:: Spotlight :: Country Music Awards of Australia 2007

By: Carmine Pascuzzi; photos by Matt Deller

Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole and The McClymonts have shared the honours at the 35th CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia, held at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre. Before a sell-out crowd, Kernaghan took away four and Cole accepted three “Golden Guitars” each with The McClymonts picking up two.

Lee Kernaghan took out Album of the Year and Male Artist of the Year for his album, The New Bush, and won the coveted Heritage Song of the Year for Close As A Whisper (The Gift). Lee also took out the Award for Top Selling Album of the Year bringing his total to 24 Country Music Awards of Australia throughout his career.

The song in response to a letter from a fan, Poster Girl (Wrong Side Of The World), won Beccy Cole three Awards - the prestigious APRA Song of the Year, Female Artist of the Year and Single of the Year, taking her total number of Golden Guitar trophies to seven.

Rising stars, The McClymonts, signalled their arrival in the big-time with two awards. Brooke, Samantha and Mollie McClymont won Group or Duo of the Year and Maton New Talent of the Year with their smash hit, Something That My Heart Does. Previously, Samantha was the only member of the trio to have won a Golden Guitar.

One of the most popular wins of the night was that of Anne Kirkpatrick whose performance of Peppimenarti Cradle, written by her mother, the legendary Joy McKean, took home the Award for Bush Ballad of the Year. It was both Anne and Joy’s sixth Golden Guitar.

Felicity Urquhart took out Video Clip of the Year for the beautiful Big Black Cloud, which was directed by Glenn Wilson. It was Felicity’s second Golden Guitar.

Guitarist, Tommy Emmanuel, picked up Instrumental of the Year for his Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag, while Vocal Collaboration of the Year went to Allan Caswell & Drew McAlister for A Little Bit of Country in Us All.

Adam Brand took home the inaugural viewer voted CMC Oz Artist of the Year Award.

The star-studded night featured performances by Australian country music’s finest, with a list of presenters that included noted musician Don Walker, actor Georgie Parker and country superstars Gina Jeffreys, Troy Cassar-Daley and Melinda Schneider.

WINNERS IN THE 35TH COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS OF AUSTRALIA

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The New Bush – Lee Kernaghan
ABC Music
Produced by Garth Porter

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lee Kernaghan – The New Bush
ABC Music

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Beccy Cole – Poster Girl (Wrong Side Of The World)
ABC Music

TOP SELLING ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Lee Kernaghan – The New Bush
ABC Music

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
The McClymonts – Something That My Heart Does
Universal Music Australia

VOCAL COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Allan Caswell & Drew McAlister – A Little Bit Of Country In Us All
Origin Music

BUSH BALLAD OF THE YEAR
Peppimenarti Cradle – Anne Kirkpatrick
Compass Bros Records
Lyrics & Music by Joy McKean

HERITAGE SONG OF THE YEAR
Close As A Whisper (The Gift) – Lee Kernaghan
ABC Music
Lyrics & Music by Lee Kernaghan, Garth Porter & Colin Buchanan

INSTRUMENTAL OF THE YEAR
Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag – Tommy Emmanuel
ABC Music

MATON NEW TALENT OF THE YEAR
The McClymonts – Something That My Heart Does
Universal Music Australia

VIDEO CLIP OF THE YEAR
Big Black Cloud – Felicity Urquhart
Felicity’s Entertainment
Directed by Glenn Wilson

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Poster Girl (Wrong Side Of The World) – Beccy Cole
ABC Music

APRA SONG OF THE YEAR
Poster Girl (Wrong Side Of The World) – Beccy Cole
Lyrics & Music by Beccy Cole (ABC Music Publishing)

CMC OZ ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Adam Brand

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE WEEK IN TAMWORTH - BY MATTHEW DELLER

Country Music Awards

Gina Jeffreys	big winners Lee Kernaghan & Beccy Cole

The McClymonts

Aleyce Simmonds	Troy Cassar-Daley and his wife

Beccy Cole	James Blundell

Adam Brand	Lee Kernaghan gets arrested

The McClymonts

a collection of award winners

Beccy Cole and young fan

Adan Brand and fans

Dianna Corcoran

Kirsty Lee Akers

Sara Storer

The sights and sounds of Tamworth

John Butler and band were popular guests

Missy Higgins enjoyed her time

Melinder Schneider

Kirsty Lee Akers

Jim Beam promotional girls

The Channel Nine “Today Show” at Tamworth

the Today Show team

Sarah O'Hare and fans

the team gets into the spirit

Richard Wilkins

Felicity Urquhart

Lee Kernaghan being interviewed

James Blundell helps with the cooking