March 2012 - AristoMedia

Vol. 5, Issue No. 1
March 2012
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International
Report
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Promoting the World of Country Music Around the Globe
World Vision Goes Country For
Global Goodwill Initiatives
Global humanitarian
organization World
Vision has discovered
the power of Country
music. More precisely,
the Christian-based
nonprofit group has
discovered the
generosity of not only the artists themselves, but their fans, as
well.
World Vision has made a concentrated effort to spread its
message in the Country community over the past year, having
gotten the support of acts like Carter’s Chord, Terri Clark,
Sarah Darling, Patty Griffin, LoCash Cowboys, Ricky
Skaggs, Chuck Wicks and Wynonna, among others.
Earlier this year, sister trio Carter’s Chord traveled to the
Dominican Republic, where they saw the daily work being
done by World Vision
out in the field. The
group had previously
sponsored a child of
their own through the
Christian-based
organization, but had
never met her in person
until their goodwill
visit in January. Read
about the group’s
experience here.
Popular syndicated radio show hosts Rick & Bubba recently
partnered with World Vision for the third year in a row for
their two-day Rick & Bubba Show radiothon. The successful
event resulted in the sponsorship of more than 800 children
through the World Vision program. (con’t pg. 2)
American Acts Make Impact at
CMC Rocks The Hunter Festival
American Country acts
continue to pepper the
international festival scene
in increasing numbers, and
Australia’s CMC Rocks
The Hunter was a perfect
example of that
phenomenon.
Held March 16-18 at the beautiful Hope Estate in Australia's
New South Wales wine growing region, this year’s CMC
Rocks The Hunter lineup featured more U.S. acts than ever
before in the festival’s five year history. Tim McGraw and
Faith Hill, Dierks
Bentley, Wynonna,
Eli Young Band,
Tracy Lawrence,
Craig Campbell
and
Jim
Lauderdale were
among the American
stars taking the stage
to
wow
the
appreciative Aussie
crowds. According to reports, attendance at this year’s
festival doubled over 2011 totals.
In addition to Australian acts like Lee Kernaghan, Tex
Perkins, Beccy Cole, Steve Forde, James Blundell,
Catherine Britt, Felicity Urquhart, Shane Nicholson, Pete
Denahy, McAlister Kemp, Morgan Evans, Kirsty Akers
and dozens more, there were a number of U.S.-based Aussies
making a welcome return to Oz for the three-day event,
including sister trio The McClymonts, Jedd Hughes,
Sherrie Austin and popular husband and wife duo O'Shea.
GAC television’s “Headline Country” host Storme Warren
hosted the festival again this year. (con’t pg. 2)
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Promoting the World of Country Music Around the Globe
CMC Rocks The Hunter, CMC Music
Awards (cont.)
International Promoter Judy Seale
Honored By Tennessee Marines
The CMC Music Awards
helped kick off the festivities
with a star-studded event
hosted by O'Shea.
Country superstar Keith
Urban picked up Music Video
of the Year and International
Artist of the Year honors, while
Peter McWhirter and
Jasmine Rae (pictured left),
who have each recorded in
Nashville and performed at
CMA Music Festival, picked
up CMC New Oz Artist of the
Year and CMC Oz Artist of the Year, respectively.
International concert
promoter Judy
Seale was presented
with the Tennessee
Marine 2012
Leadership Award in
Nashville on March
6.
Seale, the
president of Judy
Seale International
and Stars For
Stripes, was
honored at the Operation Yellow Ribbon event at Lipscomb
University for her ongoing support of U.S. military stationed
overseas. The annual concert event was hosted by legendary
artist Charlie Daniels, with fellow Country artist Darryl
Worley and actor/musician Gary Sinise also in attendance.
James Blundell received the first ever CMC Hall of Fame
Award, while U.S. act Craig Campbell treated the crowd to
a performance of his new single, “When I Get It.”
World Vision Goes Country (cont.)
“Rarely am I speechless, but receiving this honor was a very
emotional moment in my life,” said Seale. “This is
equivalent to a Grammy or an Oscar for me in my career. To
be presented this award by my heroes -- the U.S. Marines -and experience the moment with Charlie Daniels, Gary
Sinise and Darryl Worley was overwhelming.”
In February, World Vision attended Country Radio
Seminar in Nashville. The nonprofit group recorded PSAs
with more than 60 different Country acts at the three-day
event, with several artists signing up to partner with the
organization.
The current Stars for Stripes tour began March 11 in
Germany with LoCash Cowboys. Darryl Worley will
perform Southwest Asia at the end of April. For more
information, visit: www.starsforstripes.com.
Faith Hill photo on pg. 1 courtesy of Jeremy Dylan.
