THE COUNTRY Music Association of Australia (CMAA) and the Tamworth Regional Council have announced the finalists for the 2017 Country Music Awards of Australia – The Toyota Golden Guitar Awards.
This year, nominations for the awards increased by 20 percent on 2016 with the finalists demonstrating the great depth and variety of country music we have here in Australia.
“The finalists for the 2017 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards are a great mix of new faces and favourite country music artists,” CMAA chairman Dobe Newton said.
“And whilst it’s always good to see some familiar faces, the finalist’s announcement for 2017 has really opened up opportunities for our emerging artists and sets the stage for a very special evening in Tamworth on January 28 when the winners are announced.”
Nominated for six Golden Guitars, Travis Collins leads the finalist’s field with his album Hard Light. Travis is nominated for Album Of The Year, Male Artist Of The Year, Toyota Heritage Song Of The Year (Hometown Calling), CMC Video Clip Of The Year (Call Me Crazy), Single Of The Year (Just Another Girl) And APRA AMCOS Song Of The Year (Call Me Crazy).
Sara Storer leads the female finalists with five nominations including Album Of The Year, Female Artist Of The Year, Regional Australia Bank Vocal Collaboration Of The Year, Bush Ballad Of The Year And Toyota Heritage Song Of The Year.
The 2017 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards sees debut nominations for artists including The Weeping Willows with four nominations from their sophomore album Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’. The self- proclaimed ‘Americana Sweethearts’ are up for Alternative Country Album Of The Year, Country Music Capital News Group Or Duo Of The Year, Bluegrass Recording Of The Year (River Of Gold) and Qantaslink New Talent Of The Year.
Joining them in the Alternative Country Album Of The Year category are two more newcomers, Katie Brianna with her album Victim Or The Heroine and The Wilson Pickers with their album You Can’t Catch Fish From a Train. Fanny Lumsden (Qantaslink New Talent Of The Year, APRA AMCOS Song Of The Year and Single Of The Year), Justin Standley (Qantaslink New Talent Of The Year), Michael Waugh (Qantaslink New Talent Of The Year) and Lindsay Waddington (Instrumental Of The Year) are also nominated for their very first time.
With stellar individual careers and multiple Golden Guitar Awards between them, Bennett, Bowtell & Urquhart are a powerhouse combination and their self-titled album Bennett, Bowtell & Urquhart has also been nominated for five awards. The trio are hot contenders for Alternative Country Album Of The Year, Country Music Capital News Group Or Duo Of The Year, Toyota Hertiage Song Of The Year (Goulburn Valley Woman), Bluegrass Recording Of The Year (I Hear Them All), and APRA AMCOS Song Of The Year (Goulburn Valley Woman).
Kasey Chambers, Graeme Connors, Luke O’Shea and Kristy Cox have three finalist placings each. Chambers, with her song Ain’t No Little Girl and Connors with his song 60 Summers, will compete for APRA AMCOS Song Of The Year, CMC Video Clip Of The Year and Single Of The Year. Luke O’Shea is up For Album Of The Year (Caught Up In The Dreaming), Male Artist Of The Year Aad Toyota Heritage Song Of The Year (The Old Man’s Shed) and Cox will vie for Female Artist Of The Year, Alternative Country Album Of The Year and Bluegrass Recording Of The Year with her album Part Of Me that was produced by Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Jerry Salley.
Allan Caswell, Troy Cassar-Daley, Amber Lawrence, O’Shea and The Wolfe Brothers, have each landed two nominations and rounding out the awards with a single entry each is Doug Bruce, Kirsty Lee Akers, Seleen McAlister, Sunny Cowgirls, Warren H Williams & Dani Young, Adam Harvey, Anne Kirkpatrick, Catherine Britt, Dean Perrett, Graham Roger, Jeff Brown, Roo Arcus, Michael Fix, Mickey Pye, Stuie French, The Hillbilly Goats, Caitlyn Shadbolt, Runaway Dixie and Simply Bushed.
NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said the Tamworth Country Music Festival is recognised world-wide and attracts significant visitation to the state.
Toyota Australia executive director Tony Cramb said they were excited to be part of the awards again.
“The depth and calibre of the nominees, which includes a number of Toyota Star Makers is a great thing and we’re already looking forward to the big night,” he said.
The Golden Guitar Awards is the pinnacle event of the Toyota Country Music Festival in Tamworth and for the second year running fans can catch all the action live from Tamworth via http://www.tcmf.com.au/live.
