CMC Music Awards 2016: winners

Brisbane’s QPAC last night played host to The 6th Annual CMC Music Awards 2016, broadcast Live on the Country Music Channel.

Morgan Evans and Kelsea Ballerini hosted the night, in which Australian and international Country artists were recognised in eight viewer-voted categories.

Country music superstar Adam Brand’s position as one of Australia’s leading country music artists with 12 Golden Guitar wins and multi ARIA Award nominations was solidified once again with him being crowned CMC Oz Artist of the Year. Brand said: “I think the CMC Awards and CMC Rocks are a real landmark. They are getting stronger every year and they’re a force to be reckoned with. It’s an amazing thing and I never take it for granted and I’m very grateful.”

Music legend Lee Kernaghan has earned his place as one of Australia’s leading contemporary music artists and has dominated the charts with successive hit albums – his most recent “Spirit of the Anzacs” saw him take out three awards this evening for CMC Oz Male Artist of the Year, CMC Australian Video of the Year and for the first time for the awards the ARIA Highest Selling Australian Album. Kernaghan said: “This is a definitely a fireball night. One of the greatest things about these awards are that they are the ones that are voted by fans who come to the show, buy the albums and tune into CMC. My heart is swelling with gratitude to those people supporting me not only this year but for the last 24 years.”

Award wining singer-songwriter Amber Lawrence who released her fourth album “Superheros”, which debuted at number three on the ARIA Country charts – was crowned CMC Female Oz Artist of the Year for the second year in a row. Lawrence said: “I am absolutely blown away and CMC is one of the reasons I have had a 10 year career. I remember in 2005 when my video first played on CMC I screamed the house down, it was such a dream. To get this award, I really didn’t expect it and to win it again this year is a very big honour. CMC has such a big part to play and I am very thankful.”

Country music king and four time Grammy Award winner Keith Urban, took home both the CMC International Artist of the Year, his fourth win in this category and CMC International Video of the Year, his fifth win in this category,  this year for “Raise ‘em Up” featuring Eric Church from his eighth studio album ‘Fuse’. Currently shooting American Idol, Urban thanked his fans and CMC via a video acceptance speech, while his mother Mary Ann Urban watched from the audience at QPAC.

Urban said: “I am on the set of Idol so I can’t be there at QPAC tonight but thank you so much for this award and to everyone who voted. Also to Eric Church, we had a blast shooting this video. Right now I am wrapping up the record and getting it all done so we can come and play. I am just dying to come back and play and that is the plan right now.”

He added: “Thank you so much everyone, it feels strange to me to be considered an international artist in Queensland but thank you very much for the support, it means the world to me. Everyone who voted and everyone at CMC thank you for all your support.”

Emerging star Caitlyn Shadbolt has undeniably made an impression since the release of her self-titled debut EP and is one of the new breed of artists bringing a fresh, contemporary stamp to Australian Country Music and was this evening was awarded CMC New Oz Artist of the Year.  

Tasmanian country rockers The Wolfe Brothers first burst on the scene as runners up on Australia’s Got Talent and have continued to thrill audiences with their latest album,“Nothin’ But Trouble” and were awarded CMC Group or Duo of the Year.

Also for the first time for the awards ARIA Highest Selling International Album which was awarded to Alan Jackson for “Angels and Alcohol”. Jackson said: ““I appreciate y’all making ‘Angels and Alcohol’ Highest Selling International Album. You have been good to me down there and I appreciate the CMC Award, thanks again” he said.

The awards included stellar acoustic performances by first class international and local artists, including Jason Aldean who thrilled the audience with his medley performance of three of his biggest hits, “My Kinda Party”, “Hicktown” and “She’s Country”. Florida Georgia Line also performed a medley “This Is How We Roll” and “Cruize” while co-host Kelsea Ballerini performed her record breaking number one, Gold certified debut hit single “Love Me Like You Mean It”. Local country music artists Adam Harvey performed “A Little Less Lonely”, Shane Nicholson performed “Weight of the World”, while Beccy Cole wrote and performed an original song for the CMC Awards “Look Ma I’m On CMC”.

Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans will once again excite audiences with a star studded line-up at CMC Rocks QLD 2016 from tomorrow Friday, March 11 – Sunday, March 13 at Willowbank near Ipswich and telecast on CMC Thursday April 7 at 8pm.