Family sends Jess Moskaluke congratulations from Langenburg

Rhonda Moskaluke has watched the Canadian Country Music Awards over and over since it aired Sunday to see her daughter, Jess, present an award, perform with Canadian country star Paul Brandt, and be named female vocalist of the year for the second time.

“This year, again, for me as a mother, you just get excited, nervous and worried all at the same time,” Rhonda described on Monday afternoon.

Along with Jess’s grandparents, Rhonda watched the 2015 award show from their family home in Langenburg. Rhonda and her husband were with Jess at last year’s award when Jess was named female vocalist of the year for the first time. With the 2015 awards in Halifax, Rhonda says Jess understood why they wanted to watch this one on TV.

“(Last year’s awards were) just amazing. It was awesome. It was so neat to be there but that being said, we didn’t get to actually be with her.”

As Jess’s award was announced Sunday, Rhonda sent her daughter a quick text and video from the family as a congratulations.

“She just texts me, ‘Oh my god, mom’ … and little smiley faces.”

Rhonda says she’s very proud at how far her daughter’s career has come. Jess’s first award was more unexpected, Rhonda says, and has brought a lot of opportunities for the Saskatchewan singer.

One of those opportunities was teaming up with Paul Brandt – an artist Jess has been watching for years.

“Paul Brandt was the first concert she’d ever gone to. I had taken her as a younger girl,” Rhonda said. “To her, it’s just such a surreal thing that she gets to be doing things with Paul Brandt.”

With a new video released by Jess and Paul Brandt, another single “Kiss Me Quiet” on the way, and a tour, Rhonda says she knows her daughter will be very busy. But the mother is proud that her daughter has always been the “same old Jess”.

“I don’t think that will ever change … she’s just loving to be little-town Saskatchewan girl.”