The Tamworth Country Music Festival will be held from Friday, January 20 to Sunday, January 29 with the 45th Toyota Golden Guitar Awards on Saturday, January 28 at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Caught Up In The Dreaming – Luke O’Shea Producer: Luke O’Shea and Benjy Pocock
Silos – Sara Storer Producer: Matt Fell
This Crazy Life – The Wolfe Brothers Producer: Luke Wooten
Hard Light – Travis Collins Producer: Travis Collins
Things I Carry Around – Troy Cassar-Daley Producer: Troy Cassar-Daley
ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Bennett, Bowtell and Urquhart – Bennett, Bowtell & Urquhart Producer: Glen Hannah
Victim Or The Heroine – Katie Brianna Producer: Shane Nicholson
Part Of Me – Kristy Cox Producer: Jerry Salley
Before Darkness Comes A-Callin – The Weeping Willows Producer: Laura Coates and Andrew Wrigglesworth
You Can’t Catch Fish From A Train – The Wilson Pickers Producer: The Wilson Pickers
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
50 Years In Oz – Allan Caswell
Unsung A tribute to the songs of Buddy Bruce – Doug Bruce
Caught Up In The Dreaming – Luke O’Shea
Hard Light – Travis Collins
Things I Carry Around – Troy Cassar-Daley
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Happy Ever After – Amber Lawrence
Burn Baby Burn – Kirsty Lee Akers
Part Of Me – Kristy Cox
Silos – Sara Storer
Follow The Journey – Seleen McAlister
COUNTRY MUSIC CAPITAL NEWS GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
Bennett, Bowtell and Urquhart – Bennett, Bowtell and Urquhart
Here We Go – Sunny Cowgirls
Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’ – The Weeping Willows
This Crazy Life – The Wolfe Brothers
Desert Water – Warren H Williams and Dani Young
REGIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK VOCAL COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Bartender Blues – Adam Harvey Performers: Adam Harvey and Lyn Bowtell
Cheers to the Girls – Amber Lawrence Performers: Amber Lawrence with Catherine Britt and Fanny Lumsden
Orchid Street – Anne Kirkpatrick Performers: Anne Kirkpatrick and Jeff Brown
F U Cancer – Catherine Britt Performers: Catherine Britt with Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole, Lyn Bowtell, Josh Pyke, Wes Carr, and Wendy Matthews
My Diamond – Sara Storer Performers: Sara Storer and Greg Storer
BUSH BALLAD OF THE YEAR
A Truckie Up In Queensland – Allan Caswell Songwriters: Allan Caswell and Manfred Vijars
The Veteran – Dean Perrett Songwriters: Allan Caswell, Drew McAlister, Dean Perrett
Ghosts Of The Murranji – Graham Rodger Songwriter: Graham Rodger
God Given Rain – Jeff Brown Songwriter: Jeff Brown
Amazing Night – Sara Storer Songwriter: Sara Storer
TOYOTA HERITAGE SONG OF THE YEAR
Goulburn Valley Woman – Bennett, Bowtell and Urquhart Songwriter: Kevin Bennett
The Old Man’s Shed – Luke O’Shea Songwriters: Luke O’Shea and John Krsulja
Red, White and Blue – Roo Arcus Songwriter: Roo Arcus
Purple Cockies – Sara Storer Songwriter: Sara Storer
Hometown Calling – Travis Collins Songwriters: Travis Collins and Troy Kemp
INSTRUMENTAL OF THE YEAR
Twenty Five – Lindsay Waddington
Cosmopolitan Blues – Michael Fix
Buckle Up – Mickey Pye
Roundabout – Runaway Dixie
Song for Manaia – Stuie French
BLUEGRASS RECORDING OF THE YEAR
I Hear Them All – Bennett, Bowtell and Urquhart
Losing My Blues Tonight – Dean Perrett
Another Weary Mile – Kristy Cox
Cumberland Gap – The Hillbilly Goats
River Of Gold – The Weeping Willows
QANTASLINK NEW TALENT OF THE YEAR
Running In Circles – Caitlyn Shadbolt
Land Of Gold – Fanny Lumsden
Till The Buzzer Goes Off – Justin Standley
Heyfield Girl – Michael Waugh
River Of Gold – The Weeping Willows
APRA AMCOS SONG OF THE YEAR
Goulburn Valley Woman – Bennett, Bowtell and Urquhart Songwriter: Kevin Bennett
Land of Gold – Fanny Lumsden Songwriter: Fanny Lumsden
60 Summers – Graeme Connors Songwriter: Graeme Connors
Ain’t No Little Girl – Kasey Chambers Songwriter: Kasey Chambers
Call Me Crazy – Travis Collins Songwriters: Travis Collins and Damien Leith
CMC VIDEO CLIP OF THE YEAR
60 Summers – Graeme Connors Director: Ben Bishop, Tropical Exposure
Ain’t No Little Girl – Kasey Chambers Director: Duncan Toombs, Filmery
The Truth Walks Slowly (in the Countryside) – O’Shea Director: Mark O'Shea
Raise Your Glass – Simply Bushed Director: Duncan Toombs, Filmery
Call Me Crazy – Travis Collins Director: Duncan Toombs, Filmery
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Land of Gold – Fanny Lumsden
60 Summers – Graeme Connors
Ain’t No Little Girl – Kasey Chambers
The Truth Walks Slowly (in the Countryside) – O’Shea
Just Another Girl – Travis Collins
Rounding out the Top 5 top selling Australian country albums on the ARIA end of year Country Album chart are:
After the success of December’s Wish, Karly has developed the story of Seth Hunter and December Doyle. The couple began as teenage lovers who were torn apart by circumstance and a town’s prejudices. After more than a decade apart, they are reunited in the town they grew up in, Christmas Creek . They’re older and perhaps a little wiser, but the course of true love never runs smooth and such is the case in the relationship of Seth and December.
For something unique, Innocent Eve launched the EP on Cruisin’ Country 6 on November 18, although Rachel said the cruise was really an eight-day launch.
Faith from the US will only perform at the event in Tamworth, Mae Valley from New Zealand will perform at cocktails, the country music gala event and supporting Kirsty Lee Akers, fellow New Zealand artist Aly Cook will also be there, along with Canada’s Amy Nelson.
Bec Gracie Publicity 