Husband-and-wife team Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson were the big winners at Saturday night’s Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA), where they converted all five of their nominations.
The duo’s chart-topping album “Rattlin’ Bones” (Liberation Music) took out “Golden Guitar” awards for album of the year and top-selling album, while the title track claimed wins in the categories for APRA (Australasian Performing Right Assn.) song of the year, video clip of the year and single of the year.
“Rattlin’ Bones” topped the Australian Recording Industry Assn. (ARIA) albums chart last April and went on to win the best country album trophy at the 2008 ARIA Awards in Sydney.
Also on the night, Adam Brand took out male artist of the year honors for the second time, bringing the singer’s career total of CMAA trophies to 12. Brand was also named pay TV country music channel CMC’s Oz artist of the year. Meanwhile, the female artist of the year category awarded rising star Catherine Britt her first “Golden Guitar.”
John Williamson’s all-time “Golden Guitar” tally swelled to 24 after the veteran singer took out bush ballad of the year for his song “Australia Is Another Word for Free” (Capitol/EMI). Williamson, who had eight nominations leading up to the 37th annual ceremony, recorded the song with Warren H Williams and Amos Morris.
Other winners at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Convention Centre included Melinda Schneider and Paul Kelly, whose duet “Still Here” (Be Music) won vocal collaboration of the year, while sister-act the McClymonts scooped group or duo of the year for the third successive year, a feat only ever achieved by one other act, Bullamakanka.
The event will be broadcast Feb. 1 nationally on Network Ten and regionally on Southern Cross Ten, and on CMC Feb. 14.
