ENGAGE Earns 11 Nods at Josie Music Awards and ISSA Awards
The new single arrives ahead of the band's upcoming album THE MASTER PLAN.
Roots rock band ENGAGE, based in Maugerville, New Brunswick, has released a new single titled UNBATTERED, the lead track from an upcoming album called THE MASTER PLAN. The release coincides with the announcement that the band has received five nominations at the 12th Annual Josie Music Awards and six nominations at the International Singer Songwriters Association Awards, bringing its total to 11 nominations across the two ceremonies.
At the ISSA Awards, the band earns two nominations as a group, for Band of the Year and Band Single of the Year for 'Unbattered,' while frontwoman Carla Bonnell picks up four individual nominations of her own, for Female Vocalist of the Year, Female Songwriter of the Year, Musician of the Year, and Sound Engineer of the Year. The ISSA Awards ceremony takes place in Atlanta on August 22, 2026.
That Sound Engineer of the Year nomination carries its own story. Bonnell has spent the past year learning sound engineering under the mentorship of longtime collaborator Jim Zolis of Zolis Audio, and she took the engineering reins herself on 'Unbattered,' with Zolis handling the mix and master. It marks a new dimension to Bonnell's role in the band, adding hands on production skill to her work as vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter.
Written by Bonnell, 'Unbattered' captures the same clarity and conviction that has carried Engage's music since the band's formation in 2020. Bonnell, a SOCAN member recently inducted into the New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame with a gala set for October 17 in Fredericton, brings a direct, unflinching voice to the track. 'I'm not the girl you shattered,' she sings, 'I am the one that remains unbattered, and I will rise for another round,' lines that carry the ease of an artist writing from a place of full command.
The Josie Music Awards nominations place Engage among a field selected from more than 101,000 submissions worldwide, with the ceremony set for Sunday, September 20 at the historic Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. The evening follows a full day of programming on September 19 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, where the JMA Music Conference brings together education, performances, and industry networking ahead of the main event.
Musically, 'Unbattered' finds the band, Bonnell alongside Rick Bartlett on guitar and vocals, Vernon Daigle on bass, and Greg Mansfield on drums and percussion, working in a warm, grounded register that gives the song's message room to land. Bartlett's own vocal talents have also drawn fresh recognition this year, winning Best Male Artist/Vocalist at the Itisnow Radio 2026 Music Awards this past spring, a testament to the depth of talent within the band's lineup.
The recognition builds on a catalogue that has steadily grown since Engage's debut. The band's first album, 'The Time Has Come,' earned a Bronze Award for Band Album of the Year at the International Singer Songwriters Association, while its follow up, 'Master Plan: Side 'EH,'' brought further nominations that set the stage for this year's wider recognition. 'Unbattered' and the coming release of 'The Master Plan' arrive as the clearest signal yet of a band whose songwriting and stagecraft continue to deepen with each release.
Even as they celebrate this wave of nominations, Engage are already looking ahead. The band recently laid down 3 tracks for their third studio album, continuing a steady pace of writing and recording that shows no signs of slowing down.
With awards season now underway and 'The Master Plan' on the way, Engage enter the fall with more momentum, and more eyes on them, than at any point in the band's history.
The Josie Music Awards nominations for ENGAGE include categories such as Album of the Year Folk/Americana (Duo/Group), Group of the Year Folk/Americana, and EP of the Year, according to the announcement.
