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Promoting Country Music Around the Globe

NEWS FROM THE U.K.

BRITS INVADE CMA WEEK

Momentum is building for the upcoming Country to Country Festival (C2C) to be held at the O2 in London on March 15 & 16, 2014. Confirmed artists include Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Zac Brown Band, Dixie Chicks, Dierks Bentley, Chris Young, and Martina McBride. The festival will also be traveling to Dublin, Ireland for two nights of nonstop music.

CMA Week in Nashville last November, was well attended by executives from the UK.

The inaugural C2C 2013 event welcomed over 17,000 enthusiastic fans earlier this year.

The 2013 British Country Music Awards (BCMA) was recently held in London, with Entertainer of the Year honors going to Henry Smith. Nancy Lee took Female Vocalist Honors, Gary Perkins, Male Vocalist, and Raintown was named Duo of the Year. International Award winners were as follows: Song – “Highway Don't Care” - Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban Artist - Vince Gill Industry Services - Scott Borchetta, CEO BMLG Album - Blown Away - Carrie Underwood Dates have been announced for the 2014 UK Maverick Festival - It will be held July 4-6, 2014 at Easton Farm Park. Talent will be announced early in the new year. The Tennessean Tourism Authority has named Irish living legend, Roly Daniels, as an Honorary Country Music Ambassador to Tennessee. The title was conferred at a Dublin reception in late November that was attended by Nashville artists Billy Yates, Buddy Jewell, and Moore & Moore. The Florida-Georgia Line and Nelly, "Cruise," remix achieved A-list status at BBC Radio 2 for close to 12 weeks on its playlist. The single has received over 365 total plays on stations across the UK. FGL are indeed the hottest duo in Country Music at the moment and recently picked up 6 ACA Awards.

BMLG recording group, The Cadillac Three, recently played an acoustic show at the world famous World's End Pub. Their album, Tennessee Mojo, is out in the UK and has attained Top 20 status on the UK iTunes.

Left to right (I think – it’s a big line-up!:) Bobbi Bryce (CMA), Bob Shennan (BBC Radio 2), Jon Cauwood (Sony), Mark Hagen (BBC), Mike Bartlett (Universal), Al Booth (BBC), Jeff Smith (BBC Radio 2), Richard Wootton (Richard Wootton Publicity), Iain Snodgrass (Universal) - Photo credit: Paul Williams

Country legend Gene Watson recently did a whirlwind tour of the UK (3 dates in Skegness, Essex, and Leeab) and Ireland (Donegal and Armagh). Pictured following the Essex performance were veteran UK broadcaster David Allen, journalist Tony Byworth, and Watson.

Watson was accompanied by newcomer Will Banister’s band. Banister is making quite a name for himself in the UK. A native of Portales, New Mexico, 25 year old Will has returned to the UK three times since his initial critically acclaimed appearance at the 2012 International Country Music Festival. Further UK dates are currently being set for him in 2014 - Will Banister - a face to watch.

Scotland plays host to several country/americana artists in the coming months - At the Celtic Connection to be held in Glasgow Jan. 16 - Feb. 2, Mary Chapin Carpenter will perform with the Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Beth Nielsen Chapman, Tim O'Brien, Darrell Scott, Jace Everett, and Gretchen Peters will also perform. Further details are available at www.celticconnection.com Suzy Bogguss and Radney Foster cross the Atlantic to perform at the Northern Nashville Caithness Festival April 18-24. They will be joining local artists as well as artists from Ireland, Sweden, and the UK. Visit www.nncmc.co.uk for more information.


CMA INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

JAPANESE FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 25

The Country Music Association recently held a reception at the Country Music Hall of Fame to honor three of their International Award recipients for this year. AristoMedia CEO (and editor of the Aristo International Report) was presented with the Jo WalkerMeador Award for outstanding achievements in advocating and supporting country music's marketing development in territories outside the U.S. According to Walker, "It was a double thrill - first to receive the award and second to receive it personally from Jo Walker-Meador. I feel very humbled."

In late October, the International Country Music Festival, Country Gold, celebrated its 25th anniversary. The Japanese festival has gained a reputation as the biggest country music festival in the Far East. Organized by Charlie Nagatani, the event took place October 20 and included performances by Aaron Tippin, Daryle Singletary, Anita Cochran, Robyn Young, and Charlie Nahatani and The Cannonballs. Over the years, many great country acts have performed at the annual Country Gold event, including Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Alison Krauss, and the Charlie Daniel's Band. The performances took place at the Aspecta Amphitheater, which is regarded as one of the world's most beautiful outdoor venues. Set at the base of Mt. Aso, an active volcano in Kumamoto, Prefecture, Country Gold drew more than 10,000 attendees, a 25% increase from the 2012 numbers. "Country Gold holds a special place in my heart because it's the very first festival I helped establish from the ground up," said Judy Seale of JSI, Inc. who serves as talent coordinator for the event. "It's hard to believe this year marked 25 successful years for the event. One of the biggest changes we have noticed in recent years is a much younger audience, which is a very exciting thing to see."

