Travis Collins unseats good mate Adam Brand as king of country at CMC Awards on the Gold Coast

CMC Awards: Travis and Rebecca Collins. Picture: Mike Batterham

TRAVIS Collins has stopped Gold Coast favourite Adam Brand from grabbing a cowboy hat-trick after being crowned Australia’s new king of country.

Collins beat a star-studded field to claim three awards at Foxtel’s 7th annual CMC Awards at Jupiters Hotel & Casino last night including the coveted Australian Artist of the Year Award, previously won by Brand in 2016 and 2015.

Collins, who won three Golden Guitar Awards in Tamworth earlier this year, was also named CMC Male Artist of the Year while his track Call Me Crazy was named CMC Australian Video of the Year.

Singer Travis Collins. Picture: John Elliott/The AustralianSource:News Corp Australia

Brand didn’t go home empty-handed. His Adam Brand and The Outlaws album — an all-star collaboration with Collins, Drew McAlister, Matt Cornell and Mike Carr — picked up the ARIA Award for Highest Selling Australian Artist.

Australia’s only viewer-voted country music awards, last night’s ceremony brought the cream of the crop to the Coast to see local music great Lee Kernaghan honoured with the CMC Hall of Fame Award, in recognition of his impact on country music.

Kernaghan’s greatest hits were celebrated with a special medley performance by Brand, Collins, Jasmine Rae, Catherine Britt, Christie Lamb, Caitlyn Shadbolt and The Wolfe Bros.

photo galleryCoast hosts CMC Awards

CMC AWARDS: The McClymonts. Picture: Mike Batterham1 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Robby X and Lee Kernaghan. Picture: Mike Batterham2 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Shaun Ryan and Imogen Clark . Picture Mike Batterham3 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Adam Brand. Picture: Mike Batterham4 of 28

CMC AWARDS: The Shires. Picture: Mike Batterham5 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Little Big Town. Picture: Mike Batterham6 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Troy Kemp and Aleesha Witherspoon. Picture: Mike Batterham7 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Jetty Road. Picture: Mike Batterham8 of 28

CMC AWARDS: James Blundell and Tania Kernaghan. Picture: Mike Batterham9 of 28

CMC AWARDS: The Wolfe Brothers. Picture: Mike Batterham10 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Missy Lancaster. Picture: Mike Batterham11 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Lisa Scelzi and Buddy Goode. Picture: Mike Batterham12 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Troy Cassar-Daley and Laurel Edwards. Picture: Mike Batterham13 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Karin Page. Picture: Mike Batterham14 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Charles Esten. Picture: Mike Batterham15 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Liam Kennedy-Clark. Picture: Mike Batterham16 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Morgan Evans. Picture: Mike Batterham17 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Hayley Jensen. Picture: Mike Batterham18 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Jasmine Rae. Picture: Mike Batterham19 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Andrew Swift and Katie Brianna. Picture: Mike Batterham20 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Natalie Pearson. Picture: Mike Batterham21 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Marion and Allan Caswell. Picture: Mike Batterham22 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Amber Lawrence. Picture: Mike Batterham23 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Matt Cornell. Picture: Mike Batterham24 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Fanny Lumsden. Picture: Mike Batterham25 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Chelsea Basham. Picture: Mike Batterham26 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Caitlyn Shadbolt. Picture: Mike Batterham27 of 28

CMC AWARDS: Catherine Britt. Picture: Mike Batterham28 of 28

CMC AWARDS: The McClymonts. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Robby X and Lee Kernaghan. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Shaun Ryan and Imogen Clark . Picture Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Adam Brand. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: The Shires. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Little Big Town. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Troy Kemp and Aleesha Witherspoon. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Jetty Road. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: James Blundell and Tania Kernaghan. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: The Wolfe Brothers. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Missy Lancaster. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Lisa Scelzi and Buddy Goode. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Troy Cassar-Daley and Laurel Edwards. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Karin Page. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Charles Esten. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Liam Kennedy-Clark. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Morgan Evans. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Hayley Jensen. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Jasmine Rae. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Andrew Swift and Katie Brianna. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Natalie Pearson. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Marion and Allan Caswell. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Amber Lawrence. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Matt Cornell. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Fanny Lumsden. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Chelsea Basham. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Caitlyn Shadbolt. Picture: Mike Batterham

CMC AWARDS: Catherine Britt. Picture: Mike Batterham

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WA singer and songwriter Chelsea Basham was named CMC Female Australian Artist of the Year, Fanny Lumsden won CMC New Australian Artist of the Year and multi-award winning country music trio The McClymonts took out CMC Group or Duo of the Year.

Four-time Grammy winner Keith Urban was named CMC International Artist of the Year (his fifth win in the category) while his single Wasted Time was named CMC International Video of the Year.

Keith Urban on stage in Australia this year. Picture: Thomas Davidson.Source:Supplied

In a video acceptance speech, Urban, who was also awarded the ARIA Highest Selling International Album Award for Ripcord, thanked fans and the CMC for their support.

“I feel very proud tonight, thank you. The tour I just had in Australia was the most fun I ever had touring ever, so thank you for everyone that came out and saw us play and for supporting the album. I feel extremely grateful,” he said.

“We tour all over the world and there is always something around me that makes me feel Aussie no matter where I go.

“I am always going to feel that way and I am very grateful and grateful for these awards.

“I love the awards and love you guys.”

Perth singer-songwriter Chelsea Basham with Keith Urban before their duet on stage. Picture: FacebookSource:Supplied

Hosted by Morgan Evans, the awards show included live performances by Collins (Call Me Crazy), Little Big Town’s first-ever Aussie appearance (a crowd favourite rendition of their Taylor Swift-penned hit Better Man), an exclusive acoustic rendition of Johnny Cash’s Long Black Veil by Troy Cassar-Daley and Craig Campbell and a sneak peak at The McClymonts new single, Endless.

CMC AWARDS: Troy Cassar-Daley and Laurel Edwards. Picture: Mike BatterhamSource:News Corp Australia

The ceremony ended with Kernaghan leading a rousing rendition of Outback Club Reunion before the stars made tracks for a highly-anticipated after-party.

Kernaghan will release his new The 25th Anniversary Album today to mark 25 years since he burst on to the scene with his debut album, The Outback Club.

The CMC Awards kick off a huge weekend that continues with the sold-out CMC Rocks festival at Willowbank, near Ipswich, from today until Sunday.

Foxtel will rescreen last night’s ceremony on Fox8 on Sunday at 2.30pm and on CMC throughout the week from Monday at 6pm.

THE CMC MUSIC AWARDS 2017 WINNERS

Australian artist of the year

Travis Collins

International artist of the year

Keith Urban

Male Australian artist of the year

Travis Collins

Female Australian artist of the year

Chelsea Basham

New Australian artist of the year

Fanny Lumsden

Group or duo of the year

The McClymonts

Australian video of the year

Travis Collins: Call Me Crazy

International video of the year

Keith Urban: Wasted Time

Hall of Fame award

Lee Kernaghan

ARIA highest selling Australian artist

Adam Brand and The Outlaws (self-titled)

ARIA highest selling international album of the year

Keith Urban: Ripcord

Originally published as Travis Collins sweeps CMC Awards