Surrey-based musician Tyler Joe Miller is the winner of $25,000 as top performer in .

He鈥檒l also be flown to Nashville with SOCAN for a week-long songwriting trip, among other music-related prizes.

鈥淗oly smokes!! I don鈥檛 even know what to say! It鈥檚 still sinking in that I WON Top Of The Country last night!鈥� Miller , from London, Ont., during Canadian Country Music Week and awards.

He thanked the contest hosts, fellow contest entrants and his record label, MDM Recordings.

鈥淭hanks to my band for putting in the hard work to put on a kickass show with me, couldn鈥檛 do it without ya, this is all of our win,鈥� Miller added.

His bio and song video are posted to .

鈥淭yler Joe Miller continues on his path in Canadian country music with the release of his debut EP Sometimes I Don鈥檛, But Sometimes I Do and the rise of his current single 鈥楽ometimes I Do鈥�,鈥� the bio says. 鈥淗is gold-certified debut single, 鈥楶illow Talkin鈥欌�� earned him his first #1 hit, while follow-up track 鈥業 Would Be Over Me Too鈥� made him the first independent Canadian country artist to reach #1 with their first two singles.鈥�

Miller was born in Surrey and first played in a band before he took a break from music for several years. During his time off, he began doing humanitarian work.

Miller now lives in the Cloverdale area, years after graduating from Frank Hurt Secondary in Newton.

Along with Miller, the seven other finalists in SiriusXM鈥檚 Top of the Country competition were Don Amero (based in Winnipeg), Raquel Cole (Vernon), Carolina East (South River, NL), Nate Haller (Toronto), Brittany Kennell (Beaconsfield, QC), Kalsey Kulyk (Hudson Bay, SK) and Kelly Prescott (Almonte, ON).

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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