CHUCK CUSIMANO, JONI HARMS AND BILLY MATA RECEIVE MOST AWARDS NOMINATIONS FROM ACADEMY OF WESTERN ARTISTS

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

YOUNG ARTIST

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.

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