Townsville singer, songwriter Sammy White has been announced as the 2020 Toyota Star Maker in front of thousands of country music fans at the Toyota Star Maker 41st Grand Final held tonight in Toyota Park.

The 2020 Toyota Star Maker competition proved to be a momentous night for women in country music with nine of the ten finalists female.

White, who performed an exciting rendition of her #5 iTunes Country Chart song Drowning My Sorrows, was met with a huge applause from the crowd as she was announced the overall winner of the 2020 Star Maker competition.

Toyota Star Maker producer Barry Harley said: “Congratulations to Sammy White on winning the 2020 Toyota Star Maker title.

“Sammy is in good company with other female artists who have taken out the Star Maker crown and who are now leading the way in Australian country music including Beccy Cole, Gina Jeffreys, Lyn Bowtell and Kaylee Bell, and we look forward to watching her journey as 2020 Toyota Star Maker,” he said.

2019 winner Blake O’Connor, who has received two nominations in the Toyota Golden Guitar Awards for Qantas New Talent of the Year and Male Artist of the Year – says, “the possibilities are endless when you enter Toyota Star Maker.”

“Star Maker has opened doors and given me opportunities to show more people than ever my songs. It has put me on a greater platform to build a fan base for my career, and I have made friendships and met people that I wouldn’t have been exposed to if it wasn’t for Star Maker.

“This year has been a massive step forward for my career, and it’s one I’m very grateful for.”

Toyota Vice President Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley presented the award and said: “Each year, the Toyota Star Maker competition helps unearth some amazing new artists, showcasing the huge amount of talent we have coming up in Australian country music.

On behalf of Toyota Australia, I would like to congratulate Sammy on taking out the 2020 Toyota Star Maker title. She joins the ranks of past winners, which include Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan and Sam McClymont. It’s a well-deserved and significant achievement, and we are so pleased to have been able to be part of what will no doubt be a huge career in music.”

Toyota has a long and proud history of supporting country music in Australia, including 25 years of sponsoring the emerging artists of Star Maker and 28 years of the overall country music festival in Tamworth.

In addition to the title of Toyota Star Maker winner, Sammy receives a prize package, which includes the use of a new Toyota vehicle and a fuel card for 12 months, a return trip to Nashville for CMA Fest with Chris Watson travel and performance in the Aussie showcase. Sammy will also perform at major festivals and events throughout Australia, and will also join the artists’ line-up on Cruisin’ Country in October.

The 2020 Top Ten Star Maker Finalists were:

1 Chloe Styler* Age 22 Runaway Bay Qld
2 Clancy Pye Age 27 Orange NSW
3 El Cosgrove Age 25 Dalby Qld
4 Hannah May Age 25 Mount Cotton Qld
5 Jarred Taylor Age 27 Tamworth NSW
6 Juliet Oliver* Age 21 McLaren Vale SA
7 Leigha Moore* Age 27 Sippy Downs Qld
8 Sammy White Age 22 Mount Louisa Qld
9 Taylor Pfeiffer* Age 20 Nailsworth SA
10 Zoey Mills Age 20 Mirani Qld

Tonight, the Star Maker Grand Final provided a chance for finalists to perform two of their songs live on the biggest stage in Tamworth in front of thousands of country music fans and an illustrious panel of judges which includes:

•Daniel Biddle, Chairman, Country Music Association of Australia;
•Justin Thomson, National Content Director, KIX Country Radio;
•Scott Lamond, Saturday Night Country, ABC Radio;
•Tom Inglis, HSF Artist Services
•Greg Shaw, Label owner, and artist manager;
•Craig Power, The Pub Group, Tamworth;
•Cheryl Brown, Star Maker Manager
•Barry Harley, Manager Country Music, Tamworth Regional Council.

For further information on the Toyota Star Maker competition, visit https://www.tcmf.com.au/star-maker.

TEG Live and AEG Presents today announced that superstar Tim McGraw will perform two massive headline shows at the hugely-popular weekend destination, Hope Estate in the Hunter Valley on Friday 4 October and Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Sunday 6 October.

Presale tickets to these two shows will be available via VISA from 10.00am AEST, Thursday 16 May, before tickets go on sale at 11.00am AEST, Friday 17 May 2019 through Ticketek.

Fans attending these shows will witness why Tim McGraw is one of the biggest stars in music, as he brings the full firepower of his North American tour to the Hunter Valley and Melbourne.

“I have always enjoyed playing for Australian audiences, who are some of the loudest and most loyal music fans in the world. It’s been too long since I’ve been there, and I look forward to seeing you at these special concerts, bringing my full show to fans in the Hunter Valley and Melbourne,” said Tim McGraw.

