FESTIVAL PROGRAM NOW ONLINE

Australia’s largest Independent Country Music Festival event from 26 September to 5 October is well advanced with the full program now available online.

Over 100 artists will join the celebrations at 24 separate venues for the 22nd year of the Festival. The artist roster includes 2008 Golden Guitar finalists AMBER LAWRENCE, CARTER & CARTER, ROSE CARLEO, PETER PRATT, GRAHAM RODGER, LOU BRADLEY and HARMONY JAMES. There’s also an impressive list of current hitmakers including 2007 Southern Stars winner MARKUS MEIER, SHARON BENJAMIN, SHARNEE FENWICK, PAUL COSTA, LEE FORSTER, JOHN O’DEA, LUKE O’SHEA, and CAMILLE TE NAHU & STUIE FRENCH.

Popular Mildura Festival regulars will be back like OWEN BLUNDELL, REG POOLE, TERRY GORDON, LAURA DOWNING and CRAIG GILES, and the Bush Balladeers are again well represented. Included in the program this year will be some dedicated days at Country on the Darling and Henderson Park for the Bush Balladeers.

Popular balladeers featuring on the Bush Ballad programs include GLENN JONES, DEAN PERRETT, JULIE PERANDES, ANITA REE, TOM MAXWELL, GREG BAIN, NATHAN CHARLTON and RACHEL RICHARDS. And there’s an impressive list of the new generation of rising stars including KELLY HOPE, AARON BOLTON, KAYLAH ANNE, LIAM BREW, ADAM JAMES and SARAH McMONAGLE.

“The exciting news is that two legendary performers will be part of this year’s festival,” said Festival Co-ordinator John Arnold. “Country Music Roll of Renown member JIMMY LITTLE, and the iconic LUCKY STARR will be part of the program.”

Entries for the eight judged categories for The Southern Stars - The Australian Independent Country Music Awards close on June 30. The gala awards concert, now in its 12th year will be held on Saturday 4 October at the Mildura Arts Centre Theatre.

The morning Walk Ups from 8am until 10am that are held at The Mildura Gateway Tavern will continue, with a extra walk up at this venue from 9pm unitl 11pm daily and will be hosted by Ian Muir. EnjoyLife Cafe at Centro Mildura will again host a night Walk Up with Graeme McCardle, from 6pm until 8pm

The 2008 Program will be available this month at www.milduracountrymusic.com.au and for further information for accommodation or enquiries about the Festival, contact the Mildura Visitor Information Centre, 1800 039 043.

THE SOUTHERN STARS THE AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT
COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Saturday October 4th, 2008
Mildura Arts Centre Theatre

Entry forms are now available for the Twelfth Southern Stars - the Australian Independent Country Music Awards - to be held on Saturday 4th October during the 2008 Mildura Country Music Festival.

Entries for the Awards, open to all CD product from independent Australian country music artists recorded in Australia and released in the period July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008, close on June 30.

The awards cover eight nominated categories - Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Heritage Track of the Year, Rising Star Male and Female, Male and Female Vocalist of the Year and Group/Duo of the Year. A further award, Independent Artist of the Year, is judged from artists nominated in the above categories.

Further information can be obtained from the Awards Co-ordinator John Arnold on 0418 303 206 or email jonarnol@bigpond.net.au.

Entry Forms for the Awards can be dowloaded Awards Entry Form

RED CLIFFS CARAVAN PARK
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Those people who have made bookings at the Red Cliffs Caravan Park for the 2008 Mildura Country Music Festival,
please contact Kara Phone: 03 5024 2261 with regards to your bookings

Email address:redcliffscp@bigpond.com

CARTER & CARTER MAKE IT 10

Victorian duo CARTER & CARTER continued their extraordinary success at the Southern Stars, the 11th Australian Independent Country Music Awards, bringing their total at these awards to 10.

The husband/wife duo of David and Merelyn Carter won One Stop Entertainment Independent Album of the Year with Look Before You Leap, Group/Duo of the Year, and for an incredible fourth year were named Independent Artists of the Year. Carter & Carter’s amazing record includes 11 radio singles, all of them making the National Top 10, including six #1's, four albums to date, and a host of other awards and accolades.

Winners from last year making a return to the 2007 Awards list included FELICITY URQUHART, bringing her Independent Awards tally to five with a win in APRA/AMCOS Independent Country Music Single of the Year for Big Black Cloud, and the 2006 Independent Artist of the Year PAUL COSTA who backed up for the 2007 Male Vocalist award with his chart hit A Lover’s Question.

First time winners at the Independent Awards included AMBER LAWRENCE in Female Vocalist for Things That Bring Me Down, GRAHAM RODGER in Heritage Track of the Year with Woman On The Land, and Rising Star award winners MARKUS MEIER in the Male section with Matilda Road and CASEY WATT in the Female category with I Don’t Want To Work This Hard.

Tireless Mildura Country Music Festival committee member JOY LAURIE received the Barry Thornton Service Award for her efforts.

The awards are held annually as a climax to the huge Mildura Country Music Festival.

For further information, contact the Awards Co-ordinator John Arnold on 0418 303206.

TWO-TIMERS DOMINATE AWARDS

In what organisers of the 2007 Southern Stars - the 11th Australian Independent Country Music Awards of Australia are calling one of the most even and competitive fields in memory, eight individual artist or duos scored two final nominations.

