Released this Friday October 21... Hit Country 2012 is the year’s ultimate Hit Country compilation release on CD and DVD. It features 22 of the year’s biggest country music hits from Australia and the world, plus a massive 28 music videos from your favourite country stars!

Included are recent chart topping hits from international superstars Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Ronnie Dunn, Brad Paisley, Doc Walker, Miranda Lambert, Joe Nichols and Emerson Drive as well as hits from the cream of the crop locally, including Kasey Chambers, The McClymonts, Jasmine Rae, Catherine Britt, Steve Forde, Shane Nicholson and McAlister Kemp. Hits and music videos from Australia’s best emerging talent are also included.

CD - 1. Honey Bee – Blake Shelton 2. Bleed Red – Ronnie Dunn 3. Little Bird – Kasey Chambers 4. Hunky Country Boys – Jasmine Rae 5. Am I The Only One – Dierks Bentley 6. Old Alabama – Brad Paisley 7. Hard Work – McAlister Kemp 8. Sweet Emmylou – Catherine Britt 9. From A Table Away – Sunny Sweeny 10. Songs Like This – Carrie Underwood 11. The Shape I’m In – Joe Nichols 12. Bad Machines – Shane Nicholson 13. Coming Home – Doc Walker 14. Let Your Love Speak – Emerson Drive 15. Tomorrow – Chris Young 16. A Woman Is A Flame – The McClymonts 17. This – Darius Rucker 18. Trail In Life – Dean Brody 19. What He Did To Me – Shea Fisher 20. How Long – Steve Forde 21. Girls In The Summertime – Peter McWhirter 22. West Australian Woman – Corey Colum

DVD - 1. Honey Bee – Blake Shelton 2. Bleed Red – Ronnie Dunn 3. Little Bird – Kasey Chambers 4. Hunky Country Boys – Jasmine Rae 5. Am I The Only One – Dierks Bentley 6. Old Alabama – Brad Paisley 7. Hard Work – McAlister Kemp 8. Sweet Emmylou – Catherine Britt 9. From A Table Away – Sunny Sweeny 10. The Shape I’m In – Joe Nichols 11. Bad Machines – Shane Nicholson 12. Coming Home – Doc Walker 13. Let Your Love Speak – Emerson Drive 14. Tomorrow – Chris Young 15. A Woman Is A Flame – The McClymonts 16. Trail In Life – Dean Brody 17. How Long – Steve Forde 18. Is That So Wrong – Julianne Hough 19. Playing The Part – Jamey Johnson 20. If I Die Young – The Band Perry 21. In Spite Of Ourselves – Kirsty Akers w/ Bob Evans 22. A Perfect Night – Markus Meier 23. I Wasn’t Gonna Cry – Katrina Burgoyne 24. Jetty Road – Serves You Right 25. Walked In Leaving – Victoria Baillie 26. This - Darius Rucker 27. Girls In The Summertime – Peter McWhirter 28. West Australian Woman – Corey Colum

Carrie Underwood has now completed her first Australian visit following a week of national television performances, fan meet and greets and a special showcase in Sydney.

Underwood was forced to ride a bus from Melbourne to Sydney becasue of the volcanic ash issues with domestic flights, however that didn't stop her completing all her engagements.

Following the tour, Carrie Underwood's last album Play On has jumped to the top of the ARIA Country Charts in Australia.

Check out Carrie's performance of her hit single 'Undo It' at the Sydney Showcase.

American superstar Carrie Underwood has announced she will visit Australia for the first time in June 2011. She is one of the biggest names in music today and a top selling female touring artist with an immense list of awards including 5 GRAMMY Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 6 People’s Choice Awards, 10 Academy of Country Music Awards, 5 Country Music Association Awards, and more.  She is also a recent Golden Globe Award nominee, a prestigious member of the Grand Ole Opry, and makes her acting debut in the critically-acclaimed film Soul Surfer, which opens in cinemas nationally on May 26. 

Carrie’s Australian visit will launch mid June and will undertake a full promotional schedule including a special showcase performance in Sydney.  She also plans to enjoy some down time and take in some of the local highlights. 

"I am really looking forward to my first trip to Australia. I can't wait to meet my fans down under, and hope to make some new fans too!  I’ve always dreamed of playing in Australia, and hope to have time to explore some of the sights this amazing country has to offer!” said Carrie of her forthcoming trip. 

With millions of fans worldwide, Underwood has achieved remarkable success since winning the fourth season of American Idol, becoming one of the most successful artists to come from the Idol franchise anywhere in the world.  She has released three critically-acclaimed albums, achieving a total of 13 #1 singles.  Her latest CD, Play On debuted at #1 in the US and has sold over 2 million copies, bringing her career album sales total to 13 million.

Play On: Deluxe Edition will be released on June 10 through Sony Music Australia. The Deluxe Edition features the current album plus an additional CD of six of her previous #1 singles, along with a cover of Motley Crue’s 'Home Sweet Home' which has never been released on CD anywhere in the world.

Source: Sony Music Australia.  

With prime time country music television specials and events proving so popular in the US, the FOX network introduced their very own American Country Awards this year and they were held today in Las Vegas. While unlikely to updtage the CMA Awards anytime soon, the event provided country music in the US with another opportunity to showcase their artists across the nation. The event was hosted by Trace Adkins.

The big winners on the night were Carrie Underwood with six wins (including "Artist of the Year") and new-comer Easton Corbin with three wins.