Pictured (l-r) at the recent CMA Global Awards reception are Jeff Walker, Jo Walker-Meador, Bob Harris, and CMA President-Elect Frank Bumstead.

At the same ceremony, Bob Harris received the CMA International Country Broadcaster Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside the United States who have made important contributions for the development of country music in their country. The International Artist Award for 2013 was presented to Taylor Swift, who first received the award in 2009. The award is presented for outstanding achievement by a U.S. based artist who contributes to the awareness and development of country music outside the United States. Taylor's list of global accomplishments continues to grow from Australia to the UK to Europe. She recently performed at Kensington Palace for Prince William at the Winter White Gala with Jon Bon Jovi. She also became the first female artist in history to sell out Sydney's Allianz Stadium, as she kicked off the Australian leg of her RED Tour with a crowd of over 40,900 fans. This followed a successful three-night stint of sold out shows playing to over 30,000 fans at Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand.

During the festival, Nagatani was honored for his dedication to country music over the years. He was given three certificates of appreciation from the mayor of Nashville, the Country Music Association, and the Grand Ole Opry. The Academy of Country Music and the State of Tennessee House of Representatives also acknowledged him with commendation letters.

The artists who participated in the event helped present Nagatani with his certificates of appreciation. Pictured above L to R: Penny Philips (JSI, Inc.), Robyn Young, Charlie Nagatani, Judy Seale, Anita Cochran, Daryle Singletary, and Aaron Tippin.

Swift w/ Frank Bumstead.


NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA The lineup for the CMC Rocks the Hunter 2014, the largest annual country roots festival in the southern hemisphere, has been finalized. Recently added to the lineup were U.S. hit makers, Gretchen Wilson, Clay Walker, Thompson Square, Jim Lauderdale, and Blackjack Billy, alongside Australian stars, James Reyne, Shane Nicholson, Jedd Hughes, Busby Marou, and more. The 2014 festival contains the most U.S. artists in CMC Rocks the Hunter history. Already announced performers include Toby Keith, Eli Young Band, Kellie Pickler, and Craig Campbell, amongst others. CMC Rocks the Hunter 2014 will be held at the beautiful Hope Estate in the NSW Hunter Valley wine region March 14-16. At the recent ARIA Awards - the Australian equivalent of the Grammys - Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson took the Best Country Album award for their duet record, Wreck and Ruin. This is their second collaborative album. The first, Rattlin' Bones, also won the ARIA Award upon its release in 2008.

VETERAN AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTER NICK ERBY RECENTLY CELEBRATED 50 YEARS IN RADIO Erby's career includes a wide range of positions at several key Australian stations, including management stints in major markets Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra. In the late 70s, he established a weekly syndicated country music show, which ran in over half of the Australian radio markets for exactly 20 years. He moved to country music full time in the mid 80s, and based in the Aussie country music capital, Tamworth NSW. Apart from his radio shows, Erby also produced and hosted two weekly TV shows and has been a regular contributor to the major country music publications. A multiple winner of the CMA's International Broadcaster of the Year, Erby is currently running a full time country music Internet station. For more information visit www.countrymusicradio.com.au

The Australian CMAA has announced the finalists for the upcoming Tamworth Country Music Festival that will be held in the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Center (TRECC) in New South Wales, Australia on Saturday, January 25, 2014. Lee Kernaghan, Sara Storer, Troy Cassar-Daley, Adam Harvey, O'Shea, and Keith Urban, and new artists The Wolfe Brothers, Jasmine Rae, and Ashleigh Dallas scooped the pool as finalists for a coveted Golden Guitar Trophy in 2014. Nominees for International Top Selling Album of the Year are: 40 Years of Pride - Charley Pride Based on a True Story - Blake Shelton Golden - Lady Antebellum Red - Taylor Swift Thirty Miles West - Alan Jackson In conjunction with the Tamworth Awards, the Third Annual Country Music Radio Seminar Australia will be held on Friday, Jan. 24th, 2014. This educational event is a growing fixture of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

During a recent visit to Nashville, Erby interviewed AristoMedia publicist, Christy Walker-Watkins, about the business of country music for a special that aired on his radio show down under.

