Last night the winners in the CMC Music Awards 2011 were annoucned at a special event held at The Great Cask Hall, Hope Estate Winery in the Hunter Valley. 2011 was the first year that the annual CMC Oz Artist of the Year award was expanded into an award series and the winners of the four categories were voted entirely by CMC viewers.

Adam Brand's, position as one of Australia’s leading country music artists was solidified with him being crowned CMC Oz Artist of the Year for the fifth time in a row. Unable to attend the awards as he is in Nashville, Brand said that he was humbled to win the prestigious award again. “This award is the most special of all awards because it’s voted by the most important people in the world; the fans,” Brand said in a video acceptance.

Darling of country music, Taylor Swift was voted CMC International Artist of the Year. In a special video she thanked her Australian fans for their ongoing support and sent a message of encouragement to those who have been affected by the recent natural disasters in this country. Swift also hinted that she would be visiting Australia very soon.

Taking home CMC Music Video of the Year was Australian mega star Keith Urban for the video 'Til Summer Comes Around' from his fifth studio album Deying Gravity. Urban thanked his fans and CMC via a video acceptance.

Rising Australian stars, McAlister Kemp were awarded CMC New Oz Artist of the Year. The duo were scheduled to perform at the event, but had to pull out at the last minute after they were added to the Alan Jackson line up when Miranda Lambert cancelled her Australian tour earlier in the week due to illness.

The awards ceremony included performances by Canada’s Dean Brody and the evening’s hosts O'Shea. Guests included, Rob Hirst, The Sunny Cowgirls, Victoria Baillie, Amber Lawrence, channel host Steve Forde, Headline Country's Storme Warren and Jayne Denham.

Australia's Adam Brand is currently in the US launching his career over there and was recently interviewed at the CMA Awards in Nashville.

Check out the interview below...

The Finalists for the 2011 Country Music Awards of Australia (the "Golden Guitars") were announced in Sydney this morning.

Leading the tally at the event was Kasey Chambers scooping the pool with a total of seven nods for her Little Bird album includding Album of the Year and Female Artist of the Year.

Closely following was Australia's king of country Lee Kernaghan, with his Planet Country album earning him six finalist places including Album, Song, Single, Video of the Year.

Having recently picked up their first ARIA Award, The McClymonts  secured four finalist announcements for their Wrapped Up Good album.

And new artists McAlister Kemp and Luke Austen scored four nominations as well.

Other multiple finalists include Dianna Corcoran, Graeme Connors, Sara Storer and Adam Brand.

Click Here to see the full list of finalists

Adam Brand, whose new #1 ARIA Country album It's Gonna Be Ok has just been released is heading back to Australia for his two month Comin' Home Tour at the end of this year.  

Brand is updating Australian fans on a daily basis as to his activites in the US via his facebook page, where he is currently promoting his first single in that market.

ADAM BRAND TOUR DATES
1 December  Rooty Hill RSL, NSW
2 December Bathurst Panthers, NSW
3 December Dubbo RSL, NSW
4 December Katoomba RSL, NSW
5 December Goulburn Soldiers Club, NSW
8 December Keith Michell Theatre Port Pirie, SA
9 December Norwood Hotel, SA
10 December Ravenswood Hotel, WA
11 December Mundaring Wier Hotel, WA
12 December Quindanning Hotel, WA
17 December Warrnambool Entertainment Centre, VIC
18 December Colac RSL, VIC
19 December West Leagues Club New Lambton, NSW
31 December Andergrove Tavern, QLD
12 January Brolga Theatre Maryborough, QLD
13 January Caloundra RSL QLD
14 January Twin Towns, NSW
15 January Kedron-Wavell Services Club, QLD
20 January Wests, Tamworth, NSW
21 January Wests, Tamworth, NSW
25 January York on Lilydale, Mount Evelyn, VIC
26 January Regent Cinemas Ballarat, VIC
27 January Hallam Hotel, VIC
28 January Gateway Hotel Gellong, VIC
29 January Kinross Woolshed VIC

Adam Brand, currently on radio tour in the US, is releaing a new album on August 20 through Compass Bros Records titled It's Gonna Be Ok. Check out the title track and first single/music video from the new album. The fun clip features Adam's new wife Jade Brand (Hatcher).

Hit Country – Hits Of The Decade (2001 – 2010) features the best of the best! It’s a celebration of the last ten years of great country music globally.

Songs for this compilation have been selected on the basis of major chart success, music sales, industry awards and general impact on the music market.

With so many great artists recording so many great songs, the HitCountry.TV team's job of selecting the final 40 tracks was extremely tough!

We could have selected another 40 songs that could have been considered "Hits Of The Decade" but we could only fit 40 tracks on the two CDs, and the 40 on there are simply sensational! 

Country's biggest artists from the last decade from Australia and world are featured including Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Kasey Chambers, George Strait, The McClymonts, Adam Brand, Jasmine Rae, Beccy Cole, Melinda Schneider, Brad Paisley, Steve Forde, Sugarland, Brooks & Dunn and many many more.

