The Country Music Awards of Australia have been the major activity of the Country Music Association since its formation in 1992 - in fact it was the primary reason for the creation of the Association.

The Country Music Awards of Australia is the nation's longest running music awards concert and the pinnacle event of the Tamworth Country Music Festival. The Awards and Festival will celebrate their 40th anniversary this January 2012.

The Awards were first held in 1973 in Tamworth, one of New South Wales' major regional centres, around the same time the city began promoting itself as Australia's Home of Country Music. Since they began the Awards have played the key role in developing and promoting Australian country music. Under the CMAA, they continue to grow and develop as the primary focus for country music in Australia.

Originally, the Awards were staged in the historic Tamworth Town Hall with a capacity audience of around 1,000. Over the years, the Awards venue has ranged from school halls to a giant 'big top' and converted factory. Since 1999, they have been presented in Country Music Capital's $6 million Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre (TRECC) in front of a capacity audience of 5,000 fans, artists, industry people and visitors. The CMAA Awards recognise and promote excellence in Australian country music songwriting, performance and recording.

The Awards presentations are accompanied by a star-studded gala concert featuring the cream of Australian country music and some of our newest rising stars.

The 41st CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia, will be staged on Saturday, 26th January, 2013 at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre (TRECC).

The Awards are country music's night of nights. Who will win the hotly contested trophies?

This is the one event where you’ll see ALL THE MAJOR STARS attending, presenting or performing.

Arrive early and check out the stars on their Red Carpet arrival.

Please note: The use of any audio or video devices, including mobile phones, to record any portion of the concert is strictly illegal. Such devices are permitted ONLY in the TRECC forecourt and in the foyer.

In consideration of the presenters, artists and your fellow audience members, please ensure that your mobile phone is switched off throughout the concert.

Tickets:
General Public
Tourism Tamworth Ltd
P: 02 6767 5300   W: www.tcmf.com.au
Tickets on sale now at www.tcmf.com.au or click here.

All professional members please note  that platinum tickets for Australian Country Music Awards will be sold via the Capital Theatre box office. Patrons will call 02 6766 2028 and speak with Lucy Walsh (Email  l.walsh@tamworth.nsw.gov.au ) quoting Membership number.

Although the Destination Tamworth ticketing system will automatically allocate a seat number for each ticket, the purchaser will be told that they will not receive their seat number until closer to the awards event. Seating & tickets will be allocated and picked up from  - NB:  CMAA Office, First Floor, Tamworth Town Hall, Fitzroy Street, Tamworth in the week leading up to Awards Night  Saturday 26 January, 2012

How do the Awards work?

Nominations for the CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia are for material generally released during the eligibility period**. Nominees who qualify submit eligible material that is judged by carefully selected and qualified judges who assess the nominations and provide their top selections.

The Judges selections are collated and points tallied to determine the Finalists who are announced early December, with the Winners announced at the Awards presentation in January. The exception to this process is the Top Selling Album award which is awarded to the album with the highest sales during the eligibility period. CMAA Professional Members and a judging panel then vote to determine the winners in the voted categories.

Over 200 separate pieces of recorded product and more than 500 individual nominations generally feature in each year's Awards.

**Eligibility periods for the 2012 – 2013 CMAA Awards (*for majority of categories, see nominations booklet for more information)
• 2012:  1st October 2010 to 30th September 2011 – 12 month eligibility period*

• 2013 : 1st October 2011 to 30th September 2012 – 12 month eligibility period*

Closing date for nominations is Monday 1 October 2012.

For more detailed information about the CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia nomination and judging processes please see CMAA Awards in the menu bar above.