Tim McGraw has sold more than 50 million records and dominated the charts with 43 worldwide #1 singles. He’s won 3 Grammy Awards, 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, 11 American Music Awards, 3 People’s Choice Awards and numerous other honours. His iconic career achievements include being named the BDS Radio’s Most Played Artist of the Decade for all music genres and having the Most Played Song of the Decade for all music genres.

He is the most played country artist since his debut in 1992, with two singles spending over 10 weeks at #1. His career long tour successes include the record setting Soul2Soul The World Tour 2017 with his wife, Faith Hill. McGraw starred in and narrated the hit movie, ‘The Shack’, as well as played leading roles in Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side. McGraw recently released two news songs ‘NEON CHURCH’ and ‘Thought About You’, his first new solo music in two years.

Joining these Tim McGraw headline shows, as special guest, will be the popular American country music group, Midland, on their first ever Australian tour.

Midland, Hailing from Dripping Springs, TX lead vocalist Mark Wystrach fronts Midland’s rich sound that is rounded out with lead guitarist Jess Carson and bass player Cameron Duddy. Their critically acclaimed freshman album, “On the Rocks”, features 13 tracks with song writing credits from each member alongside hitmakers Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. Launching to rave reviews from notable outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone Country, “On the Rocks” was declared “the year’s best Country album” by Washington Post. The album earned the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Top Country Album Sales chart upon release. Their debut No. 1 single “Drinkin’ Problem,” which offers an intentional nod to Country music reminiscent of the 1970s and 80s, earned the band their first Grammy Awards nominations for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Midland was also named New Vocal Group of the Year at the 2018 ACM Awards and were nominated for three CMA Awards including Vocal Group of the Year, Single of the Year for “Drinkin’ Problem” and New Artist of the Year. Midland was also nominated for Group of the Year and Video of the Year (“Burn Out”) at both the 2019 ACM Awards and 2019 CMAs.

Also on the bill is seven-time Golden Guitar winner and back-to-back CMC Male Artist of the Year winner Travis Collins. His current album and sixth studio album, “Brave & The Broken”, debuted at #1 and has spawned two #1 singles, with the new single, “Road Warriors”, currently climbing the charts. With a growing string of hit albums, #1 songs, awards and a decade of winning fans all across the country under his belt, Travis Collins continues to cement his footprint as a mainstay on the Australian music landscape. He is as well-known for his masterful guitar playing and powerhouse vocals as he is for his depth of song-writing and high energy live performances. Travis Collins is a multiple CMAA and CMC Award winner and in March was presented with the CMA’s ‘Jeff Walker Global Artist’ award.

Tim McGraw will also headline the inaugural C2C Australia festival, where he will be joined by chart-topping, singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini (USA), Midland (USA), Drake White & The Big Fire (USA), Australia’s own The McClymonts, Travis Collins, Andrew Swift and more to be announced. C2C Australia will take over Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday 28 September 2019 and Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Sunday 29 September 2019.

C2C AUSTRALIA PRESENTS
TIM MCGRAW
Special Guest Midland
supported by Travis Collins

Friday 4 October – Hope Estate, Hunter Valley
Sunday 6 October – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

VISA PRE-SALE
10.00AM AEST, THURSDAY 16 MAY 2019

GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE
11.00AM AEST, FRIDAY 17 MAY 2019
www.ticketek.com.au

Tim McGraw will also perform at the 21st annual Deni Ute Muster on Saturday 5 October 2019, with full details at www.deniutemuster.com.au

TEG Live and AEG Presents are proud to announce some of the incredible talent that will join superstar Tim McGraw along with chart-topping singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini and Midland at the very first Country to Country (C2C) Australia music festival in September 2019. C2C will take over Sydney Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday 28 September 2019 and Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Sunday 29 September 2019. Tickets on sale now via Ticketek.

Alabama native Drake White will return to Australia for C2C – this will be his 2nd visit to Australian shores. Immediately shooting to #1 on the iTunes Top Country Albums chart upon release, White’s debut album ‘SPARK’ has earned praise both commercially and across his loyal following. The undeniable sound of his soulful voice has whipped concert audiences into a frenzy as Drake and his band, The Big Fire, raise the roof and summon spirits to life onstage. It’s equal parts Baptist tent revival and amped-up southern rock festival. White, along with his band The Big Fire, have toured with superstars including Willie Nelson, Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band, Eric Church and Toby Keith.

Since the release of their debut EP in 2006, sisters Brooke, Sam & Mollie McClymont – The McClymonts – have established themselves as Australia’s number one country group with over a quarter of a million album sales, two gold album sales accreditations, twenty-two chart-topping singles and a reputation for being one of the most exciting touring acts in country music. They are thirteen-time Golden Guitar Award winners including the 2018 ‘Album of the Year’ for their best-selling album ‘Endless’ (which went #1 on the ARIA country album chart). They have also won two ARIA Awards, an APRA Award, three Country Music Channel Awards and a CMA ‘Global Artist of the Year’.

