TAMWORTH, Australia (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Finalists have been announced for the 2011 Australian Country Music People’s Choice Awards to be announced in Tamworth next month.
This year, organisers have extended the number of finalists in each category to 10 rather than the customary five.
“For these Awards, we have had an enormous number of votes,” said Awards spokesman Bob Kirchner. “This is a very positive reflection on how fans feel about having a say in giving their favorite artists recognition. Once again, most of the votes have been cast on line, an ever increasing proportion which demonstrates the importance of the Internet in such processes. And I would say in this process there would be very few of Australia’s many country music artists and dedicated country music broadcasters and radio stations who didn’t rate a mention! Because there were so many votes for such a wide cross-section, it would have been unfair to restrict the finalist exposure to only five in each category.”
Finalists:
Best Female Vocal – Catherine Britt, Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole, Dianna Corcoran, Bec Hance, Tracy Killeen, Amber Lawrence, Jacqui Ryan, Melinda Schneider and Felicity Urquhart.
Best Male Vocal – Adam Brand, Troy Cassar-Daley, Col Finley, Adam Harvey, Dale Hooper, Lee Kernaghan, Jason Lee, Markus Meier, Graham Rodger and John Williamson.
Best Group or Duo – Brothers 3, Carter & Carter, Jetty Road, Jonah’s Road, McAlister Kemp, The McClymonts, The Prairie Oysters, The Robertson Brothers, Simply Bushed and The Sunny Cowgirls.
Best Song – A Memory (written by Jason Lee & Lynda Barnes, recorded by Jason Lee), Don’t Come Over ‘Til I’m Over You (written by Andrew Cochrane & Simon Boyce, recorded by Col Finley), It Don’t Buy You Love (written by Drew McAlister & Mike Carr, recorded by McAlister Kemp), It’s Gonna Be OK (written and recorded by Adam Brand), Love In The Time Of Drought (written by Lee Kernaghan & Garth Porter, recorded by Lee Kernaghan), Rope A Cowgirl (written by Markus Meier & Garth Porter, recorded by Markus Meier), Surly Shirley (written by Paul Grierson & Chris Rieger, recorded by Simply Bushed), Tuppence Ha’penny (written and recorded by Graham Rodger), Where The Eagles Fly (written by A Fahey & Sharydn, recorded by Brothers 3) and World Keeps Turning (written and recorded by Jetty Road).
Best Album – A Different Land by Markus Meier, All Kinds Of Tough by McAlister Kemp, Better Late Than Never by Jason Lee, It’s Gonna Be OK by Adam Brand, Look At The Time by Simply Bushed, Paradise by Col Finley, Planet Country by Lee Kernaghan, Shadows Across The Room by Graham Rodger, Stop The World And Let Me Off by Dale Hooper and Where The Eagles Fly by Brothers 3.
Best Bush Ballad – The Cooper Coming Down (written and recorded by Graham Rodger), Droving Cattle With The Boys (written by Tania Kernaghan & Fiona Kernaghan, recorded by Tania Kernaghan), Hittin’ The Murray (written and recorded by David Baldi), I’ll See Ya (written by Paul Grierson & Chris Rieger, recorded by Simply Bushed), Kings Without A Crown (written by Ray Rose, recorded by Tom Maxwell), Leaving Home Now (written by A Fahey, recorded by Brothers 3), Little Piece Of Heaven (written and recorded by Kathy Coleman), Love In The Time Of Drought (written by Lee Kernaghan & Garth Porter, recorded by Lee Kernaghan), Memories Of Tent Hill (written by Rachel Jillett & Evan Jillett, recorded by Rachel Jillett) and The Roaring Days (written and recorded by Markus Meier).
Most Promising Future Star – Luke Austen, Chelsea Basham, Brothers 3, Katrina Burgoyne, Kristal Collins, Tori Darke, Johanna Hemara, Jason Lee, Markus Meier and Jacqui Ryan.
Best Video Clip – Don’t Come Over Til I’m Over You by Col Finley, Ghost by Katrina Burgoyne, It’s Gonna Be OK by Adam Brand, Plenty Of Fish by Gemma Luxton, Rope A Cowgirl by Markus Meier, Surly Shirley by Simply Bushed, Up The Creek by Jason Lee, Waters From The Devil by Graham Rodger, Where The Eagles Fly by Brothers 3 and You Had Me From Hello by Dale Hooper.
The Australian Country Music People’s Choice Awards also recognize popularity in country music broadcasting with two awards.
Finalists for Most Popular Country Music DJ are Bill Beerens of the Community Broadcasting Association’s “Good Morning Country”, Larry Cann of KIX Country, Carter Edwards of the Super Radio Network, Nick Erby of Country Music Radio Online and the Country Tracks Countdown, Dusty Fraser of 98.9 FM Brisbane, Dean Mackin of Cool Country 2KA Sydney, George Reid of 2KKR 98.7 FM Kandos-Rylstone in NSW, Wally Sparrow of “Country Brekky” on Radio Adelaide, Cameron Syrett of Cool Country 2KA and Felicity Urquhart of the ABC’s “Saturday Night Country”.
Most Popular Country Music Radio Station or Program – 100.1 FM Curtin Radio’s “Born In Boots” (Perth, WA), 2CHR 96.5 FM (Cessnock, NSW), 2KRR 98.7 FM (Kandos-Rylstone, NSW), 98.9 FM (Brisbane), ABC “Saturday Night Country”, Carter Edwards on the Super Radio Network, Cool Country 2KA (Sydney, NSW), “Good Morning Country”, KIX Country and Today’s Country 94.1 (Central Coast, NSW).
Winners of 2011 Australian Country Music People’s Choice Awards will be announced at a gala presentation function at 7pm Thursday, January 20 at the Coca-Cola concert venue in Hands of Fame Park at the corner of Kable Avenue and Brisbane Streets, Tamworth.