MUSIC lovers can relive the excitement of the 2015 Country Music Awards of Australia when they return home from Tamworth, with the event being televised for the first time since 2011.
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After a gap of four years, television cameras will capture the magic of the event, with the awards televised in February across regional Australia on Channel 11 via Southern Cross Ten.
Toyota has also become the naming rights sponsor for the awards and concert presentation on January 24.
Now in its 43rd year, the Country Music Awards of Australia is the nation’s longest-running music awards concert.
Country Music Association of Australia vice-chairman Roger Corbett said the organisation was excited about the collaboration with the companies.
“The partnership will take the awards to more Australians than ever before and that’s exciting,” he said.
Southern Cross Ten will televise the awards presentation and concert through its regional Channel 11 networks.
Toyota Australia sales and marketing executive director Tony Cramb said the sponsorship was the company’s way of thanking those who had supported the brand.
The company is already celebrating 20 years of support for Star Maker, a highlight event of the annual Tamworth Country Music Awards.
Mr Cramb said Toyota was proud to extend its support to the event, which complemented its broader support of country music.
Festival director John Sommerlad said the televising of the event would not cause interruptions to the concert or awards presentations.
“In 2015, the Golden Guitars – the Country Music Awards of Australia – will once again be a fast-paced concert made up of the cream of country music,” he said.
“You will see special performances that you won’t see anywhere else.”
Kasey Chambers and Luke O’Shea head up the list of Golden Guitar finalists, named in six categories each, with John Williamson and Adam Harvey in a close second behind them with five finalist placings each.
Dean Perrett is a finalist in four categories, and with three each are The McClymonts, Troy Cassar-Daley, Lyn Bowtell, Kristy Cox, Harmony James and McAlister Kemp.
International superstar Keith Urban, who is a former winner of Star Maker, has scored a finalist berth in two categories – Single of the Year and Video Clip of the Year.
Two Golden Guitar awards have already been presented – when the finalists were announced in Sydney – which were for Top-Selling International Album of the Year, which went to Dolly Parton for Blue Smoke, and the Sanity Top-Selling Australian Album of the Year, which was won by The McClymonts for Here’s To You & I.
The Country Music Awards of Australia will be held at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre on January 24 and seen on televisions across regional Australia in February.