Legendary singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson has announced his return to Australia. He will perform an astonishing twenty-one concerts across Australia when he tours next March and April.


ARISTO Q&A WITH WORLD VISION EXECUTIVE MICHAEL BIANCHI Earlier this year, global humanitarian organization World Vision followed its mission of giving back to children, families, and their communities worldwide by sending a group of artists and songwriters to the Dominican Republic to assist families in need. Participating artists and songwriters included Ella Mae Bowen, Russell Dickerson, Elenowen (The Voice), Melissa Fuller, Natalie Hemby (“White Liar,” “Only Prettier,” “Pontoon”), Molly Hunt, Luke Laird (“Downtown,” “Beat This Summer,” “Pontoon”) and Matt Wertz. The songwriters had the chance to meet with families in which their efforts would be helping. While in the Dominican Republic, the group traveled to a school in Santo Domingo where both the songwriters and the children performed music for each other. Each songwriter got to experience firsthand the work of World Vision and their impact on foreign communities. World Vision launched the annual event for Country music artists and songwriters to network with each other while helping a community in need. Plans are already underway for next year to return to the Dominican Republic. We caught up with World Vision's Michael Bianchi to tell us a little bit more about World Vision and how artists can help. 1. Define World Vision’s core objective. World Vision's core objective is to work with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. 2. How many countries are you represented in around the world? World Vision currently works in nearly 100 countries worldwide. 3. How involved is World Vision in country music? World Vision has worked with musicians, speakers, and events over the past 25 years. World Vision Artists & Partners use their influence to speak out on behalf of those whose voice is not heard-vulnerable children around the world. By taking a few minutes to talk about children in need, these World Vision Artists make a lifetime of difference as they open the eyes of their audience to the needs of others and connect caring individuals with children in need. 4. List some recent initiatives involving country music artists. Our most recent country initiatives included being the charity sponsor for the Lisa Marie Presley and Scotty McCreery tours. Both tours offered audiences a chance to learn more about World Vision and sponsor children around the world. 5. How can country artists get involved with the World Vision programs? There are several ways country artists can get involved. You can always contact the artist program to learn more about how World Vision partners on tours and events. In addition, World Vision is always looking for opportunities to spread the word about those in need, our work in emergency response efforts, etc. We are a large organization with several different facets. If you have a passion for a particular cause, chances are good that we are in that and would be happy to talk about how to partner. 6. Explain briefly how artists can help spread the word about World Vision’s objectives. Artists can educate their audiences on the benefits of child sponsorship and offer a way for their audience to sign up to sponsor at their shows. Artists can all help in our many emergency response efforts, including the recent Typhoon in the Philippines. 7. What goals and objectives does the organization have for the next twelve months? World Vision Artists hopes to continue to grow our presence and brand awareness within the country community by partnering with artists and tours. We are also exploring opportunities to develop and produce our tours this coming year.

Artists and songwriters gather together during a trip to the Dominican Republic where the group assisted families in need. Pictured here L to R: World Vision’s Michael Bianchi, CAA’s Megan Sykes, Molly Hunt, Luke Laird, Natalie Hemby, Nicole Johnson (Elenowen), Josh Johnson (Elenowen), Russell Dickerson, World Vision’s Claudia Martinez, Matt Wertz, Melissa Fuller, Ella Mae Bowen, and World Vision’s Mike Severson.


AROUND THE WORLD Marcel Bach has just announced the initial line up for the Gstaad 2014 Festival in Switzerland, which will be held September 12 & 13. Headliners will be Josh Turner, Kellie Pickler, and Rickey Skaggs. Bach founded Country Night Gstaad 25 years ago. Considered to be one of the most prestigious festivals in Europe, the three-day event is held in September every year. Unlike many festivals in Europe, it has a seated listening audience. Artists that have previously performed at the festival include LeAnn Rimes, Martina McBride, Trace Adkins, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, and Kenny Rogers. A previous CMA International Award winner, Bach, was presented with certificates of recognition from the Gstaad mayor, the CMA, NARAS and the State of Tennessee. Talk about road warriors - In the first six months of next year, the Bellamy Brothers global travels will take them to such far away places as Mumbai and Goa, India, Sri Lanka, Germany, Australia, and New Caledonia.

