Collins crowned country king
TRAVIS Collins has stopped Gold Coast favourite Adam Brand from grabbing a cowboy hat-trick afer being crowned Australia’s new king of country.
Collins beat a star-studded field to claim three awards at Foxtel’s seventh annual CMC Awards at Jupiters Hotel & Casino last night including the coveted Australian Artist of the Year Award, previously won by Brand in 2016 and 2015.
Collins, who won three Golden Guitar awards in Tamworth earlier this year, was also named CMC Male Artist of the Year while his track Call Me Crazy was named CMC Australian Video of the Year.
Brand didn’t go home empty handed. His Adam Brand and The Outlaws album – an all-star collaboration with Collins, Drew McAlister, Matt Cornell and Mike Carr — picked up the ARIA Award for Highest Selling Australian Artist.
Australia’s only viewervoted country music awards, last night’s ceremony brought the cream of the crop to the Coast to see local music great Lee Kernaghan honoured with the CMC Hall of Fame Award, in recognition of his impact on country music.
Kernaghan’s greatest hits something around me that makes me feel Aussie no matter where I go.
“I am always going to feel that way and I am very grateful and grateful for these awards.
“I love the awards and love you guys.”
Hosted by Morgan Evans, the awards show included live performances by Collins ( Call Me Crazy), Little Big Town’s first-ever Aussie appearance (a crowd favourite rendition of their Taylor Swift-penned hit Better Man), an exclusive acoustic rendition of Johnny Cash’s Long Black Veil by Troy Cassar-Daley and Craig Campbell and a sneak peak at The McClymonts new single, Endless.
The ceremony ended with Kernaghan leading a rousing rendition of Outback Club Reunion before the stars made tracks for a highly-anticipated after-party.
Kernaghan will release his new The 25th Anniversary Album today to mark 25 years since he burst on to the scene with his debut album, The Outback Club.
The CMC Awards kick off a huge weekend that continues with the sold-out CMC Rocks festival at Willowbank, near Ipswich, from today until Sunday. Foxtel will rescreen last night’s ceremony on Fox8 on Sunday at 2.30pm and on CMC throughout the week from Monday at 6pm.