CMA AND JOE NICHOLS PRESENT TWO INTERNATIONAL AWARDS IN AUSTRALIA
NASHVILLE – The CMC Rocks the Hunter 2011 Country Music festival in New South Wales, Australia served as the backdrop for two CMA International Award presentations last weekend (March 5-6). Event performer and 2003 CMA Horizon Award winner Joe Nichols; event co-producer and CMA Board member Rob Potts of Rob Potts Entertainment Edge; and event host and CMA Board member Storme Warren of GAC’s “Headline Country” presented the CMA Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award to Cheryl Byrnes, Manager of Country Music Capital News, and the CMA International Country Broadcast Award to Larry Cann, Director and On-Air Announcer for the Fairfax KIX Country Radio Network.
The CMA Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievements in 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. It is named after a founding member of CMA who served as the trade association’s first Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The CMA International Country Broadcast Award recognizes outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside the United States who have made important contributions toward the development of Country Music in their country.
“It’s truly a great honor to receive this Award, which acknowledges my role with Country Music Capital News – Australia’s only monthly Country Music magazine,” said Byrnes. “Industry recognition within Australia is not such a regular occurrence so receiving the Wesley Rose Award from CMA validates all that I do personally within the Country Music industry — and I’m truly grateful. The promotion of Country Music — to and from Australia — is so exciting and one I enjoy being a part of. It’s such a thrill to have international artists tour Down Under as it excites existing fans, creates new fans, and can raise the bar for our local industry.”
Born in Tamworth (Australia’s Country Music capital), Byrnes is the daughter of the late “Gentleman” Geoff Brown, one of the pioneers of the city’s Country Music scene. Throughout her career, she has been involved in Country Music having worked with the Capital Country Music Association, Radio 2TM, BAL Marketing, Max Ellis Marketing, CMAA, and The Pub Management. She is currently employed with Rural Press Events as Manager of Country Music Capital News and Coordinator of Toyota Star Maker.
“Thank you to CMA,” said Cann. “It’s so wonderful to be recognized internationally at the KIX Radio Network for all our work over the years in Country Music in Australia.”
Cann grew up on a farm in Chinchilla, Queensland, Australia before pursuing an international career as a professional bull rider and bareback bronc rider. He entered the radio profession in 1997 as a part-time broadcaster on KCTR in Billings, Montana while still competing in rodeos in the United States. Cann returned to Australia in 1999 with a dream to develop the Country Music format on radio in his home country. Four years later, he started programming what is now known as the Fairfax KIX Country Radio Network. Currently, the Network encompasses 30 repeater stations from their hub in Queensland into New South Wales and Victoria with a broadcast population nearing two million radio listeners.
Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award winners
1990 Mark Cooper, BBC TV, UK
1991 Richard Wootton, Byworth Wootton, UK
1992 Wally Whyton, BBC Radio 2, UK
1993 Tony Byworth, Byworth Wootton, UK
1994 Avril MacRory, BBC Television, UK
1995 Georges Lang, RTL, Luxembourg
1996 Mark Hagen, VH-1, UK
1997 BBC Radio 2, UK
1998 The Midday Show, Australia
1999 Trevor Dann, BBC Music Entertainment, UK
2000 Gill Robert, MusicCountry, Australia/Pacific Rim
2001 Howard Bowles, HSB Media, UK
2002 CMT Canada
2003 Country Music People, UK
2004 Terry Wogan and Paul Walters, UK
2005 Country Gazette, The Netherlands
2006 Tim Daley, CMC, Australia
2007 Alan Cackett, UK
2008 Roger Ryan, Ireland
2009 Al Booth, BBC Radio 2, UK
2010 Cheryl Byrnes, Country Music Capital News, Australia
CMA International Country Broadcast Award Winners
1997 Nick Erby, Australia
1997 Walter Fuchs, Germany
1997 John Laws, Australia
1998 Lloyd Coles, Wales
1998 Ruud Hermans and Jan de Jong, The Netherlands
1998 Kirsten Helm Petersen, Denmark
1999 Country FM, the Netherlands
1999 Trevor Smith, Australia
1999 Dieter Vulpus and Bernd Schroeder, Germany
2000 Dick Barrie, Scotland
2000 Thomas Jeier, Germany
2000 Korneliusz Pacuda, Poland
2001 Nick Barraclough, UK
2001 Gary Beattie, Australia,
2001 Bill Black, Scotland
2002 David Allan, UK
2002 Stuart Cameron, Scotland
2003 Pat Geary, Scotland
2003 John Laws, Australia
2003 Johnnie Walker, UK
2004 Bob Harris, UK
2004 Trevor Campbell, Northern Ireland
2004 Nikos Gravelas, Greece
2005 The Odd Squad
2005 Ray Hadley
2005 Bryan Burnett
2006 Ian Holland, Australia
2006 Helen MacPherson, Scotland
2006 Tim Rogers
2007 Nick Erby, Australia
2007 Jackie-Rae Greening, Candada
2007 George Lang, France
2008 John Bond, Australia
2008 Joe Fish, UK
2008 Pio McCann, Ireland
2009 Casey Clarke, Canada
2009 Grant Goldman, Australia
2009 Brian Clough, UK
2010 Allan Watkiss, Great Britain
2010 Larry Cann, Australia