kissell, Krysta Scoggins), Doug Johnson (Jason Blaine, Tonya Kennedy, session), Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald (George Canyon)

2013 - John Ellis (Chad Brownlee, Doc Walker, Hayley); Smokey Fennell (Danny Hooper, Brett Kissel, Krysta Scoggins); Doug Johnson (Marshall Dane, session), Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald*(George Canyon, session, Western Swing Authority)

2014 - Smokey Fennell, Doug Johnson, Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald*

2015 - Darrek Anderson, John Ellis, Smokey Fennell, Doug Johnson, Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald*

-wins: Dennis Delorme (9); Jeff Bradshaw (5); Ed “Peewee Charles” Ringwald (4); Ken Greer, Andy Shick (2); Mike Holder, Doug Johnson (1)

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