“Country artists and their fans are among the most generous
people in the world,” says World Vision Channel/Product
Director Michael Bianchi. “We have been thrilled with the
interest we’ve received from the Country music industry.”
More than 400 artists and celebrities have committed to the
World Vision cause to date. For more information, visit
www.WorldVision.org.
Aussie Artist Urquhart Nabs CMA Award
The CMA International
Broadcaster of the
Year Award was
presented earlier this
month to Aussie artist
Felicity Urquhart.
Urquhart received the
award at the 2012 CMC
Rocks The Hunter
festival, held March
16-18 in New South Wales. Urquhart hosts the Australiawide “Saturday Night Country” radio program. Pictured
with Urquhart (l-r) are award presenter and festival promoter
Rob Potts, Headline Country's Storme Warren and U.S.
artist Dierks Bentley.
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March 2012
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Promoting the World of Country Music Around the Globe
Marie Moloney Recognized With CMA
Media Achievement Award
Publicity veteran Marie
Moloney is the recipient
of the 2011 Wesley Rose
International Media
Achievement Award.
Moloney, a Senior Press
Officer with UK-based
Richard Wootton
Publicity, was surprised
with the award by CMA
CEO Steve Moore during a dinner honoring Bill Anderson,
Clint Black, and Bob DiPiero, who were in the UK for the
CMA Songwriter Series.
“The start of my love of Country Music dates back to the days
of my dad blaring the likes of ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty
Valance,’ ‘Big Bad John,’ and ‘El Paso’ from the car’s
cassette player,” said Moloney. “Now, decades later, to be
able to work in the genre and be awarded and recognized for
what I do means more to me than I can ever put into words.”
The Wesley Rose International Media Award recognizes
outstanding achievements in the media that contribute to the
development of Country Music outside the U.S.
CCMA Board Gathers in Nashville During
CRS Week
The Canadian Country
Music Association
(CCMA) gathered
during CRS week in
Nashville last month for
its annual board
meetings. Among other
things, the organization
discussed plans for its
upcoming Country
Music Week and CCMA Awards, held Sept. 6-9 in Saskatoon.
Artists Adam Gregory
and Marlee Scott were
among the artists in
attendance at the board’s
reception gathering.
Pictured above right (l-r)
are: Adam Gregory, Sirius
XM’s John Marks,
CCMA Executive Director
Don Green, BigRide
Entertainment’s Gerry Leiske, Marlee Scott. Industry vets
(l-r) Brandi Mills, Jeff Walker, Wendell Ferguson, Ralph
Murphy and Ted Ellis gather in the photo above left.
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Vol. 5, Issue No. 1
March 2012
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International
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Promoting the World of Country Music Around the Globe
Aristo Q&A with: Country Music Association CEO Steve Moore
Country Music Association CEO
Steve Moore plays a prominent
role in the international Country
music scene.
His support and
commitment to the format’s vitality
is evident in events like the CMA
Songwriter Series, the annual
Global Events showcases at CMA
Music Festival and his successful
push to expand the CMA’s overall
international membership. A CMA
Board member since 1989, Moore
first built his reputation in the
Country music industry through his extensive concert
promotion experience, serving as the first Executive Director
at Nashville’s Starwood Amphitheater and later as Senior VP
at AEG Live.
What are some of the CMA's current global initiatives that are
helping to spread Country music around the globe?
SM: When I first entered office as CEO, I felt it was important
to reevaluate the global marketplace and understand what
opportunities may or may not exist for our artists. For many
years, most touring acts from Nashville ignored the
international space. The CMA board has been supportive of
my efforts to stimulate opportunity and offer support for
artists who are taking advantage of the international access to
Country music through Internet radio, artist websites and
iTunes.
Nurturing our relationships with BBC, other
broadcast companies, concert promotion companies and
taking our songwriter series to the UK and Ireland will
continue to be our focus.
As someone with extensive experience in the concert
promotion business, you must be thrilled at the growing
demand for Country artists to perform overseas. What do you
attribute that to?
SM: I think fans are finding music through the digital options
available. Historically, record companies and their distributors
controlled what music was introduced abroad. Today, music
is discovered by the fans without the label’s involvement.
I understand there is a renewed push to maximize airings of
the CMA television properties around the world. Any updates?
SM: Part of our new arrangement with ABC allows us to team
up with their international licensing partner to represent all of
the CMA/ABC broadcast properties. They have a wide and
active international sales team that we believe will enhance our
broadcast options and continue to promote and expose our
artists to a new, fresh marketplace.
The CMA Songwriter Series traveled to the UK and Ireland for
the first time this year. How did that program come about,
and will it be visiting different countries each year from now
on?
