Queensland The New Home Of Country?

Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) announced Jan. 16 a three-year deal with Australian TV channel Foxtel to secure the Country Music Channel Music Awards for Brisbane.

Late last year TEQ enticed Chugg Entertainment and Rob Potts Entertainment Edge to move their five-year CMC Rocks country music festival from the Hunter Valley in neighboring New South Wales (NSW). The two events will be held together – the awards March 12 at QPAC and the rebranded CMC Rocks Queensland March 13-15. The CMC event, co-headlined by Lady Antebellum and Troy Cassar-Daley, is expected to draw 15,000 to Willowbank Raceway Ipswich.

TEQ chief executive Leanne Coddington said the two events would “position Queensland as the new home of country music in Australia. It is estimated the events will generate more than 38,000 visitor nights and deliver significant economic outcomes for Queensland’s economy through to 2017.” The Jan. 16 announcement was made on the same day country music capital Tamworth, in NSW, kicked off its flagship music festival for the 47th year.

Eight-hundred acts do 4,000 performances in 120 venues over 10 days to an audience of 50,000. Events include the Golden Guitar awards, the Toyota Star Maker and the Hall of Fame induction.