News November 24, 2015

Foxtel lands Jason Aldean for CMC Music Awards, tickets now on sale

Former Editor

Foxtel’s Country Music Channel (CMC) has inked US star Jason Aldean and country pop newcomer Kelsea Ballerini to perform at its 6^th CMC Music Awards next March.

Taking place on March 10 2016, the Awards will be again hosted by local artist Morgan Evans, who has been CMC’s presenter, host andambassador since August last year.

Speaking to TMN, Evan said: “It really is an honour to be asked to host again! Last year I was full of nerves. It was crazy! There were a lot of first time experiences, for all of us.”

Last year’s Awards were hosted for the first time were staged in a televised ceremony at QPAC in Brisbane. The move from a 300-capacity venue atHope Estate Wineryin 2014 was made possible due to funding from Tourism and Events Queensland. The Government’s TEQ is back on board this year with hopes to position Brisbane as the new country music capital of Australia.

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This year will be even bigger with the viewer-voted Awards broadcast live on Foxtel’s Country Music Channel (CMC) and encored on FOX8.

“This year, with the show going live to air and some of the biggest artists in the world signed on, to perform and present, I really just need to steer the ship,” Evans told TMN. “Hopefully I can relax a bit and really enjoy the experience – and crack some good jokes, of course!”

The CMC Music Awards will also serve as a primer of sorts to the CMC Rocks QLD festival, which takes place on March 11, 12 and 13 at Willowbank near Ipswich. For the first time, country music fans will be able to purchase an allocation of tickets to attend the Awards.

Aldean’s performance at the Awards and at CMC Rocks will mark his maiden journey to Australia. The RIAA top digital country male of all time has sold more than 10 million albums. He is set to announce a full tour for next April.

Kelsea Ballerini is the first solo female artist in nine years to hit # 1 with her debut single Love Me Like You Mean It, and is one of only 11 women to have ever hit the top of the charts with a debut release. She will also be presented the Rising Star award atBillboard’s Women in Music event, the trophy was taken out by Ariana Grande last year.