CMC will air the event in Australia on December 10. Check out some red carpet shots!

And the winners were...

Artist of the Year: Carrie Underwood
Artist of the Year: Male: Brad Paisley
Artist of the Year: Female: Carrie Underwood
Artist of the Year - Duo or Group: Lady Antebellum 
Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artist: Easton Corbin 
Album of the Year: Play On, Carrie Underwood
Single of the Year: 'Need You Now,' Lady Antebellum
Single of the Year: Male: “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” Josh Turner
Single of the Year: Female: 'Cowboy Casanova,' Carrie Underwood
Single of the Year: Duo or Group: 'Need You Now,' Lady Antebellum
Single of the Year: Breakthrough Artist: 'Little More Country Than That,' Easton Corbin
Touring Headline Package of the Year: Carrie Underwood
Music Video of the Year: 'Hillbilly Bone,' Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins
Music Video: Male: 'Hillbilly Bone,' Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins
Music Video: Female: 'Cowboy Casanova,' Carrie Underwood
Music Video: Duo or Group: 'Need You Now,' Lady Antebellum
Music Video: Breakthrough Artist: 'A Little More Country Than That,' Easton Corbin
Greatest Hits Award: Alan Jackson
Decade Award: Rascal Flatts Video Visionary Award: Toby Keith

The 38th Annual American Music Awards have just completed in the US. The country catagory award winners were:

* Country Band, Duo or Group - Lady Antebellum (pictured above)
* Country Album - Carrie Underwood, Play On
* Country Female Artist - Taylor Swift
* Country Male Artist - Brad Paisley

Photo provided by the US Country Music Association

The world is gearing up for the Grammys of Country Music... the 44th CMA Awards. In the US, they call it "Country's Biggest Night!"

The awards will again be hosted in 2010 by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley (both pictures) and will be broadcast live on CMC in Australia tomorrow at 12pm.   

Performers for the CMA Awards are: Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Underwood, and Keith Urban.

In addition, special performances will feature Gwyneth Paltrow in her live Country Music singing debut performing with Vince Gill; top nominee Lambert with Sheryl Crow in a tribute to Loretta Lynn's 50th Anniversary as a recording artist; Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson; and Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson. Presenters are The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Easton Corbin, Sara Evans, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Jerrod Niemann, Kellie Pickler, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker, and Chris Young, as well as NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon and ABC television stars JoAnna Garcia ("Better With You") and Ty Pennington ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"). Rodney Atkins will present Awards in Pre-Telecast Ceremonies.

It was one for the record books when the final list of nominees for The 44^th Annual CMA Awards were announced today with fresh faces layered throughout the field of finalists vying for a coveted crystal trophy on what they call "Country Music's Biggest Night." 

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and broadcast live in Australia on CMC from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville at midday on Thurdsay November 11.  When the final nominations were tallied, Miranda Lambert led the list of finalists with nine nominations - the most for any female artist in the history of the CMA Awards. Alan Jackson received 10 nominations in 2002. Prior to that, Merle Haggard held the record with nine in 1970. 

Lambert received nominations for Entertainer; Female Vocalist; Album for Revolution; two for Single, 'The House That Built Me' and 'White Liar' Song for 'White Liar,' which she wrote with Natalie Hemby; Musical Event, for 'Bad Angel' with Dierks Bentley and Jamey Johnson; and two for Music Video of the Year for 'The House That Built Me' directed by Trey Fanjoy, and 'White Liar' directed by Chris Hicky. Lady Antebellum garnered the second highest number of CMA Awards nominations with five including Entertainer of the Year. Third on the list of nominees was Zac Brown Band and Blake Shelton with four nominations. 

In a major surprise, 2009 Entertainer of the Year and 2010 Grammy Album of the Year winner Taylor Swift was not nominated for the Entertainer of the Year award this time around.

Australia's Keith Urban received two nominations for Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year. Urban won Entertainer in 2005 and Male Vocalist of the Year three times (2004, 2005, and 2006).  The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the 6,000 industry professional members of CMA. They include international voters. 

Click Here To See The Full List of 2010 CMA Awards Nominees

Carrie Underwood has tied the knot with professional hockey player, Mike Fisher. They were married last weekend in what is surely one of the secretive celebrity marriages in a long time. We could not feel more blessed to have found each other and to have shared this day with our friends and family that mean so much to us!" the newlyweds told US magazine People.

250 guests were reportedly flown by private jets to ultra-private ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton lodge in Greensboro to the festivities, not knowing where they were headed until they showed up at the airportCarrie and Mike met backstage at her March 2008 concert in Ottawa, Canada. He plays for the National Hockey League's Senators.

Mike popped the question on December 20, 2009, at his home in Canada after calling Carrie's father to ask for her hand in marriage. The happy couple will reside in both Nashville and Ottawa, with a long-distance relationship being something they've certainly mastered over these last two years together.

Check out a live performance of Carrie Underwood's latest single 'Undo It' below...

Despite awful flooding in Nashville less than a month ago, the CMA Music Festival kicked off in Music City today with over 40,000 people filling LP Field for the first night of stadium performances.

Tim McGraw gave Australian fans in attendance a sneak peak of what's to come when he tours Australia in September while Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum (pictured above), Danny Gokey and The Oakridge Boys also performed.

Carrie Underwood completed the night with a blazing stadium set which included a performance of the classic song 'Paradise City' with Aldean.

Photo provided by the Country Music Association (USA).

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