SM: The CMA songwriter series came out of my first London
visit in January of 2011. I met with members of the BBC
network, BMI executives, record companies and PR and
promotional firms, and we all agreed that there was an interest
and we should try to proceed. The board approved, and we
were able to put the route together. One of the most important
aspects was that BBC made one night of the CMA series part
of their broadcast. So it was a big win for CMA and our
songwriter artists. We are planning to go back in 2013 and
expand the series into Scandinavia and Australia.
It seems that more and more artists from outside the U.S. are
relocating to Nashville and trying to establish a career here.
Do you think it is more beneficial for an international act to
build a following in their home country first, or is there more
value in them moving here and trying to start a career from
the ground up?
SM: Artist careers are built from a variety of different
playbooks. As soon as one does it one way, there will be
another that does it another way. I would be reluctant to
endorse any particular strategy, but it does seem natural that if
you are talented and have something to sing and play about,
you would start in your home country.
But there are
exceptions to all rules, of course.
How many countries are represented in CMA's total
membership? How can industry professionals join that might
not be members already? What benefit do international
members get from joining?
SM: In order, the countries with the largest number of
members are Canada, United Kingdom and Australia, but we
have members in 28 additional nations: Austria, Belgium,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan,
Korea, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Poland,
Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the
Netherlands and Uruguay. (con’t pg. 5)
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International
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Promoting the World of Country Music Around the Globe
๏ The 3rd annual French Highways Awards took place in
Paris, France on Nov. 16. View the winners at
www.HighwayFM.com.
๏ Grammy nominated producer Mark
Moffatt has been appointed to the
Americana Music Association board as
member for international. Moffatt states
his goal is “to increase understanding
and awareness of Americana music
globally and to provide more
opportunities for international artists
looking to work in the genre in the U.S.”
Moffatt has served on the CMA global advisory group and
in 2008 received the Jo Walker Meador CMA award for
international achievement.
๏ The CMA Songwriters Series traveled to England and
Ireland for the first time in February with performances in
London, Belfast and a sold-out show in Dublin. Bill
Anderson, Clint Black and host Bob DiPiero were
featured on the tour, which combined artists and
songwriters singing and discussing their hit material.
๏ The Bellamy Brothers
and European Pop star D.J.
Otzi have shot to the top of
the download charts with
their recent release, Simply
The Best. The album
features Otzi and the
Bellamys singing together on
some of their biggest hits, as
well as several American
classics.
๏ The Mavericks are making a triumphant return to
Europe with their original lineup in August. Shows are
currently booked Aug. 10 in Denmark and Aug. 11 in
Sweden.
๏ Scotland's Northern Nashville Caithness Festival will
be held for the 9th year over Easter weekend April 6-8.
This year’s lineup includes U.S. acts Moe Bandy, Johnny
Rodriguez, Joey & Rory, Moore & Moore and Jerry
Kilgore, alongside Terry White Band and Ashville from
Holland.
๏ Through May 31, the CCMA’s Country Music Week in
Saskatoon is offering its lowest registration price in three
years. Details at www.CCMA.org
๏ Headliners for France’s Craponne Festival, held July
27-29 include The Steeldrivers, Bruce Robison
and Kelly Willis and John Slaughter, Whiskey Myers,
Two Tons of Steel, Amber Digby and Ronnie Bowman.
๏ The Country Night Gstaad Switzerland (held Sept.
21-22), has announced festival performers including
Martina McBride, Craig Campbell and Los Pacaminos
feat. Paul Young.
๏ Vince Gill will perform July 11 in Arendal, Norway and
July 14 at the Norsk Country Treff Festival in Breim,
Norway. Additional performances scheduled in the UK.
Aristo Q&A with: Steve Moore (cont)
SM (cont from pg. 4): Industry
professionals can join by visiting our
website, CMAworld.com and filling
out an application, or by contacting
our International Director, Bobbi
Boyce at [email protected].
We encourage anyone who works in
the field of Country music to join the
CMA. This includes artists, record
companies, managers, publicists,
agents, publishers, concert
promoters, professional musicians, radio broadcasters, music
journalists and more.
International members get to vote for the CMA Awards, the
opportunity to purchase tickets to the CMA Awards, the bimonthly CMA Close Up magazine, access to the online
industry directory, and more. International members get a
discount on CDX subscription, which has been extremely
helpful for overseas radio stations and radio broadcasters.
For more information about the Country Music Association,
visit www.CMAWorld.com.
The Aristo International Report is a
quarterly newsletter published online
by The AristoMedia Group, P.O. Box
22765 Nashville, TN, 37202.
Publisher: Jeff Walker
Editor: Ryan Moore
Please submit your international Country music news items
for consideration to: [email protected]
Drop us a line at [email protected] | © 2011 The AristoMedia Group - All Rights Reserved