The compilation is released on June 11, 2010.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1

1. Planet Country - Lee Kernaghan
2. Wrapped Up Good - The McClymonts
3. Born To Survive - Troy Cassar-Daley
4. You’ll Think Of Me - Keith Urban
5. Jesus Take The Wheel - Carrie Underwood
6. Like A River - Kasey Chambers
7. I Go Back - Kenny Chesney
8. Redneck Woman - Gretchen Wilson
9. Bring Me Down - Miranda Lambert
10. Believe - Brooks & Dunn
11. Beer For My Horses - Toby Keith (with Willie Nelson)
12. I’m A Road Hammer - The Road Hammers
13. Country Singer - Jasmine Rae
14. There’s No Limit - Deanna Carter
15. Alcohol – Brad Paisley
16. Best I Ever Had – Gary Allan
17. All Kinds Of Tough - McAlister Kemp
18. Moments – Emerson Drive
19. Stronger – Melinda Schneider
20. Poster Girl (Wrong Side Of The World) – Beccy Cole

Disc 2

1. Summer’s Little Angel - Steve Forde
2. Best Days Of Your Life - Kellie Pickler
3. Blame It On Eve - Adam Brand
4. In Colour - Jamey Johnson
5. What I Did Last Night - Catherine Britt
6. Beautiful Life - Doc Walker
7. What Was I Thinkin’ - Dierks Bentley
8. Austin - Blake Shelton
9. Stay - Sugarland
10. Tim McGraw - Taylor Swift
11. Fast Car - The Wilkinsons
12. I Saw God Today - George Strait
13. Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy - Big & Rich
14. Love Is A Beautiful Thing - Phil Vassar
15. I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack
16. Acting Stupid - The Sunny Cowgirls
17. What You Give Away – Vince Gill (featuring Sheryl Crow)
18. Song For The Old Rake - Paul Kelly & The Stormwater Boys
19. Boondocks - Little Big Town
20. Don’t Chase Me - Shea Fisher

You can buy the two CD compilation now at  

Australia's awards night for songwriters, the 2010 APRA Music Awards, will be held at the Sydney Convention Centre on Monday 21st June.

The nominees for all the catagories have been announced. The nominees for 'Country Work of the Year' are;

* Brooke McClymont - 'Kick It Up'  
* Adam Brand - 'Hell Of A Ride' 
* Steve Forde - 'I Ain't That Guy'  
* Troy Cassar-Daley - 'Big, Big Love'
* Brad Cole - 'Coming Home'.

Troy has also been nominated in the prestigious peer-voted 'Song of the Year' catagory for 'Big, Big Love'

Congrats to all the nominees. Click here for the full list of 2010 APRA Awards Nominees.  

Nashville based, Disney label Lyric Street Records, the home of Rascal Flatts, SHeDaisy, Josh Gracin, Sarah Buxton and Bucky Covington, is being shut down. 

The move is said to be a cost-cutting measure by the Disney Music Group.  

DMG chairman Bob Cavallo said in a statement, “The Lyric Street team has had an amazing run, building a slate of well-known artists including the superstar act, Rascal Flatts. But given the changing nature of the music business and the more streamlined priorities of the studios, we need to find alternative ways to create and market new artists and their music to consumers.”

Rascal Flatts will be continuing on to another Disney-run label with the Lyric Street promo team to continue working existing abllums in the interim. Lyric Street releases are distributed through Universal Music in Australia.

Meanwhile, long-time Sony Nashville boss Joe Galante is leaving the company. One of his last signings was Australian Adam Brand who is now with the label in the US. He also signed Australian Catherine Britt who released three singles with the label several years ago.  

Brisbane singer, songwriter and musician Brendan Radford heads the list of finalists for this year’s Queensland Country Music Awards, scoring a berth in four categories. He is a finalist for the Male Vocalist, Bush Ballad/Heritage, Instrumental and Vocal Collaboration categories – the last of them with Casey Watt.

Up and comer Harmony James, has made the finals in three categories: Female Vocalist, Bush Ballad/Heritage and Vocal Collaboration (with The Flood’s Kevin Bennett).

Artists who received two finals nominations include Shea Fisher (picutured), Troy Cassar-Daley, Dean Perrett, Jayson Watkins, The Bobkatz and The Smokin’ Crawdads.

Other major Australian stars are featured in the list of finalists include Lee Kernaghan, Adam Brand, James Blundell and Tania Kernaghan.

The 2010 Queensland Country Music Awards will be presented on Friday, 30 April as part of the Charters Towers Country Music Festival.

The Charters Towers Country Music Festival will take place over the Queensland May Day long weekend, from Friday, 30 April to Sunday, 2 May.

Adam Brand has won this year's AIR Award for Best Independent Country Album for Hell Of A Ride.

Brand was up against fellow Compass Bros label mates Kirsty Lee Akers' Better Days, James Blundell's Portrait Of A Man and Tania Kernaghan's Livin' The Dream.