NASHVILLE, TN (CMA) - Nominees have been selected and ballots have been distributed to a panel of International music industry leaders to determine the recipient of this year's CMA Global Country Artist Award. Initiated in 2002 by CMA's then-Global Markets Task Force, the award recognizes outstanding achievement by a Country
Music artist who has furthered the popularity of Country Music, and brought attention to the genre, in their foreign-based territory.
"Having just returned from the UK and Ireland as part of our second annual 'New From Nashville' initiative, I have seen first hand how important CMA recognition is to the Country Music artists and organization in other nations," said Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Operating Officer. "As CMA continues working to expand Country Music opportunities internationally, it is only fitting that we honor those artists who are carrying the Country Music torch in their own nations."
"Each of these artists has achieved amazing success in their own country," said CMA Board Member Jeff Walker, who serves as Chairman of the CMA Global Markets Committee. "Their success is building audiences for Country Music around the world."
The seven nominees designated from territories worldwide include:
John Brack (Switzerland) has been one of Europe's most well-known artists for the last two decades, and is referred to as "Mr. Swiss Country" in his native country. Brack signed with EMI Switzerland in 1979, and moved to BMG Switzerland in 1989. His 1987 album Hard Times (produced by Randy L. Scruggs) was released in 1987 in both the UK and Benelux. One year later, Brack and Jeff Turner released a Christmas duet album, A Time for Feelings, which achieved Platinum status (sales of 50,000 units) and became the most successful album in Swiss Country Music history. Brack continues to record and tour; in fact his 2005 Christmas tour was sold out.
George Canyon (Canada) had already released two self-produced albums and two videos that reached the CMT Canada Top Ten chart before participating on the second "Nashville Star" television series in 2004. After earning first runner-up status on the television competition, Canyon signed with Universal South Records and released the album One Good Friend, which debuted at the top of the Country album charts in Canada, eventually selling more than 50,000 copies. In 2005, he won four Canadian Country Music Association Awards (including Male Artist of the Year), and both hosted and was the winner of three East Coast Music Association Awards. Concluding a successful year, One Good Friend received the 2005 Juno Award for Country Recording of the Year.
Adam Harvey (Australia) has had a career of many defining moments, including achieving Gold status from the Australia Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for his debut album Workin' Overtime in 2002, and two later albums. He is one of Australia's most awarded Country Music performers in the last decade; among his many honors are winning the Australian Country Music Association Awards for Male Vocalist of the Year in 2002, 2004 and 2005; and Album of the Year for Workin' Overtime in 2002. Although his base is in Australia, Harvey has toured all over the world. Among those highlights are a performance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 2001; two successful Canadian tours in 2004 and 2005; and an invitation to perform in China in 2005 as the representative for Australian Country Music and the Tamworth City Council. He was appointed the Ambassador for the Telstra Road To Tamworth for 2006.
Ruud Hermans (The Netherlands) has been writing, recording and performing Country Music for more than 37 years, starting out with a band called The Tumbleweeds and later renamed Tulsa. Hermans has taken his music all over the world while continuing to play concerts in Europe, whether with his band, solo or in collaboration with other performers. He also takes part in various singer/songwriter sessions with Dutch and international artists, such as Dick van Altena, Rob Crosby, Frank Jansen and Victoria Shaw. As co-founder of the Dutch Country Music Association, Hermans has hosted and been a driving force behind the Dutch Country Music Association's Award Gala, winning several awards himself. Hermans was inducted into the Dutch Country Music Hall of Fame and was named the Millennium Country Singer in The Netherlands. In 2004, Hermans participated in the first Global Artist Party in Nashville at the start of the CMA Music Festival week. In addition to his career as an artist, Hermans has also been a radio personality on KRO for 25 years where he has brought over American artists including Vince Gill, the Judds, Eddy Raven, Randy Travis and Steve Wariner, among others. His most recent album is his 35th anniversary project, Stills. He was awarded a Royal Medal by the Queen of Holland for his tireless work in Country Music.
Jason McCoy (Canada) broke into Canada's Country Music scene while still in his teens, releasing his self-titled debut album in 1995 to wide acclaim and laying a foundation for one of Canada's most successful Country Music careers. His song "Born Again in Dixieland" won the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers (SOCAN) Song of the Year in 1998; an award he would receive again in 2001 for "Ten Million Teardrops." After being named the 2004 Canadian Country Music Association's (CCMA) Male Vocalist of the Year, McCoy released his first Greatest Hits album and received a SOCAN Award for his single "Still" (which he co-wrote with George Ducas) having achieved the greatest number of performances on Canadian radio during the previous year. He also conceived, formed and fronted the Road Hammers, a five-piece band who released a self-titled album in 2005; performed a successful 31-date Canadian tour; filmed a documentary television series which aired on CMT Canada and received a CCMA Award for the 2005 Country Music Program or Special of the Year; and won the 2005 CCMA Award for Group of the Year. McCoy (along with Scott Baggett) also received the CCMA Award for Record Producer of the Year for co-producing the Road Hammers' album.
Charlie Nagatani (Japan) started singing Country Music in Japan in 1956 when he was only 20 years old. Nagatani and his band, The Western Cannonballs, began performing at U.S. Military Clubs in Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines and Thailand until the Vietnam War ended. After touring the U.S., he returned to Kumamoto and opened a Country Music saloon named Good Time Charlie's. He continues to perform in the club throughout seven nights a week. In 1989, Nagatani organized the first Country Gold festival; and in 1994, he started the Country Sunshine festival. Nagatani traveled to Nashville to record his first album in 1992. He has performed on the "Grand Ole Opry" as well as making appearances on "Entertainment Tonight," "Crook & Chase," "Talk of the Town," "Nashville Now" and "The Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree." Although Nagatani has never been signed to a record label, he is known throughout Japan and the world as an "ambassador" for Country Music. In 2001, an independent filmmaker produced a documentary of his life. Nagatani performed at the 2005 CMA Global Artist Showcase during the week of CMA Music Festival in Nashville.
Daniel O'Donnell (Ireland) has been described as Ireland's most popular "easy listening" entertainer. His rise to the top began in earnest when he signed his first record contract in 1986. The following year his second album, I Need You, appeared in the UK Country Album Charts, setting a precedent which every subsequent album has followed. He has released six Top 20 albums in the past three years. His 24 albums have sold a combined total of more than three million units in the UK, making him one of the 'Top 50 Best Selling Artists of the 21st Century' according to Channel 4's UK Music Hall of Fame television program. He was awarded an Honorary MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honors List in 2002 for his services to the music industry. Most recently, he was listed at No. 15 in the '50 Most Influential People in the Irish Music Industry' as compiled by the Irish Examiner for being the leading exponent of Country and Irish Music.
Candidates for the Global Country Artist Award are chosen from artists nominated by CMA's international membership. The winner will be invited to accept the honor at the 2006 CMA Music Festival (June 8-11) in Downtown Nashville and perform during one of the Daily Concerts on the Greased Lighting Daytime Stages at Riverfront Park.
Previous CMA Global Country Artist Award winners are: Lee Kernaghan of Australia (2003); Kasey Chambers and (posthumously) Slim Dusty, both of Australia (2004); and Paul Brandt of Canada (2005).
