The Country Music Association of Australia Inc. are proud to announce the first ever ‘Academy X’ online educational event to take place Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 January, 2021. The Academy X program will feature superstars and leaders of the country music industry giving students invaluable information on various aspects of the music industry, including songwriting, record labels, publishing, management, festivals and touring, recording, performance, video production and media strategies. There will be a focus on resilience, innovation and mental health in a post-COVID world.

The two-day course will feature key note presentations by country music superstars Troy Cassar-Daley, Brooke McClymont, Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole, Shane Nicholson, Amber Lawrence, Fanny Lumsden and Caitlyn Shadbolt along with industry leaders including Matt Fell (award winning producer, Love Hz Studio), Julz Parker (award winning producer), Dan Biddle (Artist Manager and Chairman, CMAA), Natalie Waller (Head of ABC Music & Events and Vice-Chair, CMAA), Duncan Toombs (award winning video director, The Filmery), Geoff Bell (Agent & Promoter, Laing Entertainment) and Simon Johnson (multi-instrumentalist and producer, Hillbilly Hut), as well as Support Act with a presentation on mental health and resilience in the music industry.

Group leaders and mentors for the students will include award-winning artists Lyn Bowtell, Dobe Newton, Roger Corbett, Catherine Britt, Amber Lawrence, Lachlan Bryan, Ashleigh Dallas, Kevin Bennett, David Carter, Jayne Denham and Mickey Pye and they will provide the intensive hands on experience that has been an integral part of The Academy for so long.

The Academy (previously known as the CMAA Academy of Country Music) has operated from Tamworth since 1997, normally running for two weeks preceding the Toyota Country Music Festival, Tamworth. The news of the move to the online format follows the announcement that the Tamworth Country Music Festival will be suspended for 2021 in light of restrictions due to COVID-19. This is the first time in the 24-year history of The Academy that an in-person event will not take place in January.

The Academy has been an important steppingstone in the careers of hundreds of artists including Jessica Mauboy, Brooke McClymont, Sara Storer, Travis Collins, Amber Lawrence, Adam Eckersley, Caitlyn Shadbolt, Judah Kelly, Kylie Sackley, The Sunny Cowgirls, Ashleigh Dallas, Melanie Dyer, Imogen Clark and many more. Academy X is set to continue that tradition and give a fresh group of emerging artists and songwriters the chance to connect with some of the best in the business and forge long-lasting connections with their peers.

The Academy Director, Lyn Bowtell and General Manager, Roger Corbett (both multi award-winning singer-songwriters) are excited by the opportunity to continue the important educational experience that The Academy provides, albeit in an online setting.

Corbett said, “Academy X is available to artists and songwriters from Australia and the world. From past Academy students looking to refresh and expand their careers to first time students gaining insights into the country music industry, they’ll be able to gain inspiration and insight from this amazing line up of key-note speakers and hands-on group leaders.”

Bowtell added “Students can expect the same passion and focus that our lecturers bring to the in-person version of the Academy and we look forward to nurturing the next crop of country music stars in a post-COVID world”.

CMAA Chairman, Dan Biddle noted, “We thank all of the key-note speakers and mentors who will come together to deliver an online presentation which will educate and unite our emerging country music artists.” He added “We look forward to The Academy returning to Tamworth in a physical capacity when restrictions ease and until that time, Academy X will provide the platform our industry needs in order to foster new talent for the future.”

Registrations for Academy X open at 11am Friday, October 16

with early bird pricing available until Monday, November 30

To register or for more information, visit www.academycountrymusic.com.au.