Brett Kissel (born May 27, 1990) is a Canadian country singer. He has achieved four number-one hits on the Canadian country chart with "Airwaves", "Drink About Me", "A Few Good Stories", and "Make a Life, Not a Living". Kissel has released the albums, Started with a Song (2013), Pick Me Up (2015), We Were That Song (2017), Now or Never (2020), What Is Life? (2021), The Compass Project (2023), and Let Your Horses Run – The Album (2025).
Early life Kissel was born in St. Paul, Alberta, the son of Brenda and Gordon Kissel. He has one older brother, Jamison. He grew up on a cattle ranch in northeastern Alberta's Flat Lake region, where his family operates the Wengzynowski North View cattle ranch.
Career 2000–2011: Early years Kissel recorded his first album, Keepin' It Country, when he was 12 years old.
Kissel released three more albums, By Request in 2004, Tried and True – A Canadian Tribute in 2006 and My Roots Run Deep in 2008. In 2006, Kissel was nominated for the Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Kissel was 16 years old at the time, making him the youngest CCMA nominee in the history of the awards show.
On May 10, 2013, Kissel signed a record deal with Warner Music Canada. His debut single, "Started with a Song", was released on June 17. It became the most added song at Canadian country radio in its first week, surpassing a Canadian country radio record set by Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together". It debuted at number 87 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 for the week of July 27, 2013. The music video for the song premiered on CMT Canada on June 27. Kissel's first album for Warner, also titled Started with a Song, was released on October 1, 2013.
On February 14, 2014, Kissel released his third single from his Started with a Song album titled "3-2-1". On March 29, 2014, Kissel won his first Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year, and also performed on the 2014 Juno Awards broadcast on CTV alongside OneRepublic, Tegan and Sara, Bachman–Turner Overdrive and The Sheepdogs.Sperounes, Sandra. "Alberta's Brett Kissel wins Juno for Breakthrough Artist of the Year" . Edmontonjournal.com.
In September 2014, Kissel led all country singers with eight nominations"Brett Kissel leads 2014 CCMA Awards nominations" Toronto Sun, July 16, 2014. for the Canadian Country Music Awards held in Edmonton, Alberta.
2015–2018: Pick Me Up and We Were That Song
In September 2017 Kissel won Male Artist of the Year, Interactive Artist of the Year, Country Music Program or Special of the Year and Video of the Year for I Didn't Fall in Love With Your Hair at the 2017 Canadian Country Music Awards. He also released a new album We Were That Song on December 8, 2017. In 2018 he went on a tour across Canada to support the album.
2019–2021: Now or Never, What Is Life? In September 2019, Kissel released his first American country radio single "Drink About Me", the lead single from his fourth major-label album Now or Never which was released on January 1, 2020. "Drink About Me" would become Kissel's second number one on the Canada Country chart, but wouldn't find a place on the American Country Billboard chart. "She Drives Me Crazy" was released as the second single off the album in February 2020.
In September 2020, Kissel released this third single off Now or Never, "A Few Good Stories" and picked up 4 CCMA Awards, winning Male Artist of the Year, Fan's Choice, Creative Director, and Album of the Year for Now it Never. Kissel then signed his first American record deal with Verge Records, a Nashville-based partner of ONErpm. "A Few Good Stories" became Kissel's third Number One on Canada Country,Singles before November 2024: "Ain't the Same": "Another One": "She Drives Me Crazy" became Kissel's second Platinum-certified single, and "Drink About Me" was nominated for Single of the Year at the 2021 Juno Awards.
In March 2021, Kissel released the single "Make a Life, Not a Living", and announced his fifth major-label album What Is Life?, which was released on April 9, 2021. "Make a Life, Not a Living" debuted by setting a record as the most-added song at Canadian country radio in a single week ever. It later became his fourth career Number One at Canadian country radio, and his first song to chart in the top 50 of the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. Kissel won the "Fans' Choice" award at the 2021 Canadian Country Music Awards in November 2021.
2022–present: The Compass Project, Let Your Horses Run, and The Side You've Never Seen Tour In 2022, he released the single "Ain't the Same" with American vocal group 98 Degrees. Along with its follow-up single "Watch It", the song was included on Kissel's studio album The Compass Project - South Album, which was released on January 27, 2023. The entire box set saw Kissel release four different albums as part of The Compass Project in 2023. The South Album also included the single "Never Have I Ever", which was released in January 2023 alongside the official announcement of the project. The East Album was released on April 28, 2023. Kissel was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for outstanding contributions to the Province of Alberta in April 2023. In September 2023, he released the single "Two of Us" with American country artist Cooper Alan. Kissel released the West Album on November 3, 2023, and followed with the live North Album on December 1, 2023. The South Album received a nomination for Country Album of the Year at the 2024 Juno Awards."Junos 2024: full list of winners". CBC Music, March 23, 2024.
