Tim Daley discusses CMC Music Awards’ move to Brisbane
The Country Music Channel(CMC) has announced its annual Awardswill be held in Brisbane for thenext three years, as part of a strategic partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland.
Its fifth staging will be held at QPAC on March 12 and will coincide with the CMC Rocks QLD festival, which will be held for the first time in Ipswich from March 13-15. Tourism and Events Queensland announced it had secured the festival last August in a deal struck with event organisers Chugg Entertainment, Rob Potts Entertainment Edge and of course, CMC.
The awards were previously heldin the Hunter Valley, where it has been staged at Hope Estate Winery since 2011.
Speaking to TMN, CMC Program Director Tim Daley said the media brand was introduced to Tourism and Events Queensland through Chugg, following the organisation’s involvement in CMC Rocks.
“We chose Brisbane because we were working closely with Tourism and Events Queensland and they’re keen to position South East Queensland as the new home of country music.”
The move separates the CMC Awards from the peer-votedCMAA (Country Music Awards of Australia), which takes place in Tamworth on January 24. The CMAAis Australia'slongest running music awards concert (previously named the Golden Guitar Awards) and the apex of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
“I Think Tamworth has that traditional space,” Daley told TMN. “But we know Queensland’s a real heartland of country music fans, there’s radio airplay support with 98.9 in Brisbane and with CMC Rocks moving to Ipswitch I think the Queensland government saw it as a great opportunity to claim some of that territory.”
Daley said the decisionto house the Awards at QPAC came on the suggestion of Tourism and Events Queensland: “They really want to present CMC Music Awards as a really top-shelf, high quality event.”
Daley also said in the past, the awards showcased three-to-five acoustic performances to a room of 300 at Hope Estate's Campus Bar,but this year will showcase five full-band performances to an expected 1,000 guests.
“We’re just growing it incrementally and over a period of time it really starts to work for labels and artists and managers and they really start to believe in it. It’s been kind of, good, organic growth.”
Tourism and Events Queensland CEO, Leanne Coddington, said: “The profile of the CMC Music Awards, in addition to CMC Rocks Queensland, will position Queensland as the new home of Country music in Australia.”
Foxtel General Manager, Music Channels and Head of Digital, Rebecca Batties said: “We are proud to connect with Tourism and Events Queensland who recognise the importance of supporting music events.
“CMC, Australia’s only Country music channel, has a long standing commitment to broaden this genre of music in Australia. We pride ourselves on delivering quality live entertainment and bringing the best of Country music to its ever growing fan base in Australia.”
The CMC Awards will be hosted by country music artist and new face of CMC, Morgan Evans. The fan-voted Awards will showcase eight categories including: CMC Oz Artist Of The Year, CMC International Artist Of The Year and CMC Australian Video Of The Year.