Travis Collins is a seven-time Golden Guitar winner and a true Australian country music superstar. With a growing string of hit albums, #1 songs, awards and a decade of winning fans all across the country under his belt, he continues to cement his footprint as a mainstay on the Australian music landscape. Collins is as well-known for his masterful guitar playing and powerhouse vocals as he is for his depth of songwriting and high energy live performances. His sixth studio album ‘Brave and the Broken’ is out now.

Andrew Swift won two Golden Guitars in 2019 for ‘Alt Country Album of the Year’ and ‘New Talent of the Year’. His album ‘Call Out For The Cavalry’ unleashed 4 singles, including ‘Reckless Desires’, ‘Runaway Train’ (one of 2018’s most played singles on Australian country radio), ‘King of the Sky’, and the latest (and Golden Guitar nominated for Vocal Collaboration of the Year), ‘Fire & Ice’ featuring Catherine Britt, which climbed the radio and video charts since its release in November 2018, reaching #2 on Kix Country and #1 on the Country Music Channel (Australia) video chart in March 2019.

Judah Kelly won the 2017 season of The Voice Australia. Music has always been part of Judah’s life, from performing in front of family in a New Zealand church at the age of four to three stints at Tamworth’s Academy of Country Music and a number of years spent working for others as a live and studio guitarist and bass player. His second album ‘Real Good Time’ is out now.

Nashville duo Reverie Lane will make their first Australian debut at C2C. Coming together in 2014, singer-songwriters Spencer Bartoletti and Presley Tucker have achieved some impressive milestones which many musicians can only dream of, including performing on stage at The Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium alongside Presley’s mother, country music icon and legend, Tanya Tucker.

Australian Sinead Burgess makes a welcome return to the country music scene and her first festival appearance since the release of her album ‘Damaged Goods’.

Also playing at the first ever C2C Australia will be Kiwi country singers Kaylee Bell and Jody Direen.

C2C will be 10 hours of country music, spanning multiple stages including the Main Stage, the C2C Spotlight Stage and the Town Square, and showcasing the best in country music as well as emerging talent from the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

C2C made its debut at the O2 Arena in London in 2013 and has now become an annual staple on the UK festival calendar with tens of thousands of fans attending each year to enjoy some of the very best of country music. In 2015, C2C went into mainland Europe for the first time with shows in Sweden and Norway. In 2019, C2C debuted in both the Netherlands and Germany, and now this annual country music festival is coming to Australia for the very first time in September.

Lee KernaghanAustralia’s own ‘Boy From The Bush’ Lee Kernaghan is gearing up for a massive Tamworth Country Music Festival show in 2019 and audiences are in for a treat. Returning to Tamworth Regional Entertainment Conference Centre (TRECC) with a massive new show featuring all the hits and fan favourites. This is going to be a huge country music party!

Always passionate about performing at Tamworth Country Music Festival, Lee is well known for putting on a amazing show that always features some surprise guest artists and new talent. In 2019, he also takes on the official ‘ambassador’ title for the festival – a worthy title considering it was at Tamworth where he took home the Star Maker title back in the 1980s.

Lee Kernaghan reinvigorated Australian Country Music in the 1990’s, synthesising traditional country themes with his own brand of rural rock and images of an evolving regional culture. Songs like The Outback Club, Boys From The Bush, Hat Town, She’s My Ute and Australian Boy are now modern day anthems for a generation of Australians living and working on the land.

Lee continues to tour Australia and has recently completed a massive two-year tour with his Boys From The Bush 25th Anniversary Tour. In 2017 he sold out 29 of the 32 theatre shows he performed, and the tour was extended into 2018 and once again, most of these shows sold out.

Lee has sold over two million albums in Australia and is a four-time ARIA award winning artist. He has achieved a staggering 38 #1 chart hit songs over his career and has been awarded 38 Golden Guitars. He has been named Hit Maker of the Decade, twice, in 2001 and 2011. This accolade is in recognition of Lee having more chart hits in Australia than any other country music artist in the world.

Lee’s return to TRECC on Thursday 24th January 2019 will be one of the hottest tickets of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, so call your friends and book your tickets early to join the party with Lee at Tamworth 2019. Lee and his special guests will get audiences on their feet for a good time!

Lee Kernaghan’s Tamworth Country Music Festival concert event is proudly presented by Toyota Australia.