DOLLY PARTON TAPS THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR HER UPCOMING TOUR Dolly Parton’s upcoming Blue Smoke World Tour will include dates in Australia, New Zealand, UK, and mainland Europe. Dolly will perform two shows in Auckland, NZ on February 7 & 8; her first shows in New Zealand in over 30 years. From there, she heads to Australia for a series of dates between February 11 to 27 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. On June 8, Dolly will commence her U.K. dates with a concert at Echo Arena in Liverpool. Through July 2, she has numerous dates in several cities, including Dublin, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff, Nottingham, and London at the O2. On July 5, she heads to Germany for dates in Cologne and Berlin before continuing to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Dolly’s latest studio album, Blue Smoke, will soon be released world wide on Dolly Records through a new partnership with Sony Masterworks.

HISPANIC MUSIC ROUNDTABLE The Nashville Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a panel discussion at Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) focusing on the growth of Hispanic music, its potential interaction with country music, and ways the two formats can work together.

Speaking of road warriors, The Band Perry just wrapped up an impressive tour that took them through Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, the UK, and Ireland. They have an impressive list of Canadian dates lined up for January.

2014 DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR Jan. 25 - Australian Country Music Awards in Tamworth Feb. 19-21 - Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee April 6 - ACM Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada June 5-8 - CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee Sept. 5-8 - Canadian CMA Week in Edmonton, AB Sept. 17-21 - Americana Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee

Director of BMI songwriters/publisher relations, David Preston, author and awardwinning BMI songwriter Stacy Widelitz, Jeff Walker, founder of AristoMedia Group, and several Latin Artists of various genres, attended the event. Musicians, composers, and notable exponents of the industry, including Rachel Rodriguez, Bobby Marquez, Sipho Dumasane, Danny Salazar, Pino Squillace, Phoenix Mendoza, and Sammy Arriaga all attended the event. Also attending was Luna Morena, Rick Rodriguez, Gil Veda, Giovanni Rios, Juan Alonzo, and Cerrito.

The Aristo International Report is published four times per year by The AristoMedia Group, P.O. Box 22765 Nashville, TN, 37202. Publisher: Jeff Walker | Editorial Staff: Jon Walker, Christy Watkins, Matt Watkins, Sharilyn Pettus and Amanda Breeden. Contributors include Jeremy Dylan, Judy Seale, Jimmy Chapin, Tony Byworth, Nick Erby and Rob Davis. Please submit your international Country music news items for consideration to: [email protected] and visit our website at www.aristomedia.com.


AN UPDATE FROM CANADA, EH? The 2014 Canadian Country Music Awards show has been set for Sunday, September 7, at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta. Events leading up to the show will commence on Thursday, September 4. These events will include the announcement of the 2014 winner of the CCMA Discovery Program. Introduced in 2013, the inaugural year was considered a resounding success. Six finalists were selected from hundreds of Canadian applicants to participate in a "boot camp" type experience and a winner was named during CCMA week. This year’s winner was Wes Mack from Calgary, Alberta.

Streamsound recording artist, Jaida Dreyer, has been writing up a storm lately and will have three songs that she wrote or co-wrote on the new, The Music of Nashville: Original Soundtrack Season 2, Volume I.

Charles Esten ("Deacon") and Jaida Dreyer on the set of Nashville.

Canadian Artist Wes Mack

His debut, self-titled EP is set for release in January 2014 and is produced by Jeff Johnson and Tom McPhillip, and mixed by Joey Moi (FGL, Jake Owen, and Dallas Smith) and Scott Cooke (Chase Rice). Look for a big 2014 for this young artist. Michelle Wright recently appeared with Suzanne Alexander on GAC's Country Countdown in support of her U.S. distributed video for "Strong". The video has received considerable airplay nationwide and earned buzz for Michelle's new album project. “Strong,” illustrates the adversity many women face and how they overcome it. Depicted in the video are two women, one a struggling high school student, the other a single mom with two young kids, who choose to push through their hardships to become the strong women they hope they can be. The “Strong” clip also features stellar performance footage from Wright and a photo gallery of real-life women who have succeeded in transforming their lives. Canadians Adam Gregory and Jake Matthews will perform at the American Tours Festival in Tours France on July 5, 2014. Talent buyer Franck Bourcheraud feels that this Canadian Country Music Night will be a positive addition to the festival.

Dallas Smith's new single, "Tipping Point," is gaining a lot of traction nationally across the United States. The track, produced by Joey Moi (FGL, Jake Owen) and written by FGL's Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, along with Jaren Johnston, is an infectious party anthem that is receiving positive feedback from reviewers and radio.

Bamford / Brody

Canadian country music artists compete heavily not only among other Canadian artists, but also with international country music artists. This past November, 2013 CCMA Award winners, Gord Bamford and Dean Brody had the top two most played country singles on Canadian country radio. A HUGE milestone!