Country music awards finalists announced

News release finalists – 1
April 19, 2005

Country music awards finalists announced

Two South Island singers and a Kiwi based at the home of country music are the finalists for the 2005 New Zealand Music Award for Best Country Music Album.

Kylie Harris, who has lived in Nashville in the United States since 1997, has been nominated for her self titled album.

Timaru’s Noel Burns has been nominated for his third album Special to Me while Pat Hannah of Christchurch is a finalist with her first album, Moods & Memories.

The winner of the 2005 New Zealand Music Award for Best Country Music Album is to be announced at the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards in Gore on June 3.

Kylie Harris has previously won three Country Music Album Tuis in 1995 and 1997 as well as two Gold Guitars, in 1990 and 1992. Currently she hosts a TV show called The Edge of Country reaching 30 million homes in the USA.

Kylie has also performed on the Grand Ole Oprey in 2001 and 2004 and is receiving radio airplay in New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

Noel Burns is regarded by many as “The Gentleman” of country music in New Zealand. He is an inveterate compere, having hosted more than 550 consecutive shows at the Caroline Bay Association’s Annual Carnival in Timaru. His two previous albums are Country Is and Modern Day Cowboy.

Christchurch grandmother Pat Hannah has been singing “since I was a little girl” and first appeared on TV in 1970s. She has been a finalist in the Gore Gold Guitars (1989) and was a member of the Gore Operatic for eight years.

Pat plays guitar dobre style and has been a member of various Country Music groups and the Riccarton Players for two years. She begins recording her second album shortly which contains her first self-written song, What Made a Good Love go Wrong.

It is the second year the Country Music Tui has been presented at the Gore Gold Guitar Awards at which the APRA Best Country Song for 2004 will also be announced.

Gold Guitar Awards convenor Philip Geary says it’s a great thrill to have the Tui Award in town again.

“It really is a privilege and honour to have the Best Country Music Album Tui award here again. Everyone appreciated how superbly the event went last year and the calibre of the finalists is such that I expect we’ll have a fantastic presentation in 2005.”

The week-long Gore country music festival and Gold Guitar Awards are now in their 32nd year while country music Tuis have been presented as part of the New Zealand Music Awards since 1983.

Audience levels at the festival reach more than 5,000 and entries across all sections and events total more than 700 artists.

ends

Issued for the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand by Pead PR

© Scoop Media