Thursday 24th January 2019 | 8.15pm
TRECC, TAMORTH NSW
www.entertainmentvenues.com.au | (02) 6766 2028

The Wolfe BrothersThe 2019 Tamworth Country Music Festival is going to be one of the biggest yet for Australia’s favourite country rock band The Wolfe Brothers. Taking their Country Heart to the festival for one special night only on Thursday 23rd January at 8.30pm at The Albert Hotel, it brings full circle what was a massive 2018 for the Tasmanian rockers. The band released their album Country Heart in 2018, followed it up with a finalist nomination in the 2018 ARIA Awards for Best Country Album and are now heading to Tamworth with no less than five Golden Guitar nominations under their belt.

To help celebrate the release of their fouth long-player, Country Heart, The Wolfe Brothers have invited four-time Golden Guitar nominee Andrew Swift and New Zealand’s acclaimed female artist Jody Direen to join them in what will be one massive party! The band have already been out on the road throughout 2018 celebrating their studio release and have been packing houses at every show.

For Tom Wolfe, this special version of The Wolfe Brothers’ Country Heart tour, is really about bringing all country music fans together. It is essentially, about getting to the country heart – and showing that heart to audiences. The show is jam-packed with energy, fun, fantastic songs, great stories, and of course, a lot of country music. “We love to showcase country music in its many formats,” says Tom. “There is something in this concert for everyone.”

Heading to Tamworth Country Music Festival is always a highlight for the band. They’ve been making the annual pilgrimage for years now. Tom says they wouldn’t miss it for the world. “The festival is full of great music, mates and great times,” he says. “It is a highlight every year, we wouldn’t miss it.”

Aside from their show at Tamworth this year, The Wolfe Brothers will also be attending the Golden Guitars, with five nominations under their belt – Single Of The Year, Contemporary Country Album Of The Year, Country Music Capital News Group Or Duo Of The Year, APRA AMCOS Song Of The Year and CMC Video Of The Year. Post-festival, the band will be continuing to tour their chart-topping release around Australia throughout 2019.

The Wolfe Brothers Tamworth Country Music Festival show is a must-see concert – in fact it is more than a concert – it is a music party experience! So, don’t miss this one night only country music party. Come and celebrate with The Wolfe Brothers, and their mates, and celebrate their new show featuring tracks from Country Heart, plus all the hits from what is fast becoming one of Australia’s favourite country rock catalogues.

Book now for The Wolfe Brothers Live in Concert at Tamworth Country Music Festival with special guests Andrew Swift and Jody Direen. The Wolfe Brothers fourth studio album, Country Heart, is out now via ABC Music.

Wednesday 23rd January 2019 | 8.30pm
The Albert Hotel, TAMWORTH NSW
www.oztix.com.au | (02) 6766 6363

Prior to the launch of his “Graffiti U World Tour Australia,” four-time GRAMMY Award winner and 2018 GRAMMY nominee, Keith Urban will give a special performance, ‘A Benefit Show for Rural Aid Drought Relief,’ to take place as part of the 2019 Toyota Country Music Festival Tamworth at Tamworth Town Hall on Tuesday 22ndJanuary. All ticket sales will go directly to Rural Aid,who provide a holistic support program to rural Australia, including those in NSW and most of Queensland who were hit hardest by the drought.

Tickets for the standalone benefit show are on sale at 10am AEDT today:
Phone: 02 6766 2028
Online: www.tamworthtownhall.com.au
In person: Capital Theatre Tamworth or The Big Golden Guitar
Limit 4 tickets per person.

An established charity, Rural Aid was formed to provide assistance for the relief of poverty, illness, distress or disadvantage of individuals and families conducting primary production businesses that have been adversely affected by natural disasters. With record dry conditions, financial hardship brought on by the drought means money is needed for essential items.

Keith Urban said, “A no frills, no production, free form set list and all to help people who could really use it. It’s gonna be a blast playing the old Tamworth Town Hall!”

‘Way Too Long’ is the recently released new single from Urban’s chart-topping, Gold-certified album ‘GRAFFITI U’, which just this past week received a GRAMMY nomination for the song “Parallel Line.” He’s consistently topped the charts in Australia and the US over the last decade, amassing more than 22 million in album sales worldwide, with combined sales of 1.4 million albums in Australia.

A five-time ARIA Award winner, Urban also has a total of 14 ARIA Platinum selling singles and albums and recently hosted the 2018 ARIA Awards.

Following ‘A Benefit Show for Rural Aid Drought Relief’ at Tamworth Town Hall, Urban’s “Graffiti U World Tour Australia” will begin with a sold out show at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on January 23, followed by shows in Sydney (Qudos Bank Arena on January 25 and 26), Canberra (GIO Stadium on January 27), Brisbane (Entertainment Centre on January 31, February 2 and 3) and Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena on February 5 and 6).