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NASHVILLE – Leading into the largest Country Music festival
in the U.K. – C2C, Country to County – the Country Music Association announced
today the recipients of the organization’s International Awards.
“Advancing Country Music
around the world is at the very foundation of CMA’s mission,” said Sarah
Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Being able to acknowledge the
exhaustive efforts of our international and domestic colleagues outside of U.S.
borders is very rewarding and central to our strategic objective of growing the
business and developing new territories for Country Music.”
The timing of the announcement
coincides with the return of the CMA Songwriters Series tonight, and the third C2C London event (March 7-8), which is presented by AEG Europe and SJM Concerts
in association with the Country Music Association with more than 30,000 Country
Music fans expected to attend a weekend of live performances from the biggest
names in Country Music, alongside emerging artists from the U.K. and Europe.
CMA has been associated with C2C since the inaugural
event in 2013. CMA-sponsored activities this year include an acoustic performance
and “CMA Talk” with Sam Palladio,
the British actor and musician who plays “Gunnar” on the ABC Television Network
series “Nashville”; CMA screenings in Cineworld at The O2 of the CMA Songwriters
Series Public Television specials featuring Dierks Bentley and Lady Antebellum,
along with CMA’s own annual ABC special, 2014’s “CMA Music Festival: Country’s
Night to Rock”; autograph signings in the CMA booth in Town Square; and the
very popular return of the CMA Songwriters Series, which had its international debut in London in 2012.
CMA will present the CMA
Songwriters Series at indigo at The O2 in London tonight, hosted by Kix Brooks with Jessi
Alexander, Brandy Clark, Palladio, and Jon Randall.The
CMA Songwriters Series is now in its 11th season and showcases the
best of Country Music’s hit songwriters. The show presents songwriters and artists
together on stage, taking turns telling the stories behind their hits and performing
them acoustically as originally written.
“With so much attention on Country Music in this
burgeoning international marketplace, it was the perfect opportunity for us to
make these prestigious and highly-anticipated announcements,” Trahern said.
“These are the people on the frontline of advancing Country Music around the
globe and they are all deserving of these honors.”
C2C performers and three-time
CMA Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum helped break the good news by recording
individual messages for each of the winners. Award recipients in alphabetical order by category:
GLOBAL COUNTRY
ARTIST AWARD – Morgan Evans
The Global Country Artist Award recognizes outstanding
achievements by a Country Music artist originally signed outside of the United
States – in both furthering the popularity of Country Music and bringing attention
to the Country Music format in their foreign-based territory.
The winner of a record three Country
Music Channel Music Awards this year, Morgan Evans was recently
signed as a presenter, host, and ambassador for the Country Music Channel in Australia. He
has toured with Country superstars including Alan Jackson and Taylor Swift, as
well as headlining his own tours in Australia and New Zealand. Evans was
recently signed to William Morris Endeavour Agency.
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD – Brad Paisley
Formerly the International Touring Artist Award, the CMA International
Artist Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a U.S.-based artist
who contributes to the awareness and development of Country Music outside the United States.
Since being the recipient
of this award in 2011, Brad Paisley has remained dedicated to
including the international market place in his schedule. In 2014, he headlined
the C2C Festival in London and Dublin as well as recorded the special “Brad Paisley & Friends” for
BBC Radio 2 before going on to headline shows in Norway and Sweden.
INTERNATIONAL COUNTRY
BROADCASTER AWARD – Ricky Ross
The International Country Broadcast Award recognizes
outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside the U.S. who have made important
contributions to the development of Country Music in their country.
Singer/songwriter Ricky
Ross, who regularly visits Nashville, presents the BBC Radio Scotland’s
“Another Country.” With a mix of classics and new Country releases, Americana,
and alternative Country, he has won two Sony Radio Awards, the first in 2011 and
the second the following year.
JO WALKER-MEADOR AWARD – Scott Borchetta
Named for Country Music
Hall of Fame member and longtime Executive Director of CMA, the Jo Walker-Meador
Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual or company in advocating
and supporting Country Music’s marketing development in territories outside the United States.
As the founder and CEO
of Big Machine Records, Scott Borchetta has supported artist
development internationally early in artists’ careers. His philosophy has been
a major force in changing the perception of Country Music internationally. Borchetta
previously won the Jo Walker-Meador Award in 2012.
WESLEY ROSE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD – Bob Shennan
The Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award recognizes
outstanding achievements in the media, which contribute to the development of
Country Music outside the United States. Radio, TV, print journalists, authors,
editors, television writers, producers, and PR companies who reside outside the
United States are eligible to win this award.
Since Bob Shennan took over as Controller
of BBC Radio 2 in 2009, he has driven exposure opportunities and was instrumental
in bringing Country Music into the mainstream arena. Now Director of Music,
Shennan chairs the newly formed CMA U.K. Advisory Group and serves on the CMA Board of Directors.
CMA International Awards
are voted on by CMA International Membership as well as a panel of domestic U.S.-based industry.
Through honors such as
these and events including the international expansion of the CMA Songwriters
Series (Belfast, Dublin, London, Paris) and involvement in the popular C2C concerts
since 2013, CMA seeks to recognize and empower its international membership and
Country Music fans globally. |