Members of the “Two Timers” club include TANIA KERNAGHAN, AMBER LAWRENCE, CARTER & CARTER, FELICITY URQUHART, LOU BRADLEY, TOM CURTAIN, CAMILLE TE NAHU & STUIE FRENCH and PAUL COSTA.

Finalists in the prestigious One Stop Entertainment Australian Independent Album of the Year are Camille Te Nahu & Stuie French for Recovered, Carter & Carter with Leap Before You Look, Lou Bradley’s Someone and Restoration from Paul Costa.

Awards Co-ordinator John Arnold described the Finalists list as a level playing field. "Often we do have artists with multiple finalist nominations, but nothing as even as this year," he said.

"It was a tough year for the judges," added Mr Arnold. "238 individual entries were received for the eight judged categories, representing recorded product from 93 individual artists and groups."

Previous Independent Award winners reaching finals in 2007 include seven time winners CARTER & CARTER, multiple winners TRAVIS SINCLAIR and FELICITY URQUHART, and PAUL COSTA and IAN QUINN.

In all, 24 individuals, duos and groups made the various finals categories, and Mr Arnold was quick to point out that the majority had achieved significant success in the past 12 months.

Of the finals contenders, 17 had Top 30 chart success with radio singles in the past year, four made it to the Top 10, five had songs in the Top 5, and three (Tania Kernaghan, Felicity Urquhart and Travis Sinclair) reached the coveted #1 position.

The Awards are staged during the 21st Mildura Country Music Festival. Winners will be announced on Saturday 6 October at the awards presentation concert at 5.30pm in the Mildura Arts Centre Theatre. Tickets are available by calling 1800 039 043 ($33.00 including GST).

View the 2007 Finalists

For enquiries: Contact John Arnold 0418 303206

BIG ENTRIES FOR SOUTHERN STARS

Organisers have just completed compiling nominations for the 2007 Southern Stars – the Australian Independent Country Music Awards.

The Awards are held in conjunction with the giant 10 day Mildura Country Music Festival, and Awards organiser John Arnold said that a total of 238 individual nominations have been received for the eight judged categories, representing recorded product from 93 individual artists and groups.

The highest nominations were received in APRA/AMCOS Australian Independent Single of the Year with 70 entries and One Stop Entertainment Australian Independent Album of the Year with 50. Australian Heritage Track of the Year received 34 nominations, followed by Male and Female Vocalist with 26 and 20 respectively.

The Australian Independent Country Music Awards are now in their 11th year, and are widely recognised as a major benchmark for Independent Country Music Artists.

2007 Southern Stars finalists will be announced on Friday, August 10, with winners to be announced at a Gala Concert at the Mildura Arts Centre Theatre on Saturday, 6 October.

2007 PROGRAM NOW ONLINE

The program for the 2007 Mildura Country Music Festival is now available on online.

There will be over 100 artists performing at the 21st Birthday of the Festival. The exciting news is that as well as many regular performers at this year's Festival, there will be 20 artists that were not at the 2006 Festival. They include Donna Boyd, John O'Dea, Craig Stewart, Kelly Hope, Greg Bain, Matt Manning, Susan Lily and Jason Ryan.

Included in the program this year will be some dedicated days at Country on the Darling and Henderson Park to the Bush Balladeers. Popular Balladeer Jeff Brown will be bringing his band to Mildura for the first time. They will join the very talented Sally-Anne Whitten and her band Rumour Mill from Tamworth, who will also be very popular at the Mildura Festival.

The Walk Ups that have been held at Hudaks Bakery have moved to new venues. A popular venue of the Festival, The Mildura Gateway Tavern will host the morning shows with Ian Muir from 8am until 10am, while a new venue EnjoyLife Cafe at Centro Mildura for the night Walk Up, will be again be hosted by Graeme McCardle, from 6pm until 8pm

This is the earliest that the Mildura program has been launched and will assist fans in making preaprartion for their visit to the Festival. Free entry to all events (except the Awards and the Talent Quest) will continue to be a feature of the Festival.

INDEPENDENT AWARDS ENTRIES NOW OPEN

SOUTHERN STARS
11TH AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT
COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS

Saturday October 6th, 2007
Mildura Arts Centre Theatre

Entry forms are now available for the Eleventh Southern Stars - the Australian Independent Country Music Awards - to be held on Saturday 6th October during the 2007 Mildura Country Music Festival.

Entries for the Awards, open to all CD product from independent Australian country music artists recorded in Australia and released in the period July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007, close on June 30.

The awards cover eight nominated categories - Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Heritage Track of the Year, Rising Star Male and Female, Male and Female Vocalist of the Year and Group/Duo of the Year. A further award, Independent Artist of the Year, is judged from artists nominated in the above categories.

Further information can be obtained from the Awards Co-ordinator John Arnold on 0418 303 206 or email jonarnol@bigpond.net.au.

Entry Forms for the Awards can be dowloaded Awards Entry Form

ARTIST APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON 28 FEBRUARY

View the Artist Applications

Artist applications for the 2007 Mildura Country Music Festival will close on 28th February. Artists can apply online.

Applications for The Southern Stars The Australian Independent Country Music Awards will be available online soon.