The Third Annual Aotearoa Country Music Awards in Palmerston

Country music enthusiasts from all around the country are riding into town this month for the third annual Aotearoa Country Music Awards due to be held here in Palmerston North at The Globe Theatre.

For those with a hankering for a boot scootin' rootin' tootin' cotton pickin' good time, this event will not disappoint! The local and wider country music community will polish their rhinestones, and dust off their cowboy hats to compete in a national country music themed competition sanctioned by the New Zealand Country Music Association (NZCMA).

With local musician Renee Strawbridge in the saddle as Convenor, alongside a fresh new committee, these awards are set to be bigger and better than ever. “I grew up entering awards like these as a kid, and I wanted to ensure that these opportunities remain available for our rangatahi (young people). They are the future of country music in Aotearoa,” Strawbridge explains.

Contestants of all ages will be performing over two days on both of the Globe Theatre's stages, accompanied by top New Zealand backing bands Pure Dixie and Handpicked.

Sunday’s awards afternoon will be hosted by renowned country duo En-TRANZET (1992 Entertainers of the Year), with entertainment from special guest artist, the extremely talented Ainslie Allen (2018 Entertainer of the Year). There will be more talent than you can shake a stick at.
Ainslie is no stranger to the entertainment world. From her beginnings on McDonald's Young Entertainers, she has etched out an amazing career as an independent country music artist including entertaining New Zealand and Australian troops in East Timor, singing the National Anthem for the All Blacks, Silverferns, South Africa's Springboks, the Wallabies, and French rugby teams, to touring Hawaii with John Rowles and Elvis Presley's TCB band, and performing before a crowd of 250,000 at NZ's biggest outdoor concert.
Ainslie joins a panel of six judges tasked with finding the best country music singers our local and national country music clubs have to offer. Overall winners of the competition are eligible to compete in the 2020 Entertainer of the Year. This prestigious national awards event has been held for 40 years, with 2019 to feature renowned Kiwi artists The Topp Twins and Dennis Marsh.

The Aotearoa Country Music Awards auditions will be held on Saturday August 31st at the Globe Theatre, and the highest-scoring performers from this day will battle it out on stage at the finals concert on Sunday 1st September - held at the same venue.

Tickets are on sale now at Eventfinda. Limited door sales subject to availability.
Auditions Tickets: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2019/aotearoa-country-music-awards-auditions/palmerston-north

Finals Tickets: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2019/aotearoa-country-music-awards-finals-concert/palmerston-north

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