In May 2024, Kissel released the single "Let Your Horses Run". In the fall of 2024 and early 2025, Kissel embarked on his first acoustic tour across Canada, "The Side You've Never Seen Tour". He released his fourteenth album Let Your Horses Run – The Album on February 28, 2025. The album includes the singles "Two of Us", "Let Your Horses Run", "Another One", "Cowboys & Dreamers", and "Hurtin' Songs".
In April 2026, Kissel supported Lee Brice on his "Sunriser Tour" across Canada.
Personal life Brett Kissel married Cecilia Friesen in July 2011 in Edmonton, Alberta. They lived in Nashville, Tennessee for several years. In 2016, Cecilia gave birth to their first daughter. Over the next six years, she gave birth to their second daughter, and two sons. Kissel and his family now reside on his family farm in Northern Alberta. In December 2025, it was announced that the couple would be getting a divorce and had been separated for a year and a half. In the 2025 Canadian federal election, Kissel endorsed the Conservative Party of Canada; his song, "Our Home", was the Conservative campaign theme song.
Discography
Started with a Song (2013) Pick Me Up (2015) We Were That Song (2017) Now or Never (2020) What Is Life? (2021) The Compass Project (2023) Let Your Horses Run – The Album (2025)
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result 2006 Canadian Country Music Association Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award 2007 Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award 2014 Juno Awards Breakthrough Artist of the Year Country Album of the Year – Started with a Song Association of Country Music in Alberta Awards Rising Star Award Single of the Year Award – "Started with a Song" Canadian Country Music Association Male Artist of the Year Album of the Year – Started with a Song Single of the Year – "Started with a Song" Songwriter of the Year – "Started with a Song" CMT Video of the Year – "3-2-1" Interactive Artist of the Year 2015 Association of Country Music in Alberta Awards Male Artist of the Year Country Album of the Year – Started with a Song Single of the Year – "3-2-1" Canadian Country Music Association Male Artist of the Year Single of the Year – "3-2-1" Video of the Year – "Tough People Do" Interactive Artist of the Year 2016 Juno Awards Country Album of the Year – Pick Me Up Canadian Country Music Association Male Artist of the Year Interactive Artist of the Year Fan's Choice Award Single of the Year – "Airwaves" 2017Canadian Country Music Association Male Artist of the Year Single of the Year – "Cool With That" Video of the Year – "I Didn't Fall In Love With Your Hair" Songwriter of the Year – "Cool With That" (with Ted Hewitt, Phil O'Donnell) Interactive Artist or Group of the Year 2018Canadian Country Music Association Male Artist of the Year Fan's Choice Award Country Album of the Year – We Were That Song Video of the Year – "We Were That Song" Interactive Artist of the Year Western Canadian Music Awards Country Artist of the Year 2019 Juno Awards Country Album of the Year – We Were That Song Canadian Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Fans' Choice Award Interactive Artist of the Year Male Artist of the Year Songwriter of the Year – "Cecilia" (with Seth Mosley, Brad Rempel) Western Canadian Music Awards Country Artist of the Year 2020Canadian Country Music Association Album Of The Year - Now Or Never Entertainer Of The Year Fans' Choice Award Male Artist Of The Year Video Of The Year - "Drink About Me" 2021 Juno Awards of 2021 Single of the Year - "Drink About Me" 2021 Canadian Country Music Awards Album of the Year - What is Life? Entertainer Of The Year Fans' Choice Award Male Artist Of The Year Video Of The Year - "Make a Life, Not a Living" 2022Juno Awards of 2022 Country Album of the Year - What is Life? Single of the Year - "Make a Life, Not a Living" Canadian Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Fans' Choice Male Artist of the Year Single of the Year - "Make a Life, Not a Living" 2023 Canadian Country Music Association Fans' Choice Male Artist of the Year 2024 Juno Awards Country Album of the Year - The Compass Project - South Album Canadian Country Music Association Alternative Country Album of the Year - The Compass Project - West Album Musical Collaboration of the Year - "Two of Us" (with Cooper Alan) Video of the Year - "Two of Us" (with Cooper Alan) 2025 Juno Awards Country Album of the Year – The Compass Project - West Album Canadian Country Music Association Album of the Year - Let Your Horses Run - The Album Country Music Program or Special of the Year - A Kissel Country Christmas Fans' Choice Male Artist of the Year Single of the Year - "Let Your Horses Run" Video of the Year - "Let Your Horses Run" 2026 Juno Awards Country Album of the Year - Golden Child
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