CHUCK CUSIMANO, JONI HARMS AND BILLY MATA
RECEIVE MOST AWARDS NOMINATIONS FROM ACADEMY OF WESTERN ARTISTS
AWA Organization Releases Top Five Nominations For Music Awards Winners
Plus Winners in Western Artists and Gear Maker Award Categories
Chuck
Cusimano, Joni Harms and Billy Mata received the most nominations from
the Academy of Western Artists, who announced the organizations’ top
five nominees in 17 music categories this week.
Cusimano
received four nods — Pure Country Male, Pure Country Album for “The
Collection #2”, Pure Country Duo/Group with DeeJee Overbey and Western
Swing Song for “My Heart Is Back In Texas.”
Harms
received three nods — Female Western Artist, Western Album for “Lucky
13” and Western Music Song for “Horse Sense.” Mata also received three
nominations – Western Swing Male, Western Swing Duo/Group with Texas Tradition and Western Swing Album with Texas Tradition for “This is Tommy Duncan #3.”
The 23RD
annual Academy of Western Artists awards show and dinner will be held
on Thursday, March 14, at the Brown Lupton Ballroom on the campus of
Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas at 6 p.m.
The
AWA recognizes entertainers in Western, Western Swing and Pure Country
music categories. The organization also recognizes the authors, cowboy
poets, cartoonists, radio personalities and men and women who work in
the arts side of the west, including saddle makers, bootmakers and bit
and spur makers.
This
is the only awards show that presents awards in multiple genres of
music, as well as awards to artisans who are a part of the culture that
the singers and songwriters write and sing about.
A complete list of the top five nominees in the music categories follow:
MUSIC AWARDS
Emily George
Hailee Nixon
Abby Payne
Jack Phillips
Leah Sawyer
PURE COUNTRY MALE
Will Banister
Chuck Cusimano
Steve Griggs
Richard Lynch
Scott Southworth
PURE COUNTRY FEMALE
Lorraine Chavana
Tara Dunphy
Teea Goans
Lisa Layne
Leslie Tom
PURE COUNTRY DUO/GROUP
Steve Griggs Band
Richard Lynch Band
Heybale
Jeff Woolsey/Dancehall Kings
Chuck Cusimano/DeeJee Overbey
PURE COUNTRY ALBUM
Tim Atwood – “Living The Dream”
Chuck Cusimano – “The Collection #2”
Teresa Farris – “Teresa Farris”
Bobby Marquez – “The Cowboy Way”
Scott Southworth – “Hey Hillbilly Singer”
PURE COUNTRY SONG
Teea Goans – “A Way To Survive”
Dennis Ledbetter – “JDs My Whiskey, Not My Name”
Leslie Tom/Dean Miller – “Are You Ready For Some Hanky Panky”
Lonnie Spiker – “The First To Say Goodbye”
Bobby Marquez/Rhonda Vincent – “For Awhile”
WESTERN SWING MALE
Garry Ash
Doug Boggs
Billy Mata
Rich Norcross
Carlos Washington
WESTERN SWING FEMALE
Susie Blue
Cheryl Deseree
Carolyn Martin
Taryn Noelle
LeeLee Robert
WESTERN SWING DUO/GROUP
Brady Bowen/Swing Country
Light Crust Doughboys
Susie Blue/Lonesome Fellas
Rick/All Star Ramblers
Billy Mata/TexasTradition
WESTERN SWING ALBUM
Cheryl Deseree – “Dreamy”
Carolyn Martin – “Wild West Texas Wind”
Rick & All Star Ramblers – “Taryn Noelle Swings”
LeeLee Robert – “Swing Set”
Billy Mata/Texas Tradition – “This is Tommy Duncan #3”
WESTERN SWING SONG
Don Walker – “Barnyard Swing”
Chuck Cusimano – “My Heart Is Back In Texas”
Carolyn Martin – “You Can’t Take Texas Out Of The Girl”
Taryn Noelle – “Swing On The Range”
Steel Horse Swing – “Swing Time Baby”
INSTRUMENTALIST
Rory Hoffman
Hyram Posey
Rose Sinclair
Hank Singer
Joe Spivey
WESTERN MUSIC MALE
Rex Allen Jr.
Bob Corley
Doug Figgs
Bob Marshall
Barry Ward
WESTERN MUSIC FEMALE
Dawn Anita Plumlee
Devon Dawson
Joni Harms
Kristyn Harris
Mary Kaye
WESTERN MUSIC DUO/ GROUP
High Country Cowboys
Hanson Family
Sawyer Family
Devon And Outlaw
Many Strings
WESTERN MUSIC ALBUM
Gary Alegretto – “Blues On The Trail”
Mike Blakely – “The Outside Circle”
Ron Christopher – “Outside The Fence”
Joni Harms – “Lucky 13”
Carol Markstrom – “Desert Rose”
WESTERN MUSIC SONG
Ron Christopher – “Line In The Sand”Joni Harms – “Horse Sense”
Tony Messerely – “Ridin’ By The Light Of The Moon”
Dawn Anita Plumlee – “Down On Wildhorse Creek”
Rich Price – “Cowboy’s Cowboy”
AWARD WINNERS – WESTERN ARTISTS AND GEAR MAKERS
(These awards will be presented during the awards show and dinner)
ARTIST –Shawn Cameron, Wyoming
CARTOONIST– Kristen Lloyd, Utah
BIT/SPURMAKER –Bill Madole, Oklahoma
ENGRAVER –Matt Litz, Texas
BRAIDER –Bret Haskett, Idaho
HITCHER –Donna Murray, Canada
BOOTMAKER –Dave Wheeler, Texas
SADDLEMAKER –Ken Tipton, Nevada
DON KING MEMORIAL SADDLEMAKER –Pete Gorrell, Hawaii
GARNET BROOKS CHUCKWAGON– Keith Middleton, Texas
MASTER LEATHER ARTISAN –Tony Laier, Colorado
BUCK RAMSEY COWBOY AWARD –Gail Steiger, Arizona
BUCK RAMSEY COWGIRL AWARD –Amy Auker, Arizona
RADIO STATION –San Saba Radio (SanSabaradio.com)
DISC JOCKEY –Sean Hickey “Western Red,” Host, creator of “If That Ain’t Country,” The Rooster 105.5, Fort Smith, Arkansas
TICKET INFORMATION
Individual
tickets are $75, which includes dinner and show. Tables of eight may be
purchased for $750. All individual tickets are for open seating.
Tickets purchased after February 1 will be $100. No tickets will be sold
after March 8. Purchasers will receive confirmation, but all tickets
will be held at the door for pickup. Tickets can be purchased through www.AWAAwards.org.
Dinner will be at 6 p.m. The Awards show will